By Ingrid Schmidt
Equine experiences at luxe resorts in Santa Fe, Jackson Hole, and Tucson tap into the ancient wisdom of the herd. Photo courtesy Equus.
Diamond Cross Ranch, outside Jackson Hole, Wyoming, counts Kendall Jenner amongst its patrons. Photo courtesy Four Seasons.
What better timing than the Year of the Horse to embark on an equine-centered personal growth program? Mindfulness-meets-the-mare activities that rein in the perceptive energy of horses can be found at dozens of resorts across the country, though the Southwest may offer some of the most unique. Evolutionally fine-tuned to survive threats, horses have a highly sensitive internal radar system wired to pick up on movement and sound within a multi-mile radius and track tiny shifts in the muscle tension, breathing, and heartbeat of those nearby. Perfect partners to naturally recalibrate human potential.
“Horses are so sensitive to energy and emotion; they feel us to a degree that we don’t feel,” explains Diamond Cross Ranch proprietor and leadership expert Grant Golliher, whose class on how to subliminally connect with a wild or troubled horse is part of a new offering by Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole. “That instinct is how they survived the saber-toothed tiger. I can’t force the horse to trust me; he must choose whether to stay or run. Horses tell you a lot about people: when someone’s intimidated, if they’re a leader. If they don’t lead, the horse will!”
Relationship horsemanship based on freedom (versus coercive horse breaking) is championed by these ranches and key to the underlying foundation of mutual respect. For 30 years, Golliher has presented his Think Like a Horse philosophy to Fortune 500 execs, members of Congress, and other leaders. It’s a brand-new add-on to the core “Cowboy for a Day” experience, where guests learn the ropes of riding, and even catching a stallion that has broken loose from the herd. Kendall Jenner is a patron of the 114-year-old Wyoming ranch, and shot a Vogue cover story there last summer with fellow horse aficionado Gigi Hadid.
Photo courtesy Equus.
There’s also the Equus Experience, a leadership and self-discovery coaching seminar held on a ranch adjacent to Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado in Santa Fe, led by Kelly Wendorf. From the moment a guest arrives, Wendorf adeptly “reads the space,” in order to lead a hands-on experience grounded in principles of herd culture: safety, connection, peace, freedom, and joy. “Everyone comes with a different story and set of needs; we let them reconnect to themselves by reconnecting with nature,” says Wendorf, pointing out that horses hold age-old wisdom that can provide insights into how to thrive. “Humans live in a power over paradigm; the horse represents a paradigm of power with, leading through care and presence. Once they determine you’re not a predator, you become part of the herd, and they teach you through reflecting back and modeling.”
Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa has been at the forefront of equines-led experiences. Photo courtesy Miraval.
Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa has offered a vast variety of equine experiences for the past 30 years at its 400-acre Tucson flagship at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The curriculum has fresh additions this year and extends to properties in Austin and The Berkshires. On offer are more than a dozen private and group sessions, including equine oracle card readings and a Cadenced Connection session, where riding a horse with no saddle teaches lessons in somatic communication. Instruction is designed to reveal personal insights and develop tools; body scan meditations help gauge areas of tension and whether one is thriving or in survival mode.
What to Pack
The season’s western-leaning looks offer plenty to help you channel your inner cowboy.
“We treat the ranch like a living laboratory for Miraval values—being authentic and leaning into vulnerability with this sense of community and connection,” says Equine Program Manager Lucinda Vette. “We offer the same to the horses; they live in a herd rather than stalls. They don’t wear shoes. At the core of the program is getting people into their own hearts, feeling safe, trusting themselves enough to learn how to genuinely show up. As people get clear, energetic channels of understanding open and suddenly the horse is walking with you. You realize it’s not about figuring the horse out. It’s about your relationship with life, with other people, with yourself.”
