7 Day Empowering Natural Horsemanship and Yoga Retreat in Central Java, Indonesia
Natural Horsemanship and Yoga Retreat Indonesia
Havana Horses Yoga welcomes you to come and join them for a week-long empowering yoga and natural horsemanship retreat. Havana Horses has been practicing natural horsemanship for over 20 years and will bring to you the perfect combination of Natural Horsemanship with Iyengar Yoga! Come learn, play, love, and have fun on this unique retreat. You'll be able to switch off from your daily life and submerge yourself in the blissful surroundings among the rice fields and green gardens.
Key information
- Rider weight limit: 166 pounds / 75 kilograms
- Horse's height range: from 130 to 170 centimeters
- Tack type: Bareback pad, English and treeless
- Horse breed: Indonesian pony, crossed with thoroughbred and warmblood
Meet the instructors
Highlights
- Work at liberty with your horse: build the connection
- Natural riding lessons and trail riding - bitless and barefoot
- Groundwork sessions: yoga or straightness straining for your horse
- Daily Iyengar yoga classes
- 6 nights accommodation
- Daily delicious healthy meals and drinks
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Types
6 days with instruction in English
Accommodation
Facilities
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
- Garden
- Lounge
- Luggage room / storage
- Meditation garden
- Multilingual staff
- Picnic area
- Special menu request
- Terrace
- Yoga deck
- Yoga shala
- Yoga studio
- Bicycle rental
- Car rental
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- Internet access
- Ironing / ironing board
- Laundry
- Library
- Tour assistance
You will stay in the Havana Horses Lodge, built in one of the horse paddocks! This upcycled old Javanese house has a beautiful view; to the rear, there are vast coffee plantations, and to the front, there is a spacious horse paddock. From the verandahs, you can relax and watch birds and squirrels in the trees and the horses roaming about in the paddock.
There are two bedrooms which can accommodate four people at a time for overnight stays, with bed and breakfast, and lunch and dinner can also be catered. You have access to a private kitchen, and a spacious living and dining room. They have built a beautiful natural swimming pool to the front of the lodge, perfect to unwind after a day with the horses. The Havana Horses Lodge is reserved for horse lovers throughout the year.
Program
This is a very unique, empowering retreat for horse lovers who want to work on their body awareness as well as understand horse training better. This retreat will balance your mind, body, and soul as you immerse yourself in the healing powers of yoga, leadership and horse work. Horses are both powerful and gentle as they are magnificent creatures that tend to mirror your own state of being.
Therefore, working with horses is tremendously empowering and mind-opening. You do not have to be able to ride or have practiced yoga before. Havana Horses Yoga just wants you to have an open mind and a love of the outdoors to enjoy this beautiful empowering experience.
At the location Havana Horses, they have created a unique retreat that combines human yoga with horse yoga (straightness training). You will enjoy yoga classes every day and an introduction into horse yoga, groundwork with the horses, learning the gentle approach with natural horsemanship. Natural riding, without the use of force - bitless and barefoot!
Depending on your experience with horses and riding, you can also enjoy trail rides in the surrounding Javanese villages, plantations and rice fields.
Riding style
Havana Horses Yoga & Natural Horsemanship take the leadership skills they developed on the ground into the saddle. The rider wants to be with the horse with every step, and vice versa, the horse will be with the rider with every step when we are fully present! To develop your awareness and leadership skills they start with ground work and liberty work on the ground. You learn how to communicate with the horse in a way the horse understands, that is, by learning horse language: a combination of body language, intention, focus, and energy!
A typical day
- 08:00 Breakfast
- 09:00 Natural horsemanship
- 12:00 Lunch
- 14:00 Yoga session
- 17:00 Relax
- 19:00 Dinner
Please note there is a weight restriction of 75 kilograms for people on this retreat.
Instructors
Havedz Nugroho
Havedz' grandfather was chief of a Javanese village and owned three horses. Havedz was given his first horse when he was 21 years old. When Anna and Havedz met they went riding together through the vast rubber plantations of Central Java. Havedz is an excellent horse trainer with superb leadership qualities and has developed himself into an emphatic and enthusiast riding instructor.
Anna van Rheeden
Anna started horse riding when she was 8 years old. She rode and worked at several riding schools in Amsterdam. However, she never felt happy with the traditional training and riding methods. When she moved to Indonesia in 2004 and met Havedz, they decided to start a horse riding center with respect for the being and natural needs of horses. She is a certified barefoot trimmer and dedicated mastery student of the Straightness Training Academy.
Location
Havana Horses is located in the authentic Javanese village Tegalwaton, close to Salatiga, which is a small bustling city in Central Java. The city is known for its university and the fresh air of the mountainous area.
Havana Horses Yoga is 50 kilometers from Prambanan Temple Complex and 60 kilometers from the lovely city of Yogyakarta. To the west, they are 30 kilometers from Borobudur Temple Complex (the biggest Buddhist Temple in the world) and 15 kilometers to both Merapi and Merbabu where there are ample hiking or climbing paths and walkways for you to reach the summit.
The central positioning in Java allows for some of the most breathtaking views of Volcano Merapi and Merbabu Mountain while walking and riding out in the villages and woods.
Features
Activities
- Cycling
- Horse riding
- Hot spring
- Mountain biking
- Reiki
General
- Balcony
- Garden
- Kitchen
- Lounge
- Meditation garden
- Multilingual staff
- Smoke-free property
- Special menu request
- Yoga deck
- Yoga shala
- Yoga studio
- Patio
Services
- Free bicycle
- Free bottled water
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- Internet access
- Laundry
- Library
- Local market
- Tour assistance
Food
Your package includes all food and drinks. In the kitchen of your lodge, there are supplies to make your own breakfast including cereals, bread, milk, eggs, fruits. You can make use of the toaster, pans and/or rice cooker. With the water from the dispenser/water cooker, you can also make your own tea or coffee. They serve beautiful home-cooked Indonesian lunches and dinners in the main family house. All water, tea, and coffee are included.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
Things to do (optional)
On your day off, Havana Horses recommend a cycling tour through the villages around the Borobudur! Or, tell them what you wish and they will arrange it for you!
Spa treatments
Havana Horses offers massage at your lodgings, and spa sessions in a nearby resort for an additional charge.
What's included
- 6 nights accommodation
- Delicious breakfasts, lunches, and dinners
- A two hour Iyengar yoga class every day
- Yoga for the horse or straightness training
- Introduction to natural horsemanship and or horses
- Liberty and groundwork sessions with the horses
- Natural riding, bitless and barefoot
- Trail rides out depending on the experience of the rider
What's not included
- A full day trip to the nearby Prambanan temple complex
- A sunrise trip to the nearby world famous Borobudur Temple
- A cycling tour of the area
- Tours to the famous Merapi and Merbabu volcanoes
- Flights
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Transfer available for additional US$ 28 per person
Adisucipto International Airport
47 km away from your destination
Transfer included
Achmad Yani International Airport
47 km away from your destination
Transfer included
Adisumarmo International Airport
29 km away from your destination
Transfer available for additional US$ 28 per person
Yogyakarta International Airport
80 km away from your destination
Arrival by airplane
There are 2 airports close to Havana Horses Yoga and Natural Horsemanship: Solo (SOC) which is a 1-hour drive from them, and Semarang Airport (SRG) which is around a 1.5-hour drive (depending on traffic). Both airports are 1-hour transfers from Jakarta International (Soekarno-Hatta International) Airport. The international airport of Yogyakarta (JOG) is a bit further, around 3.5 hours drive.
Havana Horses Yoga and Natural Horsemanship can arrange an airport transfer for you in both directions; please let them know if this is required at the time of booking.
By car
If you are driving, Havana Horses Yoga & Natural Horsemanship can send you a detailed map of the area at the time of booking.
By train
You can travel by train to Semarang Tawang Sation, or to Solo Balapan Station. Havana Horses Yoga & Natural Horsemanship will arrange a pick up to bring you to the venue.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
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