Our First Nation Horse Healing Retreats
For the last 5 years we have had the privilege of creating retreats and programs for the local Indigenous communities.
It has been a deep privilege to bring the space and healing of the horses into the community to support and empower the journey of healing in a way that allows each person to honor how they would like to heal, allowing the horses to hold them in their unique journey.
With horses we find a safe space of non-judgement, where we don’t need to feel the pressure to vocalize or share what is happening with us.
The horses provide us with the energy that we need in each moment, they know who needs to support which person and we can receive a healing exchange from them that touches us deeply. The horses instinctively know whose energy is needed and how each person needs to feel supported in the moment.
About the program
The healing with the horses retreat program is an opportunity to come into the space of the herd and the land, and to receive the healing energy of the herd, with gentle guidance that allows each person to honor where they are in their journey and what feels safe for them to reveal.
All experiences are done on the ground, there is no riding. It is about us coming into the space with the horses and experiencing the healing energy they have to provide us.
As part of the experience we do lean into teaching horse safety and how to be around the horses in a way that feels safe for each person, no one is ever expected to engage with the horses in a way that does not feel safe for them. Our role is to interpret and share the teachings and messages from the horses to encourage and support the healing journey, while allowing each person to honor what they are feeling in their own exchange with the horses.
Retreat Outline
We have created an outline of retreat themes that have been the most impactful for the nations we have worked with over the years, along with our themed retreats. We are also able to customize retreat experiences to suit what you feel would be most supportive for your community.
We work with each nation to customize the retreat and also work around whatever budget is available for a retreat experience. We provide the accommodation, meals and the guided experiences with the herd.
To learn more about each retreat theme or download a PDF you can go here..
Contact Us
If you would like to connect with us to chat more about your retreat experience, please contact us here and we are happy to chat with you.
Breanne Kerr
Breanne Kerr was born on Treaty 6 land, raised on Coast Salish land, and is now visiting the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc lands. A lifelong learner to Mother Earth and the animals, she has humbly spent the last ten years learning and being integrated in the Indigenous Communities and Elders. This has been a cherished part of her life and it has greatly impacted her work with the Equine Collective. Her gifts of space holding, witnessing, and guiding others on their return to themselves have been influenced by these teachings. Some of her roles are Mother, Sibling, Daughter, Child and Youth Care Worker, Indigenous Community Outreach Worker, Craniosacral Therapist, Equine Bodyworker, and Horse Medicine Leadership Practitioner. She is passionate about sharing the Medicine of Horses to support transformation and healing with humans.
Brittany Ashworth
Brittany Ashworth lives with her husband, horses and other animals on the traditional and unceded territory of the Secwépemc people, specifically Splatsín (Salmon Arm, BC).
Through her own business, Sacred Echos, Brittany serves as a Horse Medicine facilitator, Animal Communicator, Akashic Records Reader, intuitive, and educator. Her passion lies in bridging the gap of communication, understanding, and partnership between humans and animals. Her practice is deeply guided by the wisdom of animals, her intuition, and her love for teaching.
As a facilitator, Brittany strives to empower individuals on their healing journeys in a way that honours them on their unique path to healing. She recognizes each person as a unique individual with their own lived experiences, challenges, and truths. With a commitment to inclusivity, she creates a welcoming and safe space where all feel seen, heard, and supported.
Brittany’s dedication to supporting others and sharing the healing work of horses shines through in all that she does. She is honoured to guide and witness those who feel called to this transformative work.
Carol Archie
Carol Archie is from the Stswecem'c Xget'tem First Nation, from the northern part of Secwepemcúl’ecw, located south west of Williams Lake. She now resides in Kelowna and has raised two beautiful daughters.
Learning from parents & elders grounded her in traditional teachings that shaped a resolute and enduring path to understand and help those in need navigate systems bureaucracy. Her journey and dominion over many traumatic experiences resulted in achieving a refined intuition and connection to spirit help others discover to their own gifts and abilities. She will bring the divine feminine, quiet strength and vision to hold space for a deep inner journey.
Hillary Schneider
Hillary is lives at Epona Rise with her herd of 28 former rescue horses, two dogs, husband and daughter on the n the traditional and unceded territory of the Secwépemc people. She is the founder of Epona Rise Retreat Center and Lead Facilitator of our equine retreats and experiences. She has dedicated the last 13 years cultivating a retreat space where people can come and experience the healing energy of horses. Hillary is passionate about creating retreats that feel supportive of the unique journey's of each person that comes here and creating an environment that feels honoring of both horse and human.