Experiences and Workshops

GUIDED BY THE HORSE-HUMAN CONNECTION.

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What is the horse-human connection?

HORSES RESPOND TO AUTHENTICITY. WHEN WE IMMERSE OURSELVES IN A HORSE’S WORLD, THE ANIMAL’S RESPONSE PROVIDES INVALUABLE INSIGHT ON OUR HUMAN BEHAVIOR.

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A woman petting a chestnut horse outdoors on a sunny day in Santa Ynez Valley.

What is Equine-Guided Education?

A woman smiling and holding a horse's face in a field during sunset on the central coast.

EQUINE GUIDED EDUCATION (EGE) IS AN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING APPROACH THAT USES IMMERSIVE INTERACTION AND CONNECTION WITH HORSES TO HELP PARTICIPANTS DEVELOP PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL TOOLS. IT IS NOT A FORM OF THERAPY, BUT RATHER A NON-CLINICAL SERVICE FOCUSED ON SELF-DISCOVERY AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT.

HORSES ACT AS GUIDES IN EGE AT RBR. AS PREY ANIMALS, THEY ARE HIGHLY SENSITIVE TO HUMAN EMOTIONS, BODY LANGUAGE, AND ENERGY, WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE, AUTHENTIC, AND NON-JUDGMENTAL FEEDBACK TO PARTICIPANTS.

AT ROUNDBARN, GUESTS CONNECT WITH MEMBERS OF OUR RBR HORSE HERD TO LEARN AN INTERCHANGEABLE SET OF PRACTICAL AND APPLICABLE TOOLS, INSPIRED BY RANCH VALUES AND USEFUL IN NAVIGATING HUMAN EMOTIONS AND EXPERIENCES.

OUR APPROACH USES GROUND-BASED ACTIVITIES LIKE GROOMING, GROUNDWORK, AND PROBLEM-SOLVING EXERCISES AND THEREFORE DOES NOT REQUIRE THAT THE PARTICIPANTS HAVE ANY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH HORSES.

Woman holding a lead rope attached to a brown horse inside a covered riding arena on the central coast during an equine retreat.
A man in a white shirt and baseball cap standing next to a chestnut horse in a corral with a woman in a green jacket in the foreground during an equine retreat in Santa Ynez Valley.
A woman standing next to a brown horse in an indoor riding arena, smiling and wearing a red shirt, blue jeans, a cap, and holding a rope during a women's retreat in wine country.

Not for Everyone, but for Anyone.

NOT EVERYONE IS ON A PERSONAL JOURNEY OF SELF-EXPLORATION AND EVEN FEWER MAY BE INTERESTED IN GETTING UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH HORSES, RANCH LIFE AND DIRT. THE ROUNDBARN MODEL IS BASED ON AN IMPORTANT IDEAL:

WHILE IT IS NOT FOR EVERYONE, THIS EXPERIENCE SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO ANYONE.

EVERY TRIP TO THE RANCH AND ALL TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS HELP TO UNDERWRITE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND BUT MAY OTHERWISE NOT BE ABLE. IT IS IN THIS SPIRIT THAT WE FOUNDED RBR AS A 501(C)(3)—TO PROVIDE JOYFUL SELF-EXPLORATION LEARNING EXPERIENCES TO ALL USING THE HORSE-HUMAN CONNECTION AS THE GUIDE AND WITHOUT CONCERN FOR THE EXPLORER’S ABILITY TO PAY. IF FINANCIAL BARRIERS EXIST, WE ARE HONORED TO BE AN ORGANIZATION THAT OFFERS PARTIAL AND FULL SPONSORSHIP TO THOSE WHO QUALIFY.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE ON RBR’S COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY AND TO BRIDGING THE DISPARITY GAPS IN OUR INDUSTRY THROUGH OUR IMPACT MODEL.

Close-up view of animal and human footprints in sandy soil during an equine retreat.
Lessons text in a gold circle
A circular emblem with the word 'HUMANS' in the center, surrounded by radiating golden rays or spikes, against a black background.
A woman smiling and holding a horse's face in an outdoor field during sunset in the wine country.
Close-up of a person in a blue shirt and jeans standing beside a black-and-white horse during a woman's retreat.
A logo design featuring a gold circular emblem with a stylized sunburst pattern. The word 'HORSES' is centered within the emblem, with the letter H partially visible on the left and the letter S partially visible on the right.