Healing Retreat
A restorative escape for horse & rider including all catering and activities
Overview
Slow down, reconnect, and unwind at our intimate two-day Healing Retreat, designed to nourish both horse and rider — mind, body, and soul.
Stay in a boutique yurt with your horse grazing nearby, enjoy restorative treatments, and discover new ways to strengthen your bond.
What’s Included:
Horseback Yoga with KatashaYoga – Improve balance, ease tension, and deepen trust with your horse.
Rider Pilates with Laura Milner – Build strength, alignment, and confidence in the saddle.
Sound Healing with Jim French – Relax with soothing sounds designed to calm both horse and rider.
Horse & Rider Reiki with KatashaYoga – Enjoy a peaceful Reiki session beside your horse.
Guided Horse Ride – Explore the beautiful local forestry and dales.
Boutique Yurt Accommodation – Rest comfortably with your horse grazing outside.
Homemade Meals – Enjoy delicious, freshly prepared food throughout your stay.
Reconnect with nature, build confidence, and enjoy quality time with your horse. Finish your retreat with a magical fireside Cacao Ceremony accompanied by Jim’s calming soundscapes.
Return home feeling refreshed, grounded, and more connected than ever.
healing retreat
reiki
Rider Pilates
sound therapy
wholesome catering
boutique yurts
relaxation
CHECK AVAILABILITY
We're open every July and August, with highlighted check-in dates typically for two-night stays to keep the site peaceful. Select your dates to view yurt availability, or contact us via the website form for longer stays or bespoke dates.
Hosts
A restorative escape for horse & rider with sessions from our wonderful practitioners; Rebalance your body, reset your mind, and deepen your partnership with your horse through Horseback Yoga, Reiki, Pilates and Sound Therapy.
KatsahaYoga- Reiki & Horseback Yoga
Katya brings together her lifelong love of horses, her reiki and yoga practice to help people and their horses connect on a more mindful level. With roots in Parelli natural horsemanship, she has spent years building trust-based relationships with her own horses, and now blends breathwork, gentle movement, and meditation to support harmony between horse and rider. Her Katsaha Yoga sessions offer a grounding, heart-led space for both partners to relax, tune in, and move together with ease. Katya is delighted to be part of this retreat and looks forward to welcoming you and your horses into this shared practice.
Level up performance Laura Milner - Rider-Based Pilates
Laura is a passionate horsewoman and former GB dressage rider who has competed up to international level, bringing a wealth of experience and heartfelt dedication to every session she teaches. With a clear, supportive coaching style, she’s committed to helping riders understand how thoughtful flatwork and mindful movement can transform both their own balance and their horse’s way of going. As a UKCC Level 2 flat, pole, and jump coach and an AASE Hartpury graduate, Laura blends expert knowledge with genuine enthusiasm. Through her business, Level Up Performance, she works with riders off the horse to build strength, mobility and body awareness—so they can feel more effective, confident and connected in the saddle.
Jim French - Sound Therapy
After a colourful career spanning hospitality, retail, and travel, Jim discovered his true calling through a life-changing experience at a Family Constellation workshop in Bali. That moment opened the door to a deep passion for healing, leading him to train in hypnotherapy, past-life regression, and ultimately the transformative world of sound therapy. Jim now brings a grounded, compassionate presence to every session, using gongs, singing bowls , native American Flute- sounds to support emotional balance, relaxation, and inner clarity. His work extends to animals and humans and works especially well for horses and dogs. The animals respond beautifully to the calming low frequencies of his sound baths. Jim’s approach is gentle, intuitive, and rooted in a genuine desire to help others feel more connected, centred, and at ease.
Kate Risker - Acre & Shelter
Founder of Acre & Shelter, a boutique smallholding on the Dawnay Estate, Kate is passionate about horses, nature, and mindful rural living. She has created a space where riders can unwind, reconnect with their horses, and experience the peace and beauty of the North York Moors.
Drawing on 25 years of experience as an events producer, Kate launched Pony Glamping in 2022 and has since been curating unique stays, experiences, and retreats for guests at her home. Her years of travelling the world, paired with her individual creativity, shape everything from the cosy glamping yurts to the group retreats — ensuring every guest feels welcomed, grounded, and inspired.
Reviews
sustainability
Acre & Shelter is an eco-minded and sustainable business. Living sustainably is important to us and we endeavour to do what we can for the environment. The accommodation and site has been sensitively designed and restored using wood from the farm, reclaimed materials and English antiques. We have used upcycled and reclaimed materials in the design and interiors of the yurts. All plastic, paper and glass is recycled. All our toiletries and cleaning products are earth friendly. In addition to this we seek to work with local businesses who share our values and ethos.