‘Horses, in our expertise, merely velocity issues up, just a little bit like how an artwork therapist makes use of their paint.’
The Indonesian island of Sumba is house to pristine wilderness and gorgeous seashores. There you’ll discover Nihi Sumba, a lodge that’s gained all types of awards, together with being voted the Quantity One Lodge within the World in Journey + Leisure’s 2016 and 2017 World’s Finest Awards.
Located on the island’s south coast, the seashore is house to a herd of semi wild horses.
“That is most likely as shut as you may get to horses of their pure habitat,” says Dr Andreas Liefooghe, a psychologist and therapist specialising in equine assisted psychotherapy.
For this reason he selected it as the proper spot to discovered Retreat and Conquer, a 4 night time retreat serving to individuals to reconnect with themselves by way of horses.
Globally there’s a rising pattern in horse-related journey and wellness actions, from cowboy ranches to horse-sleigh rides and horseback safaris. Right here’s why combining an equine retreat along with your subsequent seashore vacation could be for you (even for those who don’t love horses).
Are horses technique of remedy?
“Why horses? Horses, in our expertise, merely velocity issues up,” Andreas explains, “just a little bit like how an artwork therapist makes use of their paint.”
Some theorise that it’s to do with connecting with a residing creature however with the consolation of understanding they will’t inform anybody your secrets and techniques.
However don’t fear, you don’t should be a pro-rider with a view to participate. Actually, there’s no expertise required and also you don’t even should experience a horse for those who don’t need to.
By means of two day by day interactions with the horses, individuals discover ways to higher perceive themselves and people round them. Actions embody swimming with the horses and enjoying soccer on the seashore.
“It is at all times helpful to see who individuals establish with. Do they establish with the rugged little man or with the injured noble type of thoroughbreds who’ve executed the racing and all of that?,” says Andreas.
“In these decisions, we get quite a lot of details about what individuals really convey. The place do they see themselves within the horse? How are they mirrored again at themselves by way of their selection of associate to work with?”
The retreat welcomes small teams of individuals at a time. The actions are a variety of one-to-ones and group work.
In addition to this, there are extra conventional wellness actions comparable to yoga and massages. And the group typically spends evenings on the seashore.
Who can profit from an equine retreat?
“Once you arrive on the high of this hill and also you see this sweeping seashore in entrance of you, it is an actual coronary heart stopping second,” says Andreas.
The island’s distant nature teamed with the lengthy journey to get there make up a part of the expertise. Andreas thinks this helps individuals to really feel so far-off from their regular actuality that it readies them to open up.
“Our enterprise is to not change individuals, however to assist individuals get a deeper understanding,” he provides.
Retreat and Conquer is for anybody who feels caught or desires assist coping with change of their life.
“We now have individuals who have been caught due to very complicated losses that they’ve skilled, like losses of fogeys, life adjustments and {couples} who break up up.
“And we now have had individuals who have had kids go away house and felt that hastily they do not have a goal anymore and so they’re eager to discover a goal round that.
“We have had individuals who’ve been made redundant at work who once more really feel that there is this loss. And finally, each change has a loss at its coronary heart as a result of you must go away one thing behind earlier than you get into one thing new.”
The place do Retreat and Conquer’s horses come from?
The horses at Nihi Sumba are a mix of Sumbanese sandalwood ponies which are semi wild and had been first dropped at the island within the thirteenth and 14th centuries in addition to some rescued ex-race horses.
“The racing business churns out various horses after which there are some horses who do not make the grade. And sometimes that do not actually have quite a lot of choices,” explains Andreas.
Nihi has adopted a complete herd of them from neighbouring islands and has retrained them. They dwell on the Sandalwood Stables on the lodge the place every morning they’re let free to gallop alongside the seashore.
The subsequent Retreat and Conquer will happen 25 – 29 November. Costs begin from €8,936 all inclusive excluding flights and transfers.
Watch the video above to be taught extra about Retreat and Concur.