5 Days Equi-Yoga and Horse Riding Holiday in Santa Fe Area, USA
Rejuvenating Yoga Retreat in USA
Enchantment Equitreks invites you to join their unique yoga experience! When you feel the need for a quick escape from the demands of a busy schedule, this yoga retreat is just the place to slow life down. This program wants to combine the rejuvenating powers of being on horseback in nature with the grounding of yoga. Reconnect to your center with aromatherapy Hatha or enliven your evening with Vino and Vinyasa. With two yoga sessions daily and a creative list of classes to choose from, Enchantment Equitreks can build just the restorative weekend you are looking for!
Meet the instructors
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Highlights
- 2 daily yoga sessions
- 3 days of horse riding activities
- Use of yoga and horse riding equipment
- Aromatherapy Hatha, Vino, and Vinyasa yoga classes
- Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners
- Snacks and water on the trail
- 4 nights' accommodation
- Airport transfers
Skill level
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Styles
Accommodation
Facilities
- Hot tub / Jacuzzi
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
- Air-conditioned rooms
- Dining area
- Environmentally friendly
- Fireplace
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Smoke-free property
- Special menu request
- Yoga deck
- Yoga studio
- Bicycle rental
- Free bicycle
- Free Wi-Fi
- Internet access
- Laundry
- Wireless internet
Enchantment Equitreks' two-story guesthouse is nestled on a juniper and pine tree ridge overlooking the valley below. Decorated in a rustic and eclectic southwest style, the guesthouse offers three bedrooms, two and a quarter bath, a shared kitchen, and a common room filled with books and games. The guest house is environmentally conscious designed with composting toilets, greywater systems, and re-purposed furnishings. It also offers free Wi-Fi and access to laundry service.
The guesthouse is landscaped for relaxation. Wooded paths lead to reading nooks, hammocks for naps, meditation alcoves, and quiet spaces for yoga. The hot tub is available year round and the pool is open during the summer. Throughout the property are vegetable gardens, fruit trees, and berry bushes just ripe for the picking. Bicycles are available for further exploration. The building is minutes away from golf courses, hiking and mountain biking trails, ski areas, and the river.
Program
Equi-Yoga
Horses have carried people through history and have been your partners along the way. It's only natural that they accompany you in your journey of self-discovery. Equi-Yoga borrows asanas (poses) and breathing techniques from yoga and translates them into the saddle. You begin this program on the mat creating a foundation of breath and learning the asanas. As you move to the saddle, your horses stand patiently, often breathing and stretching with you, as you begin to find a flow. When you are ready to advance, the horse walks out on a lounge line as you match your rhythm with the animal.
This unique technique highlights many trouble areas, such as the neck, shoulders, arms, seat, and legs. It brings awareness to your balance and strength, essentially because your mat is moving at its own pace. By adding the equine element to yoga, the equestrian will learn to adjust to new situations with breath and suppleness, reevaluate the body cues to keep clear communication, and build a deeper connection to your horse. This discovery can be utilized to enhance your riding and your yoga practice. Marty Whittle, the founder of Equi-Yoga, explains that it helps you explore your body from the inside out.
Horse riding
Enjoy a three-hour adventure in the mountains and a relaxing picnic under the pines. Day rides can be extended to a four-hour ride. Unlike many outfitters who ride in the same area, Enchantment Equitreks takes advantage of New Mexico's diverse landscapes and terrain by trailering out to a new trail each day. They load horses, tack, picnic, and clients and drive 20-45 minutes to the riding destination. Some days, you will be galloping through the sandy arroyos of a painted desert. The next day, you will scale alpine forests and Enchantment Equitreks loves to splash through the waters of the Rio Grande river. You do not camp out in these places but return back to the ranch where a hot shower, a hearty meal, and a soft bed awaits.
Horse riding requirements
To thoroughly enjoy your stay, Enchantment Equitreks suggests that your riding ability is at an intermediate level due to the terrain and lengths of the rides. However, a strong novice rider could be accommodated for short rides, such as husbands who will be riding one day and golfing the other three. Sometimes Enchantment Equitreks is willing to waive the 200-pound limit for a tall, experienced rider who is capable of riding light on the horse's back.
- Novice: A rider who is capable of mounting and dismounting unassisted, capable of applying basic aids, comfortable and in control at the walk, moderate length posting trots, and short canters
- Intermediate: A rider who has a firm seat, is confident and in control at all paces (including posting trots, two point canters, and gallops), but does not ride regularly
- Children: Children must be 12 years of age and have riding knowledge and experience
Instructors
Justyn Vogel
As the co-owner and outfitter of Enchantment Equitreks, Justyn recognizes that there is a common healing quality found in both yoga and trail riding. After working with Nicole to build the yoga program at Enchantment Equitreks, Justyn was inspired to further her own training and pursue a 200-hour teacher training at Grassroots Yoga. With Nicole as a mentor in EquiYoga, Justyn now leads classes focused on rider release and body awareness. She will take you from the mat, to saddle, and to trail with sessions designed to create awareness of the asana and horsemanship connection.
Nicole Fitzgerald
Yoga Alliance RYT 200 Yoga Alliance RYT 500
Nicole pursued her YogaFit certification to teach at the University of North Texas where she received her Bachelor's Degree from the College of Public Affairs and Community Service majoring in Applied Arts and Sciences and minoring in Leadership of Community and Nonprofit Organizations. Nicole has started to fuse her two passions of yoga and horses together, offering yoga to the equine world. She's received her Equine Positional Release level 2 certificate and will also gain her Equi-Yoga certification in 2015.
Location
This program will take place at Enchantment Equitreks, New Mexico, USA. Nestled in a mountain retreat, it is the destination for equestrians and horse enthusiasts. The 140-acre ranch is located at the southernmost point of the Rocky Mountains, 40 minutes east of Albuquerque and an hour south of Santa Fe.
Nearby places
- Alburqueque - 40 minutes
- Santa Fe - 1 hour
Features
Activities
- Hiking
- Horse riding
- Hot tub / Jacuzzi
- Kayaking
- Mountain biking
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
General
- Environmentally friendly
- Garden
- Hammock
- Kitchen
- River
- Patio
Services
- Bicycle rental
- Free Wi-Fi
- Hair dryer
- Laundry
- Toiletries
Food
New Mexican cuisine is wholly unique, rich with local ingredients, slow-cooked meats, and spiced with roasted green and red chili. The meals not only showcase this local flavor, but the ingredients are plucked straight from Enchantment Equitreks' gardens, local farms, and ranches. Each morning, you will be greeted with a European-style breakfast set out in the guesthouse or patio. Lunches will often be picnics during the day's ride. The evenings will be filled with sit down, family-style dinners, relaxing next to a fire and gazing out at the stars. They are able to accommodate many food restrictions and allergies for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free menus.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Other dietary requirements on request
Things to do (optional)
- Golfing at Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club and many other golf courses in Albuquerque / Santa Fe area
- Hiking in the Sandia Mountains
- Kayaking
- Mountain biking
What's included
- 2 daily yoga sessions
- 3 days of horse riding activities
- Yoga equipment (mat, blocks, blankets, bolsters)
- Equestrian equipment (helmet, chaps, gloves)
- Use of basic toiletries, towels, and hairdryer
- Access to the hot tub, pool, and laundry
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Snacks and water on trail
- 4 nights' accommodation
- Airport transfers (Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ))
- Free Wi-Fi access
- Tax
What's not included
- 10% gratuity
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookHorseRidingHolidays.com. All major credit cards supported.