FOR THE LOVE OF HORSES:
Horses have been by our side for thousands of years. If it wasn't for horses we would not experience the growth or movement we have today.
Horses have shown up in Mythology, our dreams, cosmic forces, art and religion. Humans from many cultures have a long bond and connection to horses. Horses have carried us and bravely gone into battle, they have been the only method of transportation, they have ploughed our fields so we can feed our families, delivered mail and messages and continue to support us.
Everyone at HEART Retreat truly honours the spirit of the horse. Horses are prey animals that survive by living in a hyper vigilent state of awareness. They are intelligent, energy sensitive and intuitive. All of these are some of the reasons why they are such good teachers.
Now there is scientific and researched based support that shows just how much we can learn from these sentient beings.The support that they offer us helps us continue to grow spiriturally, mentally and physically while helping us stay balanced. Horse medicine is good for the soul!
The horse has no ego, never lies and a horse is never wrong.(Tim Hayes - Riding Home - The Power of Horses to Heal)
The horses at HEART Retreat have gravitated to us.
Every horse in the herd at HEART Retreat have their special talents and have been given a soft place to land so they can heal and just "BE" as it should be. Most of our herd have undergone their own amazing transformations. These transformations have been physical, mental and spiritual.
Our herd is balanced, everyone has a place and a responsibility.
AND NOW IT'S TIME TO MEET THEM
Baylee
Burn N With Class
Wise, Majestic and Beautiful. She is our matriarch. Baylee is a 1995 baby. She is a true example of transformation!!
She is the chosen lead mare. Her spots reveal messages. She receives and transmits our messages. Baylee offers a gentle way to teach you leadership skills. Her soft quiet nature is a true testament that still waters run deep. If you are open and ready to take off your armour she will be there to guide and support you. Baylee is a very powerful healer. She is tall and has a great presence.
Sandi is honoured that Baylee has been a part of her life since 1997.
Jack
Cool Eye Jack
Jack has been exonerated as the alpha and leader. He also is a 1995 baby. He has a talent of being able to oversee his herd with great confidence and has a special presence about him. He is very brave, curious and athletic and is a great protector of his herd. Just like in the wild, he holds the position of the stallion.
Jack is friendly and inquisitive towards humans. He is super smart and is Baylee's Romeo (well at least in his mind). Baylee definitely is Jack's Juliette.
Jack's gift is confidence which he can pass on to his human partners. Jack is definitely a confidence builder and will encourage you to step out of your comfort zone.
Sandi is honoured that Jack has spent his whole horse life with her.
Nappy
Napoleon's Royal Mirage
Nappy is a 1993 baby. He is the perfect role model for 'living in the now' and not 'dwelling in the past' and he had quite the past.
Nappy's gift is his ability to build trust. He is the gentlest of souls. Nappy's healing capabilities are amazing and he never misses an opportunity to prove this. If you are nervous or afraid of horses and would like to keep a fence between you and a horse, we encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and interact with Nappy. He might just change your mind.
Freddy
Grounding...
Freddy arrived in 2015, he is a 2003 baby. He decided that having people on his back was not how he wanted to help people, instead he was guided to HEART Retreat so he could live out his life doing what he does best, interact with people on the ground.
Freddy came to us with a no ride contract which worked perfectly for our program because our programs are all done from the ground.
He is an exceptional natural horsemanship instructor and has even been to one of the Parelli Natural Horsemanship facilities in the United States. He earned his level 4 liberty with such finesse, all on the ground.
He is a rock solid teacher, who is patient and kind with a touch of comic relief when he gets bored if he feels the team could move a little quicker in making decisions.
Freddy is a huge support to our youth and takes his role as a teacher seriously when working with anyone suffering from anxiety and depression, offering them an opportunity to put some resilience into their tool kit.
TK
Graceful...
TK is our newest member to the HEART Retreat team arriving December 21, 2021. TK is also one of our most experienced EAL horses. TK was previously teaching the corporate world leadership skills, supporting at risk youth by teaching them valuable life skills, helping a veteran with PTS and also guiding new facilitators so they could receive their certification at Dreamwinds EAL Facility. Prior to that TK taught people how to ride. TK is a big powerful horse that teaches his lessons with ease and grace. TK also has an important role here and that is to help guide one of his pasture mates that is blind.