Observation
Awareness
Mindfulness
Presence
Connection
Welcome to our unique holistic retreats.
Creating soulful connections between horses and humans
The Inward Journey …….. The Outward Joy
If you’re ready to transform your relationship with horses, our Soul-to-Soul Retreats will put you on the path to a total equine awakening. Enjoy an inspiring retreat that’s focused on becoming one with your horse — body, mind, and soul. We’ll guide you step-by-step on a journey of awareness and connection using practical tools and exercises (mounted and unmounted) that you can continue putting into practice at home. Experience a practice integrating inner stillness and presence with personal body awareness and fitness, liberty work, groundwork, and riding.
The retreat format allows participants to explore and further develop their horsemanship capacity for sensing, feeling, intuition, and timing; all qualities for refining communication between horse and rider. Time is allowed for personal exploration to follow an inner and physical path of discovery that leads the rider to a greater sense of awareness and mindfulness while working with horses.
Discover the mutual joy that arises when we connect with our horses …
mind, body, heart, and soul
“We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. Remote from universal nature and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledge and sees thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in distortion. We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate for having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein do we err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with the extension of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings: they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.”
Henry Beston, The Outermost House: A Year of Life On The Great Beach of Cape Code
The Experience
Equestrians come together to explore new ideas and to share their own experiences and expertise on how they feel their journeys have provided an expanding insight into a closer relationship with their horses. Meaningful discussions with fellow equestrians follow the individual topics.
Throughout your retreat experience, we’ll “practice what we preach” with exercises that prepare our bodies, minds, and souls to be the most present, mindful, strong, and compassionate humans we can be in the company of our horses (e.g. balance, staying present, building and shifting Qi (energy), meditation, joy, and love).
The retreats are designed to:
- Guide you on pathways that explore awareness and presence as the basis of our connection with the horse.
- Provide you with concepts for a more integrated understanding of the horse’s needs — body, mind, and spirit.
- Furnish you with tools and exercises that integrate these concepts into a practice that bring more joy and success to all endeavors with your horse.
The retreat journey explores:
- Inner stillness and presence
- Energy exploration
- Connection and leadership
- Human and equine body awareness
- Liberty work and refined groundwork
- Equine and rider biomechanics
Beautiful Montana Scenery
The retreats are held in Bozeman, MT. Bozeman is a beautiful small town nestled at the foot of the Rockies. Yellowstone Park is just 90 minutes away, legendary fly-fishing on the Madison and Gallatin Rivers are nearby, and Bozeman is home to the world-class dinosaur museum, The Museum of the Rockies. Our convenient Yellowstone International Airport has direct flights from many of the airline hub cities and is just 30 minutes away.
“I’m in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection. But with Montana it is love. And it’s difficult to analyze love when you’re in it.”— John Steinbeck
On the retreats, you’ll enJOY,
Daily QiGong & Meditation Time
Through an inward journey we will build body and mind awareness that prepares us for a deeper connection with the horses. Stillness meditative discovery focuses on allowing our minds to slow down and become more focused on the present moment. The definitions and subtle differences between awareness and mindfulness will be explored. We will enter into the world of Qi Gong as a way to connect and release energy flows within the body and to explore deeper body awareness.
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Daily Discussion Sessions & Exercises
Daily sessions will build on a foundation of getting to know our horses as members of their own species and learning how the herd or family unit provides their safety and fulfills their wants and needs. Then as responsible caregivers, we will explore how we take on these roles for their well-being. Through specific exercises we discover how we can make changes within ourselves to achieve the connection and joyful outcome we seek for ourselves and our horses.
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Horse Connection Time
Guided liberty and groundwork sessions for personal exploration to follow an inner and physical path of discovery that leads horsemen to a greater sense of connection with their horses. During the horse sessions, Soul Leadership qualities and skills will be discussed. To be soulful leaders for our horses we need to feel grounded and sure of ourselves as centered generous beings, who can support the horses so they can trust, follow, and choose to willingly be in our presence. Private riding lessons incorporate classical riding principles, equine and rider biomechanics, and equine learning principles. Trained horses maybe available for groundwork sessions.
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Lodging & Gourmet Meals
Lodging in a 2018 30 foot RV. Enjoy organic wholesome meals prepared by private chef and caterer. Stabling is available on property.
Self-reflection
Wellbeing
Connection
Relationships
Relaxation
The Retreat Program
Body
Mind
Heart
Soul
The retreat format consists of sessions for mind, body, heart, and spirit, sessions with the horses, discussions;, quiet periods, and lots of time for questions and dialog.
Each day will begin with a short inward journey to find our energy through Qigong and meditation as we prepare ourselves to learn and understand howby the horse.
Daily discussion sessions will build a foundation of getting to know our horses as members of their own species and learn how the herd or family unit provides their safety and fulfills their wants and needs. Then as responsible caregivers to our domestic equines we will explore how we take on these roles for their well-being.
We will look at the ‘relationship’ that we are seeking with the horse and the elements of a relationship. Through fun exercises, research material and monitoring equipment we will discover how we can make changes within ourselves to achieve the connection and joyful outcome we seek for ourselves and our horses.
Through the sense of interbeing that we have developed, we will finally explore the art of Soulful Leadership. With the horse as a willing partner we can guide our horses through ground exercises that promote relaxation and effective body movement that will enhance the horse’s mobility and performance under saddle.
Retreat Details
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Arena: To be announced
Retreat Lodging: To be announced
Contact: Karen Ososki
Phone: (406)599-7935
Email: Clinics@KarenOsoski.com
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Guiding Principles
As we journey on a new path of ‘being’ and ‘doing’ with our horses, we will embrace and follow these concepts:
- To do no harm to our horses
- To see the horses for who they are, to recognize their needs, and to be grateful for their willingness to share themselves with us
- To find within ourselves new ways of connecting with our horses that increase our bonds of mutual trust and understanding
Testimonials
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When time was needed for clarification or exploration that was honored and made the experience more meaningful … SM
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I think I could go through the whole weekend again… This was excellent. Karen’s knowledge of equine and human biomechanics is spot on. Her ability to connect with and understand a horse are amazing. … She gave me some exercises to help me to get my horse to focus and work with me. She truly cares about the welfare of the horse and takes the time it takes to help the troubled horse fit into our world. RC
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Our Retreats
Relaxation and Immersion into joy
Soul-to-Soul Retreat
- 3 I/2 Days
- On demand
- Maximum of 2 people
Going Deeper Retreat
- 5 Days
- On Demand
- Maximum of 2 people
Individual Day
- 1 day
- On Demand
- Maximum of 2 people