Gallop Ventures is an innovative, nature-based program of self-discovery that leverages the sensitive perceptions and unbiased instincts of horses to empower humans to learn and grow.
Our programs are experiential in nature and take place in an arena with horses as the primary teachers and guides. Working alongside the herd, you will quickly discover there are no wiser, fairer, or more patient mentors. Under a facilitator’s guidance, participants engage with the horses in carefully-designed activities to discover new strengths and awareness to benefit them in all aspects of their lives.
Whether you are an experienced horse person or are brand new to the arena, Gallop Ventures guides you through interactions with horses to discover insights beyond human-centered logic or conventional thinking. This is when you realize what the magic of horses is all about. In these moments of unfiltered reflection and true empowerment, you may find what allows your true self to thrive.
When you dare to wander new paths with a horse friend, amazing things unfold.
“I have learned more from horses than from any book, class, or person on how to be a better human being. Horses are love in its finest form.”
How it Works
If you are open to learning from the horses, all you have to do is show up.
Horses are herd animals who live and interact in close interdependent social groups much like our human work groups, families, and teams. In exercises with the horses, we draw upon the horses’ instincts to observe and reflect on how you engage in the world. Horses read even the most subtle, unconscious body language with remarkable accuracy and their feedback is direct and immediate.
In a Gallop Ventures workshop, you will participate in simple activities such as putting a halter on a horse or leading a horse in an arena. The activities are hands-on and interactive but require no specific skills or experience. Some people describe the program as a type of ropes course with horses (check out our FAQs page). Whether you are experienced with horses or interacting for the first time, the horses’ quiet, straightforward feedback may enhance your confidence and connection with yourself and the world around you.
In addition to exploring your interaction patterns, working with horses gives you a chance to slow your pace and become fully present. Science shows the human’s sympathetic nervous system slows in their presence, allowing you to feel relaxed and more aligned with your body’s natural flow. Participants report how dwelling in this calm space allows deep insights, curiosity, and unexpected wisdom to emerge.
The horses are honest, powerful, graceful and kind, living every moment a part of the natural world they call home. From this place, they inspire us to connect to what we know deep inside. Participants report how being in the presence of horses promotes self-discovery as the horses’ gentle nature inspires us to see the truth of who we are and how we relate to the world around us.