Saturday, October 3 was a Fire Horse day at the ranch. The theme was The Herd's Wisdom, Relational Harmony, and the herd had plenty to say about it.
If you have never been to one, here is the short version. A small circle of women spends a full day here with our horses. Nobody rides. All of the work happens on the ground, and you do not need any horse experience at all. We start with coffee and tea, sit in circle, spend the morning with the herd, share a long lunch, and go back out in the afternoon before we close the day together.
A Morning of First Hellos
We began at the stables, one woman and one horse at a time. No agenda and no task to finish. Just a hand on a shoulder, a slow breath, and the patience to let the horse decide how close is close enough.
I have spent more than fifty years with horses, and this part still gets me. A horse does not care what you do for a living or how your week went. A horse notices how you arrive. When a person softens, the horse softens too, and you can see it from all the way across the yard.
Why We Listen to the Herd
Horses are herd animals. They stay safe by staying in relationship, by paying attention to each other, and by being honest about what they feel. There is no pretending in a herd.
That is what relational harmony means to me. Harmony in a herd does not mean everyone agrees. It means everyone knows where they stand. That is a lot to learn from an animal who never says a word.
The Long Table
Lunch at the ranch is never rushed. We sat down together at the long table, passed the plates, and talked. I love this part of the day. The morning has had a little time to settle, and the conversation tends to go wherever it needs to.
Into the Round Pen
In the afternoon we moved out to the round pen, with the garden still in bloom from the rains and the sierra behind us. The women took turns going in with the horses while the rest of the circle watched from the shade.
Watching is part of the work. You notice things in someone else's walk across the sand that are very hard to notice in your own.
It is a simple thing to describe. A woman walks, and a horse decides whether to walk with her. I will let the photos tell the rest.
Alanna Levenson, an executive, life, and equine-assisted coach who will be collaborating with us here at the ranch, spent the day with the herd too. You will find her in the photos below, and you can read about her work on our therapeutic experiences page.
Thank You
To the women who came, thank you for showing up the way you did. And to the herd, as always, thank you for telling the truth so gently.
The Next Fire Horse Day
Our next Fire Horse day is Saturday, November 14, 2026. The theme is Into the Clearing, Choosing What Comes Next. It runs from 9am to 5pm, the circle is women only and stays small, and transportation, lunch, and a follow-up coaching call are included. The day is held in English.
You will find the dates and the early bird price on the Fire Horse page. And if one day does not feel like enough, Six Days with the Herd runs January 14 to 19, 2027.
Send me a WhatsApp and I will tell you anything you want to know.
Come sit with the herd.
