Gallop Ventures

Some amazing places to do horse experiences around the world! Special shout out to our friend Cassandra and The Reflective Horse program here in California!

The Women-Led Equestrian Retreats Redefining How We Heal With Horses These equestrian retreats are not all galloping into the sunset—instead, they’re about connecting through breathwork, somatic awareness, and meditative herd immersion.

So many places and programs around the world offer opportunities for profound learning from horses! Special shout out to The Reflective Horse program who is part of our ongoing learning with horses! 🐎

The Women-Led Equestrian Retreats Redefining How We Heal With Horses These equestrian retreats are not all galloping into the sunset—instead, they’re about connecting through breathwork, somatic awareness, and meditative herd immersion.

Horse friends this is worth a read on behalf of happy horses.

DO HORSES REALLY ENJOY BEING TOUCHED, OR JUST TOLERATE IT?

Touch is part of almost every interaction we have with horses – grooming, routine handling, tacking-up, vet visits, even a pat after a ride. Touch is also a routine feature of equine-assisted services, yet surprisingly little is known about how horses themselves experience it. Do they actually enjoy it, or does their experience depend on having the choice to engage – the freedom to say yes, or no?

A recent study compared two situations using therapy horses who were regularly involved in equine-assisted services. In the ‘forced touch’ condition, horses were tied up and touched continuously on different body areas (neck/shoulder, body, hindquarters) using patting, stroking, or scratching. In the ‘free-choice’ condition, horses were loose in a round pen and could only be touched if they chose to come close enough.

The results showed clear differences. Horses showed more stress-linked behaviours – oral movements, restlessness, and tail swishing – when touched without the option to move away. When free to choose, they often carried their heads lower (a sign of relaxation) and spent over half of the session out of arm’s reach. Stroking was more often linked with relaxed, low head carriage than scratching or patting, and touches on the hindquarters produced fewer stress responses than touches on the neck or body.

The researchers also looked at how the horses responded to different kinds of people. Around experienced handlers, horses were more likely to hold their heads high and showed lower heart-rate variability – signs of vigilance or anticipation, perhaps expecting work. In contrast, their responses with less experienced people were generally more relaxed.

Touches on the hindquarters were linked with fewer stress behaviours, while touches on the neck and body produced more tail swishing and less relaxed postures. Horses were also more likely to lower their heads – a calmer signal – when touched on the body or hindquarters than on the neck.

Why does this matter? Horses in all kinds of contexts – riding schools, competition yards, therapy programmes, or leisure homes – are routinely touched and handled. These findings show that the manner of touch, the part of the body involved, and above all the horse’s ability to choose whether to participate all shape how she/he/they experience the interaction.

The welfare implications are clear: allowing horses more agency in how and when we touch them may reduce stress, strengthen trust, and make interactions safer and more positive for everyone.

For me, the sad part of these findings is that horses are rarely given a choice about when or how they are touched. And many people don’t recognise when touch is causing the horse stress.

Study: Sarrafchi, A., Lassallette, E., & Merkies, K. (2025). The effect of choice on horse behaviour, heart rate and heart rate variability during human–horse touch interactions. Applied Animal Behaviour Science

Thank you Lisa Petrides for the chance to share some life lessons learned from horses!

Educating to Be Human Podcast: A Thousand Pounds of Learning with Wendy Millet Welcome to Season 2 of Educating to Be Human! In this premiere episode, host Lisa Petrides speaks with Wendy Millet— co-founder of Gallop Ventures, and Director of TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation. Together, Lisa and Wendy explore what it means to learn in a way that engages both body and mind,...

Some awesome friends hosting this Montana workshop. For anyone tempted…just do it. You will be so glad you did!

Soul Sisters in the Big Sky | Sarah J. Bohnenkamp Where the West calls you home...a retreat for the wild-hearted woman, August 28-31, near Big Timber, MT.

Love these photos — the wild horses of Sable Island. You can see more at the gallery show in NYC :)

https://www.dutescoart.com/wildhorsessableislandcollection/favorites.html

The movie is now available! So glad people understand horses so much better now thanks to lessons from Monty, Ray, Tom, Buck and so many many other wonderful people now in so many disciplines. The horses deserve our deepest respect ❤️

The Cowboy and the Queen IN THEATERS AND STREAMING EXCLUSIVELY ON MASTERCLASS THIS SEPTEMBER 2024 HUMANITAS NOMINEE FROM ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE ANDREA NEVINS “…powerful, moving, and enlightening.” Sally Bedell Smith, Author of Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch “A moving portrait of a friendship…” ...

Hi friends!
Sharing a workshop September 23-25 at TomKat Ranch in case it is of interest to you or others you know. Check out the website about it to learn more. Have a great long weekend all!

Living Your Legacy Vision a Paradigm Shift for Your Career Take the Next Step of Your New Beginning…Supercharge your mission and vision in a 3-Day Retreat with established colleagues who crave deeper meaning and next-level impact. This is an immersive workshop that supports you to courageously dream and name out lou...