Mountain Horse Farm

08/02/2024

Join us for SHARE A DAY WITH HORSES & COWS on September 28th and experience for yourself that our pretty highland cow Bonnie loves to be brushed 🐮🩷🐮

Sign up on our website:
https://www.mountainhorsefarm.com/share-a-day-with-horses-cows

07/31/2024

SHARE A DAY WITH HORSES & COWS
Find joy at our bucolic farm; Feel their soft muzzles; Be drawn in by their big hearts and gentle souls
September 28th, 2024
Sign up at https://www.mountainhorsefarm.com/share-a-day-with-horses-cows

Join our herd and connect with our beautiful gentle horses, highland cows and miniature horses. Share space, relax, and have fun.
Feel our horse's and cow's breath and soft muzzles and be drawn in by their big hearts.

Mountain Horse Farm is a beautiful, bucolic sanctuary in North Carolina, not far from Charlotte & Asheville. Our horses & cows have found their forever home, and we are passionate about letting them live a life with lots of love, freedom, choices and friends.

Spending time with our horses & cows will give you a chance to connect with beautiful gentle souls, you will get close to the natural world, and it will allow you to slow down, relax, take time for yourself and take a breath.

You will be outside in the pasture and you, and our horses & cows, will be free to move around. It's especially important to us that our animals can tell us what they feel, and that they are not tied up or constricted to a small space. The time they spend with you should be just as enjoyable for them as it is for you.

Cows & horses are large animals that demand our attention. This need to focus will help you to be mindful and present in the moment. Spending time with our animals may feel like a meditation or mindfulness practice in motion.

People always tell us that they love it when our cows are laying down so that they can sit and snuggle with them. We didn't train our cows to lay down and we won't ever do so. Laying down is something they like to do when they feel relaxed and chew their cud. Training them to lay down would change the experience. Their internal state would be different, and it would not result in the same sense of peace and connection. That's why we don't like to rush things and give you plenty of time to relax and sink into the experience.

We will be happy to talk to you about their personalities, their likes & dislikes and funny things they like to do. Horses and cows are sentient beings, they are individuals just like you, and it's wonderful to get to know them. One of the things you are going to experience is that cows love to be brushed, a lovely way to share space.

No prior experience with horses or cows is needed. You will not be riding horses.

07/31/2024

Sisters from another mother 🥰
They look like twins 😜

07/22/2024

A Special Place for your Special Horse!

Mountain Horse Farm is a peaceful private farm that specializes in full-care retirement boarding in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, close to Tryon.

We have availability for a mare to join our herd. We will love and care for your special girl as we love and care for our own.

Your horse can join in the workshops, clinics and wellness program that we offer at the farm. All our activities are non-ridden.
The guest house on the farm is available at a reduced nightly rate for boarders. Perfect if you live further away and wish to visit your horse.

Please reach out to us if this feels like a good match for your mare. We will be happy to send you a pm with boarding fees and set up an appointment to come see the farm.

www.mountainhorsefarm.com

07/21/2024

Learn the basics of EQUINE BODYWORK. Your horse will love you for it!

Join Robert Roffman at our farm for a 1-day workshop on October 5th. It's a hands-on workshop with only 6 participants and no auditors. Lunch is included.

You can sign up on our website through this link https://www.mountainhorsefarm.com/equine-bodywork-workshop

Robert's style of bodywork involves minimal force/pressure, which is entirely practical for helping horses at a structural level. Horses have two responses to pain/pressure: flee or brace. If we don’t allow them to flee, most horses will brace against pain to the point of even blocking it out. They also often brace against our attempts to help them, which in the past necessitated some force to get through. By learning to watch the horses’ responses to what our hands are doing, we stay “under the radar” using a variety of methods of body part movements that then allow the horse to release the restriction and tension themselves. Our goal is to work the connective tissue, muscles, tendons, and ligaments around the main junctions of the horse, staying under his “brace response” so that the underlying structure can realign and move through its normal range of motion without tension.

07/20/2024

Now is a good time to start planning for our Fall clinics. We are excited that Heidi Potter Holistic Horsemanship will be back at our farm in November to teach HORSE SPEAK® (Precise Equine Body Language Skills), POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT, Clicker Training & HORSE AGILITY. There are 3-day and 1-day clinics available.

Nov 2-11, only 6 participants per clinic, no auditors.
Sign up at www.mountainhorsefarm.com/horsemanship-clinics-workshops

06/21/2024

Suzie getting some love 💗

06/20/2024

Very helpful information for caring for horses in Summer. We don’t ride at Mountain Horse Farm but it helps us in determining which days the horses need extra care. It’s not just the temperature but the combined number of temperature and humidity that’s important.

Horses can acclimate to hot and humid weather conditions; however, air temperature and relative humidity can affect your horse’s ability to cool themselves.

It is recommended to avoid (or use caution when) riding or exercising a horse when the combined air temperature (in Fahrenheit) and relative humidity (%) surpass 150. For example, if the temperature is predicted to be 92 F with 69% relative humidity, the combination of the two is 161.

When the air temperature + relative humidity is less than 130, horses are very effective at cooling themselves. Between 130 and 150, a horse’s ability to cool themselves is decreased. When the combination is greater than 150, a horse’s ability to cool themselves is greatly reduced, and if the combination is greater than 180, conditions could become fatal if the horse is stressed.

06/13/2024

Pocahontas was the next one to volunteer 💦🐴💚

Cool down on a warm Summer day!

06/13/2024

Bella enjoying a shower on a warm Summer day 💦💚🐴

We like to offer this in the field at liberty (no halters or lead ropes) so the horses can let us know if they like it and can walk away if they feel it has been enough and they feel cool and refreshed ❤️

06/12/2024

So true ❤️❤️❤️

When you arrive at the barn...

Stop and take stock of yourself. Leave your ego and distractions at the door. Your equines are aware of your mood, your heartbeat and your intentions before you ever approach them.

Take a breath - Slow your breathing - Lower your energy level. Leave stress behind. Enter with positivity in your heart and mind.

Only when you are calm, approach your equine friend and gently touch the wither in greeting.

Be mindful that you are blessed to work with these incredible creatures and be open to the lessons they will teach you.

Be patient. Appreciate the connection and commit to understanding your equine. Recognize that you do not speak or understand his language perfectly. Communication doesn't necessarily mean that you will understand or be understood the first time. Equines use body language - be aware of what your body is saying. You cannot learn their language without intently observing them every day.

Remember that if things don't go as planned today, it is an opportunity to improve your skillset, increase your knowledge and strive for a better connection with your equines' world.

Do these things and leave the barn every day knowing that you have made two lives better - your equines' and yours.

These are not "feel good" suggestions. These are literally the things that will make you a better equine steward.

-Mary Adams, Founder of The Sanctuary at Red Bell Run

06/09/2024

Happy horses 💚🐴💚

06/07/2024

Summer bloom 💚🌸💚

06/05/2024

Heidi Potter Holistic Horsemanship will be back at our farm in November to teach HORSE SPEAK® (Precise Equine Body Language Skills), POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT, Clicker Training & HORSE AGILITY. The clinics are filling up fast so make sure to reserve your spot!
Nov 2-11, only 6 participants per clinic, no auditors.
Sign up at www.mountainhorsefarm.com/horsemanship-clinics-workshops

05/31/2024

Stacking the barn with hay. They make it look easy ❤️🐴🐮❤️

05/22/2024

We are excited to host our first BASICS OF EQUINE BODYWORK WORKSHOP with Robert Roffman.
October 5th, 1-day, hands-on, only 6 participants, no auditors, lunch included.

Robert's style of bodywork involves minimal force/pressure, which is entirely practical for helping horses at a structural level. Horses have two responses to pain/pressure: flee or brace. If we don’t allow them to flee, most horses will brace against pain to the point of even blocking it out. They also often brace against our attempts to help them, which in the past necessitated some force to get through. By learning to watch the horses’ responses to what our hands are doing, we stay “under the radar” using a variety of methods of body part movements that then allow the horse to release the restriction and tension themselves. Our goal is to work the connective tissue, muscles, tendons, and ligaments around the main junctions of the horse, staying under his “brace response” so that the underlying structure can realign and move through its normal range of motion without tension.

You can sign up on our website through this link https://www.mountainhorsefarm.com/equine-bodywork-workshop

05/20/2024

What a wonderful weekend we had with Paula Josa-Jones teaching a 3-day Somatic Experiencing workshop! A big Thank you to Paula, the participants, our equine partners and the weather gods ❤️🐴❤️

Paula will be back next year! We will announce 2025 dates soon!

05/20/2024

This warms my heart and made me smile.
The first time I see Pocahontas sleeping while the others keep her safe.
In the second picture she is flat out sleeping, snoring and dreaming 🐴❤️🐴

05/18/2024

Getting ready for the second day of our Somatic experiencing with horses workshop ❤️🐴❤️

05/12/2024

More photos of Pocahontas meeting the gang 🐴❤️❤️🐴

05/12/2024

It was a big week for Pocahontas. She met the rest of the herd and it couldn’t have gone any better 🐴❤️🐴

05/12/2024

To all of you caring for human and fur babies. Happy Mothers Day 🐴🌸🐴

05/06/2024

Last chance to sign up for our SOMATIC EXPERIENCING® with HORSES WORKSHOP with Paula Josa-Jones (SEP, CLMA, MSMET)
May 17-19, 2024

ONLY 1 SPOT LEFT!

SOMATIC EXPERIENCING® & HORSES
Connecting in an embodied way with horses opens us to discovering our authentic selves and learning new ways of settling and grounding body and mind. Horses can help us become more comfortable in our own skin, more trustworthy to ourselves and others. With their help, we can find a more reliable sense of physical and emotional balance, resilience and ease. Horses, as vigilant prey animals, read not only our movement behaviors but their underlying emotional tone. Often our movement behavior and emotional expression unconsciously reflect an unsettled or distracted state of mind. As we bring greater mindfulness to how we move and the effect of our movement and emotions on the horse, their responses can help us feel when we are dis-regulated, anxious or unaware or finding a more regulated and easeful state of being.

WHAT TO EXPECT?
It starts by just being with the horse, noticing their responses, and the tone of our own bodies and minds. We may be outside in a field, in the stable aisle, in a stall or in a larger enclosure. Each session has its own organic structure, sometimes involving touch, leading, or simple movement practices. We break things down into small, digestible steps, noticing when we are moving too quickly or asking too much of our equine partners or ourselves.
​​Pricing includes delicious daily lunches and a special dinner/bonfire evening. Participants do not stay overnight at the farm (lodging is not included) and you will not be riding horses.

Details https://www.mountainhorsefarm.com/somatic-experiencing-with-horses-workshop

05/05/2024

Herd integration is going well for Pocahontas 🐴❤️🐴
She has already met the cows and Noa.

05/04/2024

Meet Pocahontas!
This pretty and sweet girl has come to enjoy retirement at our farm 🐴

We love her name but it’s a bit long so suggestions to come up with a shorter version are welcome!

04/25/2024

Gorgeous morning 😍

04/22/2024

On this Eart Day I am thinking about my grandma. She lived to be 99 years old and she loved flowers. When I moved to my first home she gave me a plant like this and it stayed with me till I moved to the US. Every year when it blooms, I think of her. When Spring came around after we moved here in 2022, I was happy to see I have two of them in my garden, one in pink and one in red 🌸🌸🌸

04/19/2024

Now is the time to reserve your spot for the 1-day SOMATIC EXPERIENCING® with HORSES WORKSHOP on May 21, 2024

https://www.mountainhorsefarm.com/somatic-experiencing-with-horses-workshop-intro

with Paula Josa-Jones (SEP, CLMA, MSMET)
Paula's 3-day workshop filled up so fast that we decided to add a 1-day Introductory workshop on May 21st. Make sure to not miss out! Paula is also available for individual sessions on May 20th.

SOMATIC EXPERIENCING® CAN BE HELPFUL WITH THE FOLLOWING:​
* Feeling, as if you need to be alert and vigilant all the time.
* Never feeling safe or able to fully relax.
* Difficulty in expressing feelings.
* Chronic anxiety, panic, or shut down.
* Hyper-reactivity or sensitivity to even the smallest trigger.
* Difficulty in being alone or being with others.
* The same patterns of behavior appearing again and again, despite your best efforts to change them.
* Feeling unable to notice your bodily sensations, or feeling uncomfortable about being in your body.
* Self-soothing with addictive patterns, including substances, food, shopping, media consumption.

SOMATIC EXPERIENCING® & HORSES
Connecting in an embodied way with horses opens us to discovering our authentic selves and learning new ways of settling and grounding body and mind. Horses can help us become more comfortable in our own skin, more trustworthy to ourselves and others. With their help, we can find a more reliable sense of physical and emotional balance, resilience and ease. Horses, as vigilant prey animals, read not only our movement behaviors but their underlying emotional tone. Often our movement behavior and emotional expression unconsciously reflect an unsettled or distracted state of mind. As we bring greater mindfulness to how we move and the effect of our movement and emotions on the horse, their responses can help us feel when we are dis-regulated, anxious or unaware or finding a more regulated and easeful state of being.

WHAT TO EXPECT?
It starts by just being with the horse, noticing their responses, and the tone of our own bodies and minds. We may be outside in a field, in the stable aisle, in a stall or in a larger enclosure. Each session has its own organic structure, sometimes involving touch, leading, or simple movement practices. We break things down into small, digestible steps, noticing when we are moving too quickly or asking too much of our equine partners or ourselves. In this 1-day introductory workshop we won't be able to go as deep as in the 3-day workshop.
​​What makes this intimate workshop truly special is the fact that only 6 participants are invited. Pricing includes a delicious lunch. Participants do not stay overnight at the farm (lodging is not included) and you will not be riding horses.

04/13/2024

Beautiful sunny morning at the farm. Love Spring! 🌸🌸🌸

04/11/2024

Missy likes to say Good morning to y’all 🌸