Meet My Mindfulness Mentors
It began innocently, as these things often do.
A little grooming here, a bit of mucking out there, the occasional starry-eyed sigh over a Friesian’s flowing mane… and before I knew it, I had accumulated a small herd and a daily routine that now involves more mud than I ever imagined a supposedly elegant adult woman should encounter daily.
Some people collect stamps.
I collect horses with big personalities and even bigger opinions.
What keeps me going — aside from the fact that my horses now outnumber my excuses — is their uncanny ability to read people better than any human ever could.
Horses, it turns out, are allergic to pretence.
And yet, they meet you with such generosity. When your heart is heavy, they stand still beside you, anchoring you with a presence so steady it feels like a form of prayer. When your mind is tangled, they remind you — gently, insistently — to come back to the present moment.
Over the years, these four-legged sages have taught me more about authenticity, boundaries, compassion, grief, resilience, forgiveness, commitment and happiness than all my post-graduate training combined. And I have the privilege of sharing their wisdom with the people who come to my Camino de Santiago Crossroads retreats — people navigating those difficult moments when life invites you to begin again.
My horses are my co-facilitators, my partners in practice, my daily mindfulness reminders, and occasionally my personal trainers (usually on the days when they decide to be “helpful” by jogging off with the grooming brush).
If you’re looking for glossy perfection, you won’t find it here.
If you’re looking for genuine connection, understanding, non-judgmental acceptance, and a little soul-settling magic, you’re in exactly the right place.
- Do you have a nagging feeling that there’s more to life than what you’re experiencing right now? Are you seeking a life full of meaning, impact, and purpose—but unsure what that purpose is?
- Are you standing at a crossroads, unsure which way to turn? Maybe you’re navigating a divorce, coping with an empty nest, approaching retirement, yearning for a career change, or dreaming of starting your own business. You feel called to something bigger, but the “what” remains frustratingly unclear.
- Or maybe you’ve lost your passion? You feel stuck in a rut, disengaged from what you’re currently doing, and unable to muster enthusiasm for future possibilities. You wake up dreading the daily grind, feeling uninspired, burned out, and desperate for a meaningful change.
- Do you feel frustrated, insecure and uncertain? As if you’re wasting your time? Do you have difficulty making decisions? The ambiguity of not knowing what is next may cause intense frustration, as you struggle to figure out what you’re “meant to do.”
- Are you questioning your identity? If you don’t know what your purpose is,, you may struggle to define who you are or what you stand for, making it difficult to embrace the next chapter of your life with confidence.
You may wonder, what do any of the questions above have to do with horses?
I had to deal with each of these questions myself, and my horses grounded and guided me step-by-step, day-by-day.
To find out how horses can help us answer these questions, watch this video (and read the comments below it on YouTube):
I have tried to put it into words myself many times:
- Assertiveness in Action: Horses Teach Us to Set Boundaries and Communicate Assertively
- Harnessing Equine Wisdom: How Horses Can Enhance Communication in Stressful Times
- How Horses Can Help Us Cope with Grief and Cultivate Resilience
- Mindful Equine Connections: How Horses Help Us Breathe More Mindfully and Find Inner Peace etc.
And that is why equine-guided meditation, walking meditation with horses and equine-assisted experiential learning are part of my Camino de Santiago Crossroads retreats.
This retreat was born from my own struggle through several major life transitions, during which my Friesian and Falabella horses played a pivotal role. The horses helped me map my next chapter when I felt completely lost. Their gentle presence, intuitive nature, and the mindful connection we shared gave me the clarity and strength I needed to start over.
Have you always been fascinated by horses, and longed to connect with them on a deeper level but have always been intimidated by their size?
If you yearn to connect and communicate with horses, rewrite your life story, start your next chapter and walk a section of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, then this is the retreat for you:
Author Bio: Dr Margaretha Montagu – described as a “game changer”, “gifted healer”, “guiding light” and “life-enriching author” – is an experienced medical doctor, a certified NLP practitioner, a medical hypnotherapist, an equine-assisted psychotherapist (EAGALAcertified) and a transformational retreat leader who guides her clients through life transitions – virtually, or with the assistance of her Friesian and Falabella horses, at their home in the southwest of France.