The facilitators.

Chris Rausten is the founder of Rancho Baile de la Luna and the creator of Spirit Horse Journeys. Her journey with horses began at age seven with a $35 Shetland pony and has shaped nearly every part of who she is. From early years riding freely to later studies in dressage and natural horsemanship, and decades of hands-on care and training, Chris approaches horses as both student and steward. She actively trains and competes in working equitation.

Alongside the horses, Chris has spent a lifetime in personal and spiritual exploration. As the creator of the retreats, she designed both the physical space and the experience itself, and her role is to hold the container: steady, intuitive, and nurturing, with clear structure when it is needed. At the heart of her work is a simple belief that when a space is held with care and authenticity, meaningful experiences unfold naturally.

Marti McGinnis is a lifelong creative, facilitator, and pioneer in equine-assisted learning, with over 40 years of experience guiding people through experiential and transformative processes. With a Master's degree in Communication and decades as a professional artist, her work brings together authentic expression, human connection, and the intuitive wisdom of horses.

She is an EAGALA Level 2 Certified Equine Specialist, a certified Equine Assisted Learning facilitator, and in 2024 completed a Level 2 Certificate in the Therapeutic Use of Person-Centred Creative Arts in the UK. Co-founder of HorseJourneys and founder of QuantumSparks, her current work, Charcoal Horse, blends equine-assisted learning with drawing and reflective art. Her approach is non-riding and experiential: presence, observation, and creative expression in the company of the herd.

Jeff is Chris's husband, and he does the things that decide whether a day actually works. He drives the transport for the one-day retreats, and he prepares and serves the lunch that everyone ends up talking about afterwards.

Every retreat has a person who quietly holds the practical side together so the rest of us can be fully present with the horses. Here, that is Jeff.

Maria Lucero guides the constellation work at the ranch, along with chakra balance sessions, blessings, and pelvic healing, all of it done in the company of the horses.

Her starting point is simple and close to our own: horses are healers, purely because of the presence they bring. Presence is the thing a person has to arrive with, and once it is there, letting go becomes possible. She also works with graphology and the Enneagram as tools for getting to know yourself better.