When life throws you challenges, don’t expect to rise to the level of your ambitions; fall back to the level of your training and overcome what’s in front of you with self-confidence.
Personal Training
Private & semi-private horseback riding sessions for both Youth & Adults spanning beginner to advanced levels and a broad range of performance disciplines. We will help you craft your skills in the world of performance riding and take you to the top with patience and commitment. We will cultivate your abilities to find confidence, awareness and connection with horses. Students are encouraged to arrive at the barn 30 minutes before their lessons begin. Each session includes unmounted horse care (horsemanship), as well as mounted work in a range of skill sets for both horse and rider combinations. We offer single sessions & monthly packages.
**Cancellations must be made 48 hours before the class in order to rebook
**Deposits are non-refundable
PONY CLUB
Pony Club is an internationally recognized program for youth riders, designed to take beginners through to the advanced level of horsemanship. Our Club classes take place once a week and are primarily unmounted (although there may be days we practice mounted skills together). Students learn to keep their ‘record books’ and develop critical working knowledge in advanced horse care and management. Students at the highest levels can graduate into the professional horse management world. NOTE: weekly club classes support a child’s ownership over their physical practice and are buttressed by a number of Pony Club events and competitions throughout the year.
**No deposit is required, families can book online in advance or pay cash at class
Pro Series TRAINING
One of our areas of expertise is training new trainers. This work can take place in mounted or unmounted sessions; students are welcome to bring their own horses or use one of ours. We will problem-solve a number of scenarios to get you through the challenges you may be facing and feel confident holding space for others. Pro Series work can include performance riding as a sport or profession, teaching others how to ride, training horses and/or ranch management. This work also includes learning how to rescue and rehabilitate animals effectively. We will design a custom program for you with clear goals and milestones in place.
**To qualify for Pro Series work you must have achieved an intermediate level of horsemanship already. We will determine goals and necessary time commitments together in our initial session.
**Deposits are non-refundable
RESCUE AND REHABILITATION
All of our programs are designed to support an extensive rescue and rehab operation. We provide incentives and rewards for better fitness and health through our events and outreach work. Please get in touch if you need help, or spot an animal in need. We accept both donations and volunteers in our program. At the moment, six of the seven horses at our facility are local rescues that we have successfully rehabilitated to work in our school program. Both of our farm dogs, Arroyo and Montaña, are rescues from within the neighborhood, as well as our cat Coconut. We’ve even given shelter to seabirds. But because our facility is small, we must be careful to rehome as quickly as possible, or work with animals off-site. In case of emergency we will pull an animal in and give them shelter, emergency care and space for rehab. We provide community resources to better support the animals in the coastal areas around Todos Santos, including open source knowledge on nutrition and access to no or low-cost foods, veterinary supplies and hoof care. We also provide veterinary and ferrier clinics to the community.
Please get in touch if you need help, or spot an animal in need. We accept both donations and volunteers in our program.
PERSONAL COACHING & MENTORSHIP
We live and breathe high level performance at Equus Sur. We understand the ebb and flow of the energy that sustains it, and the pain that it can sometimes produce. We know that everybody could use a coach sometimes: that special person in your proverbial warm-up arena, encouraging you to find your inner champion and perform at your best in the moments you need it most. Be it the pressures of your executive life, feelings of dislocation from those around you, the anxiety of ‘keeping it all together’ for your team (family or at work); or maybe you just need help to finally heal what’s been plaguing your spirit all these years. We’re here for that.
Performance horses are special because they thrive in a state of free and forward motion. As trainers, we are always seeking to eliminate anything that confines or impedes that free forward movement – to unleash the athlete and reveal the spirit that compels it. Imagine your life unencumbered. What do you see? Although we use horses in our work, you do not need to ride to discover the depths of connection; we will not pressure you to get in the saddle. If and when you’re open to it, horses can instantly reconnect you to your instincts, your spirit, and nature. This is the ‘magic’ that so often heals the hurting.
**Personal Coaching is an equine assisted learning modality and can happen in single sessions. Mentorship requires a relationship and therefore a minimum of a six-week commitment.**Please inquire for availability *Serious inquiries only.
**Sessions can begin after an initial consultation to determine compatibility and desire. *Prices will vary depending on need
BREATHWORK & UNMOUNTED MEDITATIONS
Horses communicate through energy. They listen to our breathing, register the health of our nervous system (may react negatively to our stress) and reward our calm self-awareness. They feel our meditations and send our prayers into the earth surrounding us, evoking Life. They are powerful at manifesting. They thrive in partnership. They are healers.
We invite you to join us in prayer and in meditation during moonrise throughout the month. We are only beginning to offer these sessions in the Fall/ Winter season 2022, so you will find limited opportunities at the moment. As community members request time we will offer more. Please feel free to inquire for more details.
CONSULTING
Are you thinking about caring for horses near you? … Already rescued a horse and need guidance? … Are you ready to set up your first farm and want to have horses? … Building fences, thinking about regenerative grazing models, worried about toxic plants or just need help with your equipment and training goals? We’ve got your back. We consult in person or remotely on any number of issues.
**Please inquire to establish a relationship with our team, and for pricing.
EVENTS
Come and play with us at Equus Sur! Horses are brilliant at fostering human cultures to support them. We offer extensive rescue and rehabilitation services, frequent ferrier clinics, knowledge banks, Instructor/ Trainer clinics, camps and competitions throughout the year. Check out our calendar and scroll for offerings.
FACTS & QUESTIONS
Will horses hurt me?
No, and maybe yes. Horses don’t naturally want to hurt you ever. In fact, they’re prey animals so they would rather run away in a fit of panic than try to cause you any harm. That being said, we have put ourselves into closed relationships and we’re playing a sport, so injuries can occur. It’s important to keep in mind that horseback riding is considered an extreme sport, akin to American football, boxing, or MMA fighting. When injuries occur they tend to be high impact. That’s why we go to the lengths we go to maximize safety and minimize injury, and hold a safe space for you and/ or your children to learn how to communicate in tandem with these incredible animals. We pride ourselves on an excellent safety record. Trust you’re in good hands. Accidents DO happen but we work tirelessly to assure your safety and the safety of our animals. If you have questions about the details of our safety protocols, please feel free to reach out.
Will I be able to jump and run?
If that’s what you aspire to, yes, definitely. We can teach anyone those skills but it takes Time (with a capital T) and serious commitment. Please keep in mind that horseback is a practice and the more work you put in the more reward you receive. If you skip practice, we can’t do it for you. If you show up and give it your all, you’ll grow wings and fly. For those who are keen to feel that freedom, we recommend a minimum of two to three classes a week and a six-week program.
Why is it so expensive?
It’s not expensive. We’ve taken every step we can to subsidize the costs of world class training and provide you with access to the very best knowledge. It may feel expensive compared to other activities (pilates, yoga, etc) but horseback riding is multi-faceted: it’s a sport that works your body and puts you into physical alignment, activates your deepest core muscles and amplifies bilateral coordination; it’s a conceptual challenge that puts you into mental alignment with the power of our Nature; and it’s all predicated on reconnecting you to your spiritual health. So you obtain a transformative MIND-BODY-SPIRIT balance just by showing up. It’s clinically proven to be one of the most empowering practices for children and adults contending with the adverse effects of socialization, work, stress, abuse, trauma, anxiety and chronic pain. This practice delivers results to make you a better, more successful human being. You can always save money and go to a trail outfitter to get on a horses back and plod around for a few hours. Or you can have a personal coach bring you straight in to the heart of a Zen sport. Practically speaking, horses are costly. Our horses each see a farrier every five weeks, are attended to by a veterinarian regularly and are fed the highest quality alfalfa and grain and tended to with products that keep them happy and healthy. Much of our costs are reinvested straight back into the animals we love.
Will I get to gallop on the beach?
Probably not, unless you are in one of our fitness programs and a regular student. Galloping on the beach is incredibly demanding on the horse’s tendons and it’s unsafe for new riders. This is the real deal, so you’ll get the thrill of the ‘gallop on the beach’ dream— but differently. You’ll get an authentic understanding to inspire your future path. Rest assured on that.
Will I get to pick which horse I want to ride?
We’ll take your preference into account, we’ll be placing riders and horses based on who we think will work well together.
What do I need to bring?
You need to wear boots and pants, half chaps if you’ve got them. Bring gloves if you are willing to wear them, and a hat for the sun. Sunscreen and a water bottle. Bring cash if you are outbacking so you can purchase food at rest stops, or local wares from ranches along the way.
I have no experience in the saddle, is this outbacking trip really for me?
We’re pros at introducing people to the practice BUT please come early. If you don’t have a ton of time in the saddle, give yourself extra time to sink into this experience. We will work with you at the barn to introduce you to the animal you’ll be working with and give you some pointers before we head out on our adventure.
How is working with horses different than yoga and pilates?
While yoga and pilates are important practices for recalibrating and calming your nervous system while also strengthening your core body, they don’t put you in direct contact with your nature and the nature that surrounds you. Horseback riding is team sport—you and the animal that you’re working with are in constant communication, trading energy and emotion as you move through the task(s) at hand.
Do you use English or Western tack?
We use both, and we’ll determine what is right for you and the horse you’ll be working with together based on your body needs, style and personal training goals.
Will we see any wildlife while we’re riding?
Horses are an amazing way to experience nature, and we often have encounters with Baja Sur’s beautiful wildlife while on our rides. Along the coastline, we’ll likely see a variety of our coastal bird species and from the months of January through March we’ll almost certainly see some Gray and Humpback whales. In the desert, we’ll see more bird species as well as lizards, snakes, rabbits, chipmunks, and the occasional bobcat as well as some of the local free-range horse population.
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