Private Retreats
While Pepper and Tiffany give a great deal of themselves to the horses they save and rehabilitate, they feel it’s nothing compared to what the horses give them. “Horses can tell us so much about ourselves,” says Tiffany. “They’re so honest and immediate and natural.”
“They don’t care what color you are, what you look like, what clothes you wear, whether you’re male or female, young or old, gay or straight, rich or poor,” says Pepper. “They judge you only by your actions.”
Cherry Wood’s horse-focused workshops and retreats offer enriching corporate, group and family experiences. Whether for a day, or an all-inclusive weekend in the wine country, Cherry Wood can tailor a program to fit your needs.
Programs include:
Pulling Together
Team Building and Personal Development with Horses
Whether your group’s goal is to improve leadership skills, build a stronger team or simply share an enriching experience, horses are a powerful catalyst for growth and change. They offer something very rare and precious to us humans – immediate and non-judgmental feedback on our emotions and actions.
Through guided interactions with our herd, participants are able to experience significant learning moments that lead to important discoveries - both professionally and personally. No riding is involved. All activities are conducted on the ground and no previous experience with horses is needed.
Although workshops are tailored to fit each group’s needs and goals, activities with our rescued and rehabilitated horses are designed to build:
- Individual and group awareness
- Problem solving skills
- Greater trust and respect
- Verbal and non-verbal communication
- Responsibility and accountability
One day workshops include catered lunch. Weekend retreats, utilizing the full Cherry Wood facility, can also be arranged. Contact us to start planning your own unique Pulling Together workshop.
Unbridled
A Personal Journey with Horses
Pepper Fewel has rescued and rehabilitated dozens of horses and given them a new life at Cherry Wood, but if you ask her she’ll tell you these second-chance horses have given her even more than she’s given them. They have so enriched her life she feels compelled to share what horses have taught her and what they can in turn teach others.
Embodiments of power, grace, sensitivity and awareness, horses allow us to experience a deeper way of being in the world. During this Personal Horse Journey, you will interact with horses, develop relationships, become part of the herd, and learn about yourself along the way. We will explore the relationship between horses and humans: what it is about horses that reveals so much about ourselves, what we see in them, why they respond to us, and how they can help us become more emotionally, physically and mentally aware.
While the workshop is about self-discovery, it’s also about relaxing and connecting with nature in an authentic way. So there will be plenty of time for wine tasting, walks in the orchards, conversations around the campfire and soaks in the Twilight Tubs. No previous experience with horses is required.
Natural Connections
Feel the Horse and Find Your Center
Riding is all about balance, timing, and that elusive thing called “feel,” that allows horse and rider to come together as one. Feel requires a heightened awareness and sense of calm that is difficult to achieve in our stress-filled world. But Natural Connections can help melt the stress away and allow you to explore what it is to feel of and for such a powerful animal, and then apply it to other aspects of your life.
In Natural Connections, Tiffany Fewel uses the Feldenkrais Method and the sensitivity of horses to help people from all walks of life become more balanced, centered and aware. Gentle noninvasive touch and movement exercises for both horse and rider offer an enriching experience that is relaxing and supportive.
Natural Connections combines this sensory learning process with Tiffany’s life-long relationship to legendary horseman, Ray Hunt, the original proponent of what is now known as natural horsemanship. Ray’s views about the horse-human relationship formed Tiffany’s connection to horses long before the approach became popular.
This background, coupled with her Feldenkrais training, lead her to develop Natural Connections techniques that enhance learning, performance and health, while building a trusting bond between horse and human.
Writing the Range
Let the Horse Inspire You
Whether you are writing now and love it, or have always wanted to but aren’t sure how to start, this retreat will give you the time and inspiration you need. We will examine the writing process in all its forms – journaling, memoir, poetry, fiction – and the truly lost art of letter writing. In a small group of writers, you will be encouraged to explore and expand your unique voice, style, and purpose. Writing is a meaningful art form that can be used to sustain us in the stress of our modern world, and it is accessible to everyone. All you need is a journal, your favorite pen and your imagination -- we’ll provide the inspiration.
This workshop is guided by writer and buckaroo Patti Hudson who will share her stories with you and help you on your own journey of self-expression. What happens at Cherry Wood stays at Cherry Wood, but what’s written at Cherry Wood, well, who knows where it will go.
See the Light
A Mental and Spiritual Approach to Photography
This workshop emphasizes a mental and spiritual approach to capturing an image. Take a break with us and enjoy photography in a more relaxed and thoughtful way with professional photographer, Eric Sines. You’ll find his images all over the Cherry Wood website and in magazines, art galleries and commercial advertising campaigns.
Eric will focus on the art of seeing, selecting and visually organizing a compelling photograph. It’s not the equipment that makes a great image; it’s the photographer’s eye. With Eric’s help you will develop the visual understanding needed to produce images that capture your feelings and experiences, regardless of the equipment you use.
Following informal group discussions, participants will practice these techniques by taking photographs of the horses, teepees, people and scenery Cherry Wood has to offer. Whether you're a beginner or a serious shutterbug, you’ll develop new visual insights and come away with some great Cherry Wood shots. An afternoon projection of the day’s shooting will offer constructive, supportive review of everyone’s work.
Private Retreat and Workshop Info
Booking our full facility requires having a minimum of 10 and maximum of 12 participants
Rates vary depending on number of participants, length of event, meals, entertainment, instruction and other activities
Contact us to discuss your needs and we’ll help you to start planning your group's unique Cherry Wood retreat
