Starr Horse Retreats

02/19/2026

What Horses Really Do at Night

Last night, eight inches of snow blanketed Starr Horse Retreats.

At sunrise, the fields revealed hoofprints crossing in every direction, showing where the horses traveled through the night.

With the ten-stall horse barn doors always open, multiple loafing shelters available, and complete freedom to choose, the herd still spent the night beneath the stars and moon.

Because movement is life for a horse. Freedom is their natural state.

This video offers a quiet glimpse into what horses truly do at night when they are allowed to live in alignment with their nature.

02/18/2026

We finally got snow, and the horses are loving it at Starr Horse Retreats!

02/16/2026

Thank you to the beautiful volunteers who hold the heart of Starr Horse Retreats. Our volunteers begin as students in our four-week Holistic Clicker Training Program and return in service to the horses, the land, and the healing that lives here.

At Starr Horse Retreats, holistic clicker training blends science-based positive reinforcement, intuitive communication, and deeply restorative time in nature. Participants live on the land, learn humane training practices, and experience the quiet wisdom of the herd in a supportive sanctuary environment near Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

Whether you are seeking a new relationship with horses, a meaningful volunteer path, or personal renewal through equine-assisted healing, this work opens a doorway into partnership, presence, and trust.

Thank you to every graduate who has returned in service. Your devotion creates the living field that makes this sanctuary possible.

A rare opening has developed for our next immersive program, April 12 – May 8, 2026.
If you feel called to learn clicker-training horsemanship and experience deep connection with the herd, you can explore the invitation here:
https://www.starrhorseretreats.com/holisticclickertraining

02/12/2026

Feeding Hay with a Rowdy Country Song.
February Morning at Starr Horse Retreats, feeding hay, a rowdy country song in the background, and the beauty of horses being exactly who they are.
www.StarrHorseRetreats.com

02/11/2026

What is Wild Horse Rewilding?
It’s the process of relocating wild horses from crowded government holding pens back to ecologically appropriate lands where they can live naturally and roam free—with guided, step-by-step support to help them readapt to the wild.

🔁 Assisted Rewilding = Humane Transition
This includes gradual herd reintroduction, resource familiarization, and habitat acclimation—ensuring horses thrive, not just survive.

🌎 Why It Matters:
✅ Restores wild horses to their rightful home—they’re native to North America.
✅ Rebuilds natural behavior lost in confinement: foraging, herd structure, and predator awareness.
✅ Revives ecosystems—wild horses are keystone herbivores who:
• Disperse native seeds
• Improve soil health
• Support water retention
• Reduce wildfire fuel by grazing dry grasses

💡 This is what our bill—the SAVE the WILD WEST: Natural Grassland Protection Act—is built upon. Every line is backed by science, compassion, and urgency. It’s not about ego. It’s about what’s right.

📄 Read the bill:
https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/3f848cb0-7c30-41ac-88d0-dfc325855537/SAVE%20the%20WILD%20WEST-%20Natural%20Grassland%20-bdcaf90.pdf

🌱 Join us:
Visit LoveWildHorses.org to:
• Donate
• Offer land
• Become a Rewilding & Healing Land Partner
• Volunteer
• Or fund life-saving projects

✨ Let them live. Let the land heal.
Love Wild Horses Foundation 🐎
©️ All Copy Rights Reserved 2025

02/09/2026

If You Need Peace Today, Watch This
No rush.
No agenda.
Just horses, sunlight, and beautiful music.

01/28/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GDvaZNXNo/

Turn. Out. Your. Horses.

Not sometimes.
Not when it’s convenient.
Not only when the weather is nice.

Daily turnout is not a luxury or enrichment add on. It is a biological requirement.

Horses evolved to move for most of the day. To walk, graze, socialize, rest, and regulate their nervous systems through motion and choice. When we confine them for long periods, we are not creating calm. We are suppressing natural behaviour.

Lack of turnout is strongly associated with increased stereotypies, gastric ulcers, musculoskeletal strain, heightened reactivity, and what is often mislabeled as “bad behaviour.” These are not training issues. They are welfare issues.

Exercise under saddle does NOT replace free movement. A one hour ride does not undo twenty three hours of restriction. Training does not compensate for unmet needs.

If a horse is “better” when kept in, that is not proof the system works. It is a red flag that the horse is struggling to cope.

Turnout supports physical health, emotional regulation, soundness, and learning. It is one of the most basic forms of harm reduction we can offer.

Turn. Out. Your. Horses.

01/27/2026

✨ Rancho Rico Is Coming to Market ✨

We will be officially listing Rancho Rico for sale on April 1, timing it so the trees are in full bloom. 🌳🌸

That said, those of you who have been out there don’t need leaves to understand the magic of this place.

If you know someone who may be interested, please feel free to share these links with them. The first includes extensive photos of the property, and the second is a dedicated YouTube channel with video footage. I’ll be adding more videos.

📸 Photos & details:
https://www.starrhorseretreats.com/ranch

🎥 Rancho Rico YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/-s4w

We are being called toward an equally magical property in Grass Valley, California, closer to my... NEW GRANDAUGHTER!!!! — who will be arriving in early July! There is so much movement right now, so many new beginnings unfolding, and I’m feeling very excited about what’s ahead.

Rancho Rico has held us for 20 years. It hosted eight Burning Girls, four GAIA Gatherings, and many other retreats. The horses also joined us there for family vacations a few times. We are deeply grateful for all that this land has given us—its river, trees, wildlife, and the countless lessons it offered.

Saying goodbye is bittersweet, yet I truly believe few properties have been as loved, honored, and enjoyed as Rancho Rico. It may very well be one of the most photographed properties on the planet. 😊 Thankfully, we will always have those images—and memories—to carry forward.

If you or someone you know would like to speak directly with the realtor, please reach out to me. I’m happy to connect you.

With gratitude and excitement for what’s next 🤍

01/23/2026

First Ride on Wild Mustang
Halo is a three-year-old wild Mustang, and this is the first time she's been ridden. It was awkward, honest, and tender, much like a child learning to ride a bike. When she became anxious, we realized the issue was the environment. So we brought another young horse nearby, and everything changed. A reminder that horses are relational beings and behavior is often communication, not resistance.

01/22/2026

Watch how young Solar, a three-year-old horse, learns to transfer guidance from the target to the rein and leg cues through patience, trust, and positive reinforcement. This is how riding begins when relationship leads the way.