Meaningful interaction with horses is at the heart of equine therapy, which seeks to help individuals improve emotional awareness, reduce stress and foster personal growth.
There are many different equine assisted interventions available. Here’s a starting point to what can be found around the world.
Australia
Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, Gold Coast
Tucked away high in the Gold Coast hinterland, Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat offers a range of equine assisted learning and therapy programs. Horses’ uncanny ability to mirror human emotions makes them perfect therapy partners. Working with trained equine therapy practitioners, they provide powerful healing experiences.
Gwinganna’s therapy horses are chosen for their gentle nature. This creates a therapeutic environment where guests can safely gain insight into their emotional states, behavioural patterns and interpersonal relationships. Click here to read a review of an equine assisted learning session undertaken at Gwinganna.
Equine assisted learning and therapy is beneficial for individuals dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma, or emotional blocks, as the horses provide non-judgmental feedback, helping participants feel grounded and present. They are a powerful complement to the retreat’s other wellness offerings, such as meditation, yoga, and nature hikes. To read more about a stay at Gwinganna, read Rest and Recharge at Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat.
United States
Carmel Valley Ranch, California
Carmel Valley Ranch is an all-suites resort spread across 500 acres in California wine country. It offers a range of activities, from yoga and hiking to falconry and beekeeping.
In 2021, the resort also introduced signature equine experiences led by Dr. Robert G. Magnelli, also known as “The Horseman.” These allow guests to join experts and horse whisperers in the property’s state-of-the-art outdoor arena, perched high above the Carmel Valley. “Horses don’t respond well to high or anxious energy, so Dr. Magnelli teaches participants how to feel at ease around these majestic animals,” a spokesperson says.
These three encourage guests to “forge bonds and find joy” through interactions with horses. They include Getting to Know the Herd, Growing Awareness and Discover Joy. The Equines and Wine experience invites guests to unwind with horses and feel more grounded while savouring a glass of local wine.
The Aerial, British Virgin Islands
The Aerial, BVI is a 43-acre private island wellness resort in the Caribbean. In addition to hiking trails, a spa, and an open-air beach gym, guests can visit the property’s Redemption Ranch to participate in its equine-assisted healing program.
Activities include brushing the horses to build trust and connection, guiding them through an obstacle course to develop problem-solving skills, or swimming with them purely for fun.
Redemption Ranch rescues horses from equine kill pens, with five horses, six ponies, and four zebras once destined for slaughter now rehabilitated and integral to the program. The ranch also works with retired racehorses.
Many of the horses have suffered neglect, abuse, or abandonment, so careful selection is necessary to ensure they can form positive connections with humans. Having overcome their own trauma, these horses symbolize resilience, strength, and renewal.
Sessions such as Brushing and Bonding or Mindfulness and Grounding typically last for 60 minutes.
Healing Through Horses, New Mexico
Judy Schneider’s love of horses started when she was a daydreaming schoolgirl. While staring out her classroom window one day, she caught sight of a herd roaming in the distance and instantly felt a fascination for them.
In 2007, the licensed clinical social worker launched Healing for Horses which specialises in custom private equine inspired wellness retreats for women ranging from 5-7 days. The retreats aim to help women identify and overcome limiting beliefs, create effective ways to handle stress and anxiety, and connect with their values to pave the way towards a life of joy and abundance.
Some horses in the herd are rescues, others are elders, while still others are retired “dude” ranch horses. Their most important qualifications are that they are kind-hearted, curious, and enjoy being in an intimate relationship with human beings, says Schneider. “You get to receive unconditional love, respect and, perhaps for the first time, feel what’s it like to be accepted for who you are without judgement.”
Morocco
Selman Stables, Marrakech
Exercises using blindfolds are a key component of horse assisted coaching techniques at Selman Stables within Selman Marrakech. Equine behaviourist Catherine Reda points out that human speech is our primary communication tool.
To put participants on the same level as horses, she deprives them (temporarily) of one of their senses – sight. “(This is done) by blindfolding the person and letting him abandon himself totally to the animal, its emotions, movements and listening,” she explains.
The blindfolded person walks with the horse using a rope, then mounts the horse still blindfolded. The horse is then guided by another person on the ground. “The aim is for the person to let go, to discover the world of sensation, touch and listening, and to be able to manage their worries and stress by letting themselves be guided totally by the horse,” she explains.
Sessions end with meditation, reflection, and a walk in the property’s gardens.
Jordan
Pink Spirit Wellness Retreats, Wadi Rum
The red desert sands of Wadi Rum, in Jordan’s south, are the setting for Pink Spirit Wellness Retreats. Run by Sandra Jelly, the multi-day programs include a mix of yoga, breathwork, chakra meditation, sound healing, and private camping amid the lunar-like landscape with a Bedouin guide.
Horses form another key component of some of these retreats. Jelly explains that the Bedouins consider the Arab horse as a gift of God, while stables still breed the pure Arab horse for prestige and endurance races.
Working with a herd of local Arab horses and a donkey, the retreats involve equine assisted systemic coaching. Time spent with the horses is complemented by a family constellations therapy approach aimed at uncovering the hidden dynamics within a family or group to unlock deep-seated patterns and programming from the past.
Desert Horse and Wellness Journeys run from 6 to 11 days, with the longer versions including Petra and the Dead Sea as well as Wadi Rum.
Indonesia
NIHI Sumba, Sumba Island
Located an hour by plane from its flashier neighbour, Bali, NIHI Sumba is a boutique all-villa property on Sumba Island in East Indonesia. It’s set in a region that’s rich in natural beauty, with lush rainforests, waterfalls, and pristine beaches. It’s also popular with snorkellers, divers, and surfers, given its prime position overlooking the Indian Ocean.
NIHI Sumba guests can participate in varied equestrian activities, including sunrise and sunset beach rides, cross-country trail rides and ocean swimming with the island’s herd of “sea horses” or sandalwood ponies. It’s even possible to indulge in some local culture, by viewing a demonstration of the traditional mounted spear-fighting competition called pasola.
The resort offers a range of programs, ranging from the Equine Intuitive Awareness Retreat to the Harmonizing Horsemanship retreat.
