Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiki Ebsen.
Kiki, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up on this beautiful secluded ranch in the Malibu mountains. My siblings and I would spend countless hours on horseback exploring the rough terrain of the Santa Monica mountain range as well as the old movie sets like the Paramount and 20th Century ranches. I became a champion equestrian at age 13. Horses were my life. As I reached adulthood, I would enter the world of entertainment as a singer and a musician. It was there I explored my creative side and put horses on the back burner for a few years.
A decade later, after purchasing my family’s old ranch, I adopted my first rescue horse, a four-month-old filly named Rose. That was eighteen years ago. A year later, I adopted another foal and named him August. A few years after that, a neglected, undernourished filly came into my life. Her name is Violet. Around that time, I began studying natural horsemanship with a passion and linked those concepts with my already advanced riding skills from my youth. With the addition of liberty work and ground skills, I was able to transition my young horses easily to the saddle and bridle just by learning to interact with them in a “horse’s” world. We do this by using equine psychology, concepts of pressure and release of pressure, breath, focus, and intention.
I noticed how much I was evolving in the process along with my horses. In my effort to help my horses become more emotionally, physically and mentally fit, I was becoming more so myself. I started to be more mindful about breathing, relaxation, and my body. How to pivot negative thoughts to feel better. How to manifest ideas and desires into reality. I developed a strong yoga practice, eventually receiving my 200YTT certification.
Living on the ranch I grew up on only deepened my connection to nature and encouraged me to accept all life experiences in my path without labeling them. Loss of our animals, of family and friends. Transformation of our land through fire and flood and the eventual abundance and regrowth. The extraordinary beauty of a full moon, violent winds, a sunny or cloudy day. The beauty in the hawks, coyotes, owls and even rattlesnakes as we all find a way to share space on the planet. The massive oak trees whose roots teach us how to ground deeply while reaching their branches to the sky for lightness and ease.
As my herd began to grow, a modality called equine growth and learning started to evolve. It is designed to use horses to help those in need of emotional support as well as life skills. It was found that by studying horses, especially in a herd, and their specific language, many positive lessons could be gained starting with more personal confidence and a general sense of well-being. A few years back, I founded The Healing Equine Ranch as a nonprofit entity that provides cares for this exceptional herd of rescued horses. We have ten in our program now ranging in age from one year to thirty-three. Through Natural Equine Interactive Growth and Healing (N.E.I.G.H.), we provide our invited guests equine learning experiences that cultivate safe and effective horsemanship skills with the opportunity to gain a deeper awareness of yourself. This is done through workshops, retreats and private lessons. We recently added corporate retreats to our menu of experiences.
Life is a choice and our horse is our mirror. Whether you are angry or joyful, they feel it. They live in the moment and don’t worry about the future. They invite us to do the same.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Having a ranch is hard work, no matter how you look at it. There is a continual care and maintenance of the buildings and land, and horse care can be costly. We were recently impacted by the Woolsey Fire in November 2018. We lost four buildings, our tools, wood fencing, horse tack, and other personal property. But we are rebuilding and are able to offer our programs during the process. Other obstacles include advertising the excellent outcome of our programs, and their availability, to key groups who’d be interested in participating, without spending time and funds we don’t have. My goal has been to provide our adopted horses with the best possible life and to share them and our horsemanship knowledge with others to provide growth and healing. We have been lucky to have great volunteers and supporters that help with the some of the costs, but scaling up our operations to meet rising costs continues to be a challenge. We have allowed ourselves to grow slowly and organically along with the evolution of the equine growth and learning market. Because of this, our brand and reputation are strong, and that puts us in the perfect position to offer the most effective learning programs due to our own life experiences, the beauty of the land and unique characteristics of our horses.
Please tell us about The Healing Equine Ranch.
Founded in 2007, The Healing Equine Ranch is a federally recognized 501 (c) 3 nonprofit located in the Santa Monica mountains of California. Using a herd of horses adopted from varied backgrounds, I am passionate about teaching the language of horses while encouraging people to explore themselves emotionally, spiritually and mentally.
We specialize in teaching natural horsemanship with an emphasis in human growth and learning. From groundwork to liberty to riding, natural horsemanship skills are weaved into each lesson through a common thread of pressure and release while fine-tuning focus, intention, breath, and energy.
We offer experiential learning for anyone with a love of nature and horses. By improving our own skills with horses, we’re positively impacted in all areas of our lives. You can gain:
• Enhanced partnerships
• Stronger leadership
• Improved communication
• Increased self-esteem
• Develop more honest relationships
Most importantly, in this high-tech,fast-paced world, we must slow down and really listen to our inner voice that guides us. We created our own programs to answer the needs of those just beginning their experience with horses; perhaps you’ve had a bad experience in the past with horses and want to try again. Our sessions are centered around basic natural horsemanship skills with an emphasis on human self-development.
Our program exercises provide the opportunity to stay present in the moment, to cultivate mindfulness and energy awareness. You’ll overcome fear and gain confidence, not just with horses but in other areas of your life. Becoming aware of the delicate balance between our mental, physical, and emotional states is the foundation for productive relationships. Our participants quickly notice positive changes in their lives. They report to us their happier, healthier state of mind and more confident approach to life and problem-solving.
I am most proud of our horses as they continue to amaze me with their intuitive gifts to connect in just the right way with our guests.
Our ranch is secluded and private, surrounded by state parkland, yet only 30 minutes from Los Angeles. I believe that the horses, along with the beauty of the land and the location of the ranch is what sets us apart from the others.
Please see our website calendar for workshops and retreats. Send us an email for information on private lessons and for any other questions.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Growing up here on the ranch with our back yard mustangs that my dad bought from some old cowboy. My sisters and I would ride all over the mountains playing all sorts of hide-and-go-seek games on horseback. Along with my parents, we would fix fences, tend to the garden and take care of the horses. It was a simpler way of living. At the time, we had no central heat or a dishwasher. The dinner table and our fireplace were the hubs where our family to came together to discuss the events of the day. It was a sun up to sundown experience that left us content and exhausted at the end of each day. Our minds were clear of the distractions of today’s information age.
Contact Info:
- Address: 26500 Agoura Rd #327
Calabasas, CA 91302 - Website: http://www.thehealingequineranch.com
- Phone: (818) 483-0970
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehealingequineranch
Image Credit:
Steve Wallace, Liza Auciello, Kiki Ebsen
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