Four Days with the Herd

Four Days with the Herd is a women-only equine-wisdom retreat at Rancho Baile de la Luna, a working horse ranch in Atotonilco, Guanajuato, near San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Built around don Miguel Ruiz's Four Agreements, it gives one day to each agreement, with the horses as teachers. The circle is capped at eight women, and no horse experience is needed. It is held in English over five nights.

What to Expect

Horses do not flatter and do not care who you are supposed to be. They respond to who you are in the moment, and that honesty, held inside a small circle, is the heart of the week. Mornings are for the work, mostly on the ground beside the herd, in the round pen and the arena. Afternoons are for the land, the hot springs, the village, and each other.

Arrival is a travel day, with a shuttle from the airport and a first dinner together. Then the agreements unfold:

- Day 1, Be impeccable with your word. Work with the horses on what you say to them and to yourself. In the afternoon, lunch in Atotonilco, the market, and the Santuario, a UNESCO World Heritage site ten minutes from the ranch.
- Day 2, Don't take anything personally. A day of unhooking, with an afternoon at the hot springs.
- Day 3, Don't make assumptions. Horses check rather than assume, and you practice asking instead of guessing, in the round pen, the arena and the circle. The afternoon is spent in San Miguel de Allende, twenty minutes away, among cobbled streets and shaded plazas.
- Day 4, Always do your best. A closing ceremony, goodbyes to the herd, and a long last dinner under the moon the ranch is named for.

Departure is after a slow morning, with transport back to the airport. The order of the days may shift a little with the weather and with the herd.

Who Leads It

Chris Rausten is the founder of Rancho Baile de la Luna and creator of Spirit Horse Journeys. Her life with horses began at age seven with a Shetland pony and has included dressage, natural horsemanship and decades of hands-on care and training. She still trains and competes in working equitation.

Amy Spencer is a Certified Horsemanship Association instructor and certified equine therapist, fluent in Spanish and English after a life between Mexico and the United States. Her work centers on biomechanics and the therapeutic art of equitation.

Marti McGinnis is an EAGALA Level 2 Certified Equine Specialist with more than 40 years of experience guiding experiential processes. She holds a Master's degree in Communication and has worked for decades as a professional artist.

Jocelyn Rausten is a Mindvalley Certified Life Coach with a degree in Biology and Chemistry from Lewis and Clark College. She is known for deep listening and a grounded, compassionate approach.

The Setting

This is not a polished retreat center. It is a real working ranch with dust, golden light and a herd loved by name. The shuttle meets you at the airport in Leon (BJX) or Queretaro (QRO), and daily transport runs between your lodging and the ranch. Shared and private rooms are both available.

Before You Go

No riding and no horse experience are needed. The work is ground-based, on foot beside the horses. The retreat includes five nights of lodging, all meals (five breakfasts, four lunches and five dinners), airport transfers, daily transport, an afternoon at the hot springs, dinner in San Miguel de Allende, and your choice of a horseback ride, Reiki or massage. Horses can settle a busy nervous system, though this is presence and attention, not medical treatment.