Classical Horsemanship & Yoga
mobility, strength and energy
Price
2100$ US includes 13% VAT
Includes
Accomodation
Full board
Airport Transfers
Classical Horsemanship Lessons
Yoga Lessons
Tours
Start Dates 2024
18.Feb; 10.March;28.April; 21.July; 18.August; 15.Sep; 20.Oct; 24.Nov; 22.Dec
Other dates up on request.
Feel the flow...
Join us for our unique and carefully designed retreat to connect with horses, nature and your inner strength. This retreat combines the daily practice of yoga and the study of Classical Horsemanship in order to improve your riding, biomechanical understanding and connect to the spirit of the horse. Be present and in the now. Breath in the fresh air and peace of our cosy mountain farm. Practice mindfulness and go in contact with yourself through your equine partner and while just being. Feel yourself and your horse moving together in harmony and during your yoga class. Soak in the life and peace of our jungle surroundings.
Start your day with a yoga class held by a professional and strong yogi who will guide you through your class in flow and with ease. Yoga helps you to improve your strength and balance, mental as well as physical. After a hearty breakfast including fresh and local ingredients you will receive a lesson in classical horsemanship and can take a seat next to the arena to observe the other riders. Classical Horsemanship is based on the teachings of the old masters of the European riding academies and aims to ride the horse in perfect balance with lightness. We will get a better understanding of how the horse's body works and what is essential for the horse's body. When improving the well being of the horse's physics the overall wellbeing of the horse will improve as well, just like us after a great yoga class. Within this retreat we have it all, wellbeing for horses and people. After your horse class you can stay with the herd on our stunning mountain pasture, take time to just be and breath. The afternoons include a mix of activities making every day special and different. After a healthy and delicious dinner you will be falling asleep to the sound of the jungle.
Course Includes
Prices
Extras
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7 days/ 6 nights accommodation in a semi private or triple room
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Airport Transfers
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fresh made meals (vegetarien option)
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fresh made smoothies
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5 Classical Horsemanship lessons: proper preperation for riding, lateral movements and more (private lessons)
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3 theory lessons
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daily yoga
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herbal tea circle: pick your tea from our medicinal garden
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hot springs & coffetour
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hike with your equine partner
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local market and CATIE tour
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fire ceremony
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2100$ US shared room
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2700$ US privat room
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This course can be booked without yoga with a discount.
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Extra nights including meals but no program:
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extra night in shared room: 95$
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extra night in private room: 125$ US
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Classical Horsemanship - the art of riding
A horse is not born to be ridden. But with a well thought training program we can help him to use his body in a way that he can carry us without damage. The basic understaning of anatomy and biomecanics are important in order to know witch excersies to choose to adress the right muscle areas and correct wrong movements. We learn to flex and mobilize the horse from the ground to prepare him for riding. We use lateral movements to lengthen and strengethening his body. Movement therapy is the understaning of classical horsemanship learning from the old european masters like Baucher, Steinbrecht and others.
The study of classical horsemanship is always for the horse and is meant to improve the horses well being. We are always on the search of the right thing to do to help our horse to feel better and lift the base of his neck. We do not use strength but a well thought through series of exercises to get our horse to improve his straightness and balance. We are always riding with finest aids and will never pull, kick or blame. Our seat as our main tool is where we work on most, together with our focus, calmness and patience. Riding in balance is peaceful and involves our full concentration, we will feel and heal within this mindfull and meditative way of riding.
The result will be a proud equine partner that loves to ride with you and maintains healthy and happy. And you can develop your personality and open paths that you can not even imagine yet.
This course is for you if you are on the search of real riding and want to become one with your horse. For a beginner rider we have developed a perfect introduction into balanced riding and with isas "understand the trot" course we have students sitting the trot on their first trial. If you own horses or are an advanced horse rider you will love this course as you can feel the light and fine riding on our well trained horses that will invite into the study of balance. We will pick you up where you are and make sure you will get the best out of your stay. We have horses trained to different levels and advanced riders will be able to experience more advanced exercises.
"We are riders, not tourists on a horse" M.J.de Oliveira.
Besides the horses you can enjoy Finca Soley surroundings on the included nature and culture tours within this program. Visit hot springs to relax and jump into the wild waterfalls in our area.
Each program will be carefully and individually adjusted to your wishes and needs. At Finca Soley we work on a personal scale with one on one attention to our guests.
Retreat Sample Schedule (might be due to changes)
Day 1
3pm: Farm Tour
We take you on a walk through our tropical mountain farm and you will learn about eatable and medicinal plants we grow here.
4.30pm: Tea Circle
Pick a leave from our medicinal garden to prepare your herbal tea. We will sit together to meet and set goals, discuss wishes for the retreat.
5:30 pm: Yoga
6:30 pm: Dinner
Day 2
6:30 am: Yoga
8 am: breakfast
9 am: Theory Lesson
What is Classical Horsemanship?
10 am: Classical Horsemanship Lesson
Ground Work: Learn the basics to prepare your horse for riding
12 am: lunch
1 pm: Orosi Hot Springs
We take the rood down passing the beautiful lake of Cachi to the volcanic thermal springs of Orosi. The installations also host a coffeetour included.
6:30: Dinner
Day 3
6:30 am: Yoga
8 am: breakfast
9 am: Classical Horsemanship Lessons
Private Riding Lesson, schedule will be handed on site
12 am: lunch
2 pm: Theory Lesson
Understand the lateral movements
6 pm: dinner
Day 4
6:30 am: Yoga
8 am: breakfast
9 am: Classical Horsemanship Lessons
Private Riding Lesson, schedule will be handed on site
12 am: lunch
2 pm: Walking Meditation with your horse
We hike out together with our horse finding rhythm and peace in stillness.
6 pm: dinner
Fire Ceremony
Day 5
6:30 am: Yoga
8 am: breakfast
9 am: Classical Horsemanship Lessons
Private Riding Lesson, schedule will be handed on site
12 am: lunch
2 pm: Theory Lesson
Anatomy, relaxation and energy
6:00 pm: Dinner
Day 6
6:30 am: Yoga
8 am: breakfast
9 am: Classical Horsemanship Lesson
Group Riding Lesson, we share movement and rhythm
12 am: lunch
2 pm: Turrialba market and Catie botanical garden tour
We head to Turrialba to visit the botanical garden of CATIE and visit the colorful fruit and vegetable farmers market of Turrialba.
6:30 pm: Dinner
Day 7
6:30 am: Yoga
8 am: breakfast
9 am: Summary - closing
Meet your Instructors
Isabel Avendaño
Isa has been horse crazy since she could express herself. She donated her life to horses and the study of natural horsemanship & classical horsemanship. After traveling from herd to herd for 5 year in her 20s she arrived in Costa Rica to have her own herd and live her dream of a sustainable horse farm. She has been teaching Natural Horsemanship & Classical Horsemanship for over a decade and is passionate on sharing her knowledge and learnings. She teaches in English, German & Spanish.
Next to her passion for horses she has planned together with Milton the buildings you find at Finca Soley. She is all about ecological and nature close community life, loves yoga, healthy food and cooking and is overall a passionate mom and wife.
Milton Avendaño
Milton grew up in the jungle of Nicaragua. He has a great knowledge of the plants, animals and nature in Central America. He finds the sloth and explains you what this plant can be used for. Milton has built Finca Soley’s structures and houses.
We work together with different yoga teachers. Here are a few.
Analía
“Hi, my name is Analía, I am a yoga teacher since 2014. I am passionate about the internal work, self-knowledge and the use of the body as a tool to discover and heal oneself. Because of that I have been studied yoga, astrology, reiki and psychology.
My classes search for a space to observe, feel and contemplate our existence to look for patterns that manage our lifes, and to identify those that doesn’t make us good. We experience that paying attention to our body; the ways we can move it and the feelings and thoughts this provoke.
I love vinyasa, so, my yoga classes are usually fluid but with and emphasize in biomechanics and in the ways we sculpt the postures from within. However, I have some studies in ashtanga yoga, hatha yoga and devaya yoga (the yoga of colors and chakras). I believe in the practice of yoga beyond the postures. I think that the key is in breathing and in the full attention that we cultivate during the movement.
I hope we can meet soon and share this powerful practice.”
Steven
"I am a Yoga instructor, a Thai Massage therapist and a passionate dancer and agroecologist. Over the years, I have developed a growing interest in multiple styles of yoga, meditation and different movement practices like dance, acroyoga and contact improvisation which has deeply transformed the way I move and the way I teach. I have a strong motivation towards my own consistent personal practice to keep exploring, learning and sharing. I have always been open to different philosophies and teachers, which keeps being a source of inspiration to expand my perspectives. I focus on developing physical, mental and emotional agility through movement, breath and meditation techniques. My purpose is to awaken and maintain our resilient, sensitive and intuitive nature and to live our lives aligned with who we truly are exploring the potential of our unique creative energy."
the horses
In the classical riding retreat you will get to ride one of our spanish or Iberien horse that has been trained in the classical art of riding. The horses have either been started at Finca Soley by Isa or came as rehabilitation horses and now work to share the power of classical riding and its capacity to rehabilitate a horse through the correct training. There are horses for beginners as well as horses for expirienced riders that want to feel how strong, soft and energetic our spanish horses are.
We have spanish saddles as well as felt and english saddles.
Maximum riders weight for beginners is 80kg. Advanced rider 90 kg.
Accomodation
Finca Soley counts with two guesthouses offering private, semi private and shared rooms to the guests. It provides a rustic but comfortable ranch environment with lush green, colorful flowers, endless birds and butterflies around the houses. All rooms provide high quality matraces, hot water, privacy and beautiful views.
Casa Perla
Casa Perla counts with 2 bedrooms, 2 porches, 1 bathroom with shower and an open kitchen living area. It has hot water and you have access to a washing machine.
Sustainable building: The toilet flush uses rain water, the porch is made with bamboo and some walls contain recycled glass bottles. Casa Perla has loads of nice and bright windows with hummingbirds and butterflies around it. All windows are screened. One bedroom has a king size bed the other bedroom one has a built in loft and accommodates four single beds comfortably and with great privacy.
Casa India
Casa India is an octagon building with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Each room has an individual entrance. 2 bedrooms have a built in loft to provide extra space and privacy, sharing one of the rooms with a loft is a great semi private option and you will feel very comfortable here. All showers have hot water. There is a washing machine that can be used. Casa India has a big kitchen living area to be shared by the 3 rooms. Here you find our horse library and DVD area.
