"Experience Horse Medicine"
A heart-healing, life changing adventure guided by horses, nature, and ourselves in the foothills of Colorado's Rocky Mountains
TWO DATES AVAILABLE
April 13-18, 2025 and October 19 - 24, 2025 at the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch Sylvan Dale Ranch in Loveland, Colorado.
Facilitated by Anne Altvater, Ulla Frederiksen, an amazing herd of horses, and the breath-taking land that Sylvan Dale calls home.
WHAT IS HORSE-MEDICINE?
Horse-medicine brings a unique type of transformational experience through two particular equine traits: authentic connection and natural sensitivity. A skillful horse/human partnership will hold heart-centered space and reflect a client's experience with authenticity, safety, and acceptance in a way that builds a sense of real connection to another living being.
Horse-medicine reveals a space to release automatic reactivity and defensiveness, this allows you to get to know your authentic truer self. As the protective layers shed, a sense of relaxation comes from within your body. This can be described as having a co-regulation experience for your nervous system. A well-regulated nervous system has the ability to adapt, which allows the body to rest, digest, and heal.
Spending intentional time with a horse or a herd of horses offers life giving experiences that enhance our everyday lives.
Highlights....
- Time with a skilled herd of horses to feel yourself in a group, reflect on your experiences, and practice "Horse-Medicine"
- Afternoon trail rides, hikes, naps, or wading in the river.
- "Messy Art" and Journaling has definitely been a favorite group activity. Supplies are provided. This can be a freeing, expressive way to integrate daily experiences.
- Evening conversation around a fire, meals together, and quiet time.
- Soak in the breath taking views from the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains by horseback.
- Have fun, laugh, cry, and make lasting friendships with the horses, each other and the all the Sylvan Dale Ranch family, including the wildlife and stunning landscape.
- Learn "deep listening" to experience how horses vibrationally communicate and bring our energy into coherence for healing.
- Recognize your unique rhythm as you spend time with the horse herd energy, nature, and each other.
- Enjoy a horse suited for your riding ability.
- Daily riding (weather permitting).
- Cattle herding and sorting (a very popular activity!)
COST: $3800. or choose the "early bird" rate of $3500. paid by January 31, 2025
Also Includes...
- Private lodging in charming cabins on the river.
- Three daily delicious meals with gluten-free and vegetarian options.
- Guidance from the Sylvan Dale Ranch wranglers.
Transportation to Colorado and to the ranch are not included. Yoga from an outside instructor is available Monday, Wednesday, Friday for $10. a class. Massage therapist is available by appointment.
“Horses are magnificent healers. They filter our energy system, ground our presence, and show us aspects of ourselves we may have forgotten. The awareness that comes from this exploration is transformative, life changing, and comes to each person in the most perfect way.”
~ Anne Altvater
"My goal is to bring peace, creativity and healing to you, and together we can bring peace, creativity and healing to our communities and the world." ~ Ulla Frederiksen
About Your Retreat Guides
Anne Altvater
Anne has a passion to help everyone orient to a higher, more coherent frequency that offers a broader perspective, a heart-centered lens, and more possibilities of ease and resolution to life's tangles. She brings people together to create meaningful and transformative opportunities that support personal growth.
Growing up with horses made Anne who she is today – a compassionate horse woman, a skilled riding coach/trainer, and an intuitive group facilitator often collaborating with horses, donkeys, and nature. Along with a 30 year career coaching/training riders and their horses, Anne's devotion has been to foster communication and partnership between the horse and human.
Anne is also a graduate of The Barbara Brennan School of Healing ,a four year degree which teaches hands-on healing and facilitates personal transformation to enable graduates to work with individual and group's energy consciousness system to effect change. (2003) and Southeastern School of Massage(1995).
Her entrepreneurial spirit shows up in the founding of Campbell's Lane Farm, in Preston Maryland, a traditional horse farm that has evolved into a sanctuary for human and animal beings to safely explore their unique purpose on this planet. A "unity" perspective makes CLF a place holder for others seeking deeper awareness and expanded consciousness (1999), Insight Equine Therapy(2016), Great Bear Airbnb Retreat Venue in Butler Tennessee(2021).
In 2021 Anne became a founding member of New Wave of Groups... "8 Elements to bring any group of two or more to a more harmonious deeper connection", the evolutionary edge of relationships, with ourselves and all beings.
Ulla Frederiksen MA., LLP
Ulla is a psychologist, ARCH certified group facilitator, teacher, and artist. Her private practice, The Sundance Center, specializes in client-centered, solution-oriented and trauma-informed therapy for Highly Sensitive People. Ulla also co-founded Red Horse Center for Collaborative Leadership, www.redhorse.red , a nonprofit organization contributing equitable access to personal and professional development, mental health, and community wellness.
Ulla lives close to nature with horses, dogs, chickens, cats, and goats and loves to share this peaceful world. She strives to create a safe, fun, and non-judgmental space for insight and healing to take place.
Ulla received her master's degree in Psychology from the Center for Humanistic Studies (now Michigan School of Psychology). She has been in private practice since 1993 and has facilitated with horses since 2001. Ulla has trained equine-assisted facilitation around the world since 2010.
Ulla is also co-creator of Arenas for Change (ARCH), a worldwide organization that supports and educates professionals who incorporate horses in mental health, organizational development, and education.
Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch
Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch in Loveland, Colorado — the New West — a lot like the Old West, but a whole lot more comfortable! This historic working horse and cattle ranch has been in operation since the 1920’s.
At Sylvan Dale Ranch you can disconnect from your everyday life, settle back, and gain a fresh perspective.
Blue Ridge Mountain Women's Retreats 2024
October 4-6, 2024 November 8-10, 2024 Laurel Bloomery, tennessee
"The Journey Toward Connection"
Come for deep rest and refuge from everyday living to reconnect to yourself through the reflection of horses, nature, expressive arts, and like hearted community.
The Blue Ridge Mountains in Northeastern Tennessee are the backdrop of this transformative weekend. Our host Gentry Creek Farm is home to "Wellsprings", a retreat venue and horse rescue.
We invite horse and nature lovers with all levels of experience. This exploration will be unmounted.
This two day retreat will offer...
The beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains are the backdrop for this weekend retreat.