Costa Rica · March 27 – April 3, 2027 · Only 10 women
Restore Yourself. Expand Your Toolkit. Get Certified in Costa Rica.
For medical, mental health, and wellness professionals
Reset your own nervous system, swim with the horses, and leave with new healthy habits, your signature blueprint for your business, and your Equine Union International™ EAL Certification.
No horse experience needed, and you'll learn how to collaborate with vetted farms.
Back-to-back sessions. Paperwork at night. An income that stops the moment you do. You teach wellness, but you haven't had the chance to live it.
Imagine a week where someone takes care of you for a change. Mornings that start slowly. Horses who see you exactly as you are. The jungle all around you, and the ocean just down the mountain. And afternoons where you finally design the work you've been dreaming about, the kind that gives back to your life instead of taking from it.
You'll learn to integrate healthy habits for your own personal life and for your clients.
A day at Kindred Spirits
Slow mornings. Horses. Ocean. Then we build.
Mornings
Fascial release and restorative yoga, then the nervous system reset with the horses. You'll experience it for yourself and learn how to lead it for your own clients.
Afternoons
Small-group business building. Get clear on your story, and feel confident sharing your signature experience, your pricing, and collaborations.
In between
Swimming with the horses (optional), the beach, chef-made meals, and real time to rest and integrate all that you're learning.
Your last day
Your assessment, your certificate of completion, and a closing celebration together.
Ethical horse connection
The horses come first. Always.
We're very protective of the horses we work with. They're our teachers, never our tools. Here's how we work with them, and what you'll learn to bring to your own clients:
- No round pens, no separating horses from their herd, and no whips, flags, or training tactics.
- The horses are always free to come and go, to connect, or to walk away. Whatever they choose is the right answer.
- We regulate the person before they ever enter the horses' presence.
- We never expect a horse to undergo anything that could cause stress or trauma.
Not every program teaches this way. Ours always will.
You'll leave with
A calmer nervous system
Daily rhythms you'll actually keep, so you can meet stressors with grace instead of reaction.
Your signature experience
Designed, priced, and ready to offer to cash-paying clients. Built on your story and your gifts, to enhance the work you already love.
Your certification
Your Equine Union International™ EAL Certification, plus waiver, insurance, and collaboration templates.
30 days of support
Four weekly group coaching calls and a group chat after you're home, so the momentum continues and your business scales.
What's included
- 7 nights at Kindred Spirits, in the mountains near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, about a half-hour horseback ride from Costa Rica's Caribbean coast
- Round-trip group shuttle from San José airport
- Plant-based, chef-created meals, 3 times a day
- All horse experiences, including yoga with the horses and swimming with the horses (optional)
- Morning fascial release and restorative yoga
- Afternoon business sessions and your EAL certification
- The Rhythm Reset guides before you arrive
- 30 days of group coaching after the retreat
- Free time to rest and integrate
Not included: flights to and from San José. Plan to land by about 11 a.m. on March 27, and book your return flight after about 2 p.m. on April 3. Travel insurance is required.
Where you'll stay
Kindred Spirits, in the mountains above the Caribbean
Bright, peaceful rooms with walls of windows looking out on the jungle, and an open-air common house where we'll gather, share meals, and slow down together.
Hosted by Dena Garfield
Founder of Equine Union International™ and Forest Acres, a private retreat sanctuary in Western New York. Certified Equine-Assisted Learning Facilitator and Certified Yoga Instructor. I sold $12,000 in a single day, including one team's $7,700 VIP experience, and organizations like the Boys & Girls Club have hired me again and again. Now I'll show you how to create experiences people gladly pay for, and that feel like you, plus how to contract with organizations that keep coming back.
"We all left feeling more embodied and connected... I would highly recommend this experience to anyone."
Christina, MA, MS, NCC, LPC, practice owner and EMDR-certified therapist
"I have not been the best this past year at self-care and easing my stress, so this was so much more valuable than I expected... I'm super grateful for this experience... I can't wait to go back."
Ashley Baron, Entrepreneur and Business Owner
Reserve your spot
Only 10 women: 8 spots in shared rooms and 2 private rooms. Reserve with a $1,000 deposit, or pay in full.
Bundle and save $500: add the 8-week virtual From Survival to Scaling program to your retreat. Ask about it on a Coffee & Horses Call.
The remaining balance is due by January 26, 2027. Monthly payment plans are available.
Cancellation policy: Your $1,000 deposit is non-refundable. If you pay in full, $1,000 of your payment is your non-refundable deposit. If you cancel 90 or more days before the retreat (by December 27, 2026), any payments beyond your deposit are refunded. If you cancel 60 to 89 days before, 50% of those payments are refunded. Cancellations less than 60 days before the retreat (after January 25, 2027) are not refundable. You're always welcome to transfer your spot to another woman. If we have to cancel the retreat, you'll receive a full refund, including your deposit. Travel insurance is required.
Can't make it to Costa Rica?
Get certified from anywhere with our 8-week virtual program
The same Equine Union International™ EAL Certification, at your own pace. You'll learn online, then complete your hands-on practice with horses at a farm and submit videos of your sessions for review.
Learn About the Virtual ProgramQuestions
Do I need horse experience?
No. Many of our guests have never been around horses. You'll learn safety and how to read horses, at your own pace.
Do I need my own land or horses?
No. You'll learn how to collaborate with farms, or how to bring this to your own farm if you have one.
Do I have to swim with the horses?
No. It's optional, and so is everything else. This week is about you.
Is this equine-assisted psychotherapy training?
No. This is an Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL) certification for leading experiences in nature. Licensed clinicians who want to use horses in clinical treatment should follow their licensing board's requirements.
What if I can't come to a retreat right now?
No problem. We have a virtual version! Our 8-week From Survival to Scaling program gives you the same Equine Union International™ EAL Certification from anywhere. You'll practice with horses at a farm and submit videos of your sessions for review. Learn about the virtual program.
What if I'm not sure it's right for me?
Let's talk first. Book a Coffee & Horses Call, and we'll see if it's the right fit.
Talk first? Let's have a Coffee & Horses Call.
Some people like to talk before they book. Grab your coffee or tea, and let's chat. There's no charge, and you don't need your own horses. My rescue horses, Mr. B and KeKe, will be on the call with us.
Equine Union International™ · equineunioninternational.com
Where our experiences give back to horses through vetted horse sanctuaries.
Income figures shared on this page reflect Dena's own experience and are not a guarantee. Your results depend on your pricing, effort, and market. This retreat is an educational and wellness experience. It is not medical or psychological treatment, and it is not equine-assisted psychotherapy training. Activities include yoga, movement, and time with horses; please check with your doctor if you have any health concerns. All guests sign a participation waiver. If you need any accommodations, email us at equineunioninternational@gmail.com and we'll do our best to help.
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