Healing with Horses

Healing with Horses

Mindfulness Retreats to Build Connection, Compassion, and Courage

Join Jennifer Cohen Harper, and the team at 13 Hands Equine Rescue, for this very special opportunity to rest and reset, in the company of horses on their own healing journey. 

What to Expect

Retreat Information

Today’s world can be overwhelming, and it’s easy to become disconnected from ourselves, from nature, and from each other. Spending time with horses can help us slow down and reconnect with our capacity for mindful awareness and personal power. In this retreat you’ll learn mindfulness based practices, supported by the grounding of horses, that help us reconnect, cultivate compassion for ourselves and others, and build the courage to step fully into our lives with power and authenticity.

More Details

With the support of over 200 horses, from minis to mustangs to drafts, you’ll connect and communicate using your body language, breath, energy and intention:

  • Exchange greetings and communicate that you mean no harm
  • Set boundaries and ask for space without creating fear or disconnection
  • Support a horse that is uncomfortable or scared
  • Invite a horse to walk and/or rest with you
  • Groom a horse to create comfort and connection
  • Move quietly through the herd without disturbing the horses

We’ll spend our time away from the herd expanding on our discoveries and setting intentions for the next day, through a combination of mindfulness practices, gentle movement, journaling and group discussion.
During free time you’ll have the option to explore the natural beauty of the 120 acre farm, including visiting with the other animals such as mini horses, donkeys and mules, goats, dogs, cats, rabbits and more, hiking, relaxing in the apple orchard, reading in front of the fire, wandering with a borrowed art kit, magnificent stargazing, and much more.

Together we’ll explore a way of being in the world that is deeply healing, that connects us to our own body and breath, and to each other. And we’ll be supporting the healing journey of the 13 Hands horses as well.

You’ll head home with a greater awareness of the energy you want to bring into your daily life, and your relationships, and with practices to support creating it (with or without horses). This workshop is appropriate for anyone! No horse experience or mindfulness experience necessary.

*This is a non-riding retreat. All horse interaction will be from the ground and tailored to the needs and comfort of participants. No horse experience necessary. 

Upcoming Dates

Spring Retreat at 13 Hands Equine Rescue

4 Days

4/13/23 – 4/16/23

Join Jennifer Cohen Harper and the team at 13 Hands Equine Rescue for a chance to rest and reset, in the company of horses on their own healing journey. We’re excited to offer a unique opportunity to stay onsite in a beautiful home at 13 Hands during this retreat. 13 Hands is located in Clinton Corners NY, 2 hours from NYC and 15 minutes from both Rhinebeck and Millbrook.

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Fall Retreat at the Omega Institute

5 Days

10/1/23 – 10/6/23

Combine the equine experience of 13 Hands Rescue with the accommodations and support of a world class retreat center. Omega Institute is just 15 minutes from where we will be working with the horses, and offers daily yoga, meditation, lake access, healthy and delicious meals, and much more.

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The experience I had went beyond my expectations. The work with the horses translated to the inner work I needed to do, and I felt a true connection with the horses. I will be forever changed by my time with the 13 Hands Equine Rescue community and our facilitator.

Karen T.

Jenn is an incredibly skilled, kind and loving  facilitator. Her experience with horses, and her ability to connect so beautifully, helped the retreat participants quickly form community with each other and the horses. There are no words to truly paint a picture of one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.

Ellen S.

Being with horses while guided by Jenn’s caring and thoughtful facilitation created a wonderfully moving and soulful experience. I left feeling connected, grounded, and blessed to have had this opportunity.

Amy W.

About Our Hosts

13 Hands Equine Rescue

13 Hands Equine Rescue is a Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries accredited non-profit organization that rescues unwanted, abused and abandoned horses. Located in Clinton Corners, just 2 hours from NYC and 15 minutes from Rhinebeck, 13 Hands is a true refuge. Home to over 200 horses, from minis to drafts, as well as donkeys, goats, rabbits, cats, dogs and more, this is a place where animals can rest, heal, regain strength, and find their purpose.

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The Omega Institute

Omega is a nonprofit, donor-supported, educational organization at the forefront of holistic studies. Located on more than 250 acres in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley, Omega offers a wide variety of workshops, retreats, conferences, and professional trainings, in-person and online. Since 1977, more than one million people have come to Omega for reasons big and small—to spark creativity, explore spirituality, improve well-being, and connect to a community of lifelong learners.

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Why Horses?

The driving force of my work is sharing practices and experiences that support healing, build resilience, and help people joyfully embrace the full human experience.

I have been a lifelong student of horses, and have three family horses, including two that were adopted from 13 Hands. Horses have been a source of healing, joy, and learning for me since childhood, and their presence as attuned companions has enhanced my mindfulness practice. In exploring the horse-human connection, my most important influences have been my training in trauma focused equine assisted services from the Natural Lifemanship Institute, and studying equine communication through Horse Speak with Heidi Potter and Sharon Wilse.

Time with horses makes me feel fully alive, and I LOVE sharing that experience!

Contact

Got thoughts or questions to share? Want information about private retreats or mindfulness with horses sessions? I’d love to hear from you.