I am deeply grateful for the incredible equine facilitated learning certification program that I had the privilege to participate in with Rose Mary. Rose Mary is warm, professional and has a genuine passion for horses and their unique ability to facilitate personal growth.
This certification program not only expanded my knowledge and understanding of equine-assisted learning, but also provided me with profound insights into myself and others. Through meaningful interactions with Rose Mary's lovely herd, I discovered a newfound sense of self-awareness, empathy, and resilience. Her horses were incredible guides, gently nudging me to confront my fears, embrace vulnerability and develop a deeper connection with the world around me.
The curriculum was comprehensive, well structured and provided ample opportunity for supported hands-on learning. I particularly loved Rose Mary's non dogmatic approach that encouraged each participant to weave their own unique background and skill set into their approach with clients.
Throughout the length of the program, I felt incredibly supported. Rose Mary was always accessible and available to all the participants and took the time and care to make sure each of us felt confident and fully prepared to embark upon our own journey into the profession of equine facilitated learning.
- Michelle Muench, Shakti Ranch Certified EAL Facilitator
I can’t recommend this certification enough! Rose Mary’s teaching style is incredibly open and invites each individual to truly make the work their own. The information covered is broad - each module presents a vastly different approach to equine work while still also going deep enough to truly integrate the work into your practice through the apprenticeship component and practice sessions. In addition to Rose Mary’s empowering mentorship, I also made lifelong friends and new colleagues through the certification. The entire container is so warm, welcoming and full of creativity!
- Emma Barnosky, Shakti Ranch Certified EAL Facilitator
This certification came into my life at the perfect time in a somewhat mystical way, like all good things seem to. During my first visit up to Shakti Ranch I immediately felt at peace due to the calm, healing energy in the air and Rose Mary’s warm and inviting nature. I hadn’t spent much time around horses in nearly 15 years and was new to equine therapy but was eager to reconnect with these animals and explore this modality. Without much of a plan as to how the certification would fit into my life, I followed my intuition and signed up.
Now that I am finishing up the program, I am overwhelmingly grateful I trusted that voice within. I have learned so much about myself, grown as a person, built confidence, and connected with a number of amazing people. The herd at Shakti Ranch showed me time and time again what magic these majestic beings can bring into our lives. The limitless potential of equine assisted work is doubtless in my mind. The herd’s love and wisdom runs deep and I feel so lucky to have the privledge of time with Sophie, Frankie and Cash on this beautiful property.
Rose Mary’s teaching style is supportive, caring, and always trusting and encouraging - she truly wants us to reach our highest potential. She held a spacious container for me to expand into more authenticity and empowerment. I was given the freedom to explore what I was most interested in and provided guidance and flexibility when I needed it. I looked forward to every workshop and benefitted both personally and professionally from each one. I feel more aligned with my truth and more prepared to act on it due to this program.
- Lindsay Barnes, Shakti Ranch Certified EAL Facilitator
I enrolled in the certification as a way to start a new chapter in my life-long relationship with horses. I was eager to explore ways to continue working with my horse, Anthony. Working with and learning from Rose Mary gave me the confidence to start my own practice. Through this program, I have learned a lot about myself and what types of support I can offer people. I feel inspired and motivated to support women who are going through the same sort of challenges that I have been through. I met many incredible women through this program and am grateful for their friendship and support.
- Robin Rick, Shakti Ranch Certified EAL Facilitator
I never imagined that it was possible to connect a yoga practice on horseback. Thanks to Rose Mary Riggs I saw how powerful and relevant work it can be. She has been such a a great facilitator and teacher. Her experience, her shining presence and her tremendous patience and awareness have made this journey a blast for me and I ll recommend it to anyone who wants to discover about themselves , riders or not . Bonus : Rose Mary has a long beautiful relationship with her lead mare, Sophie, which makes the work even more authentic and positive. Thank you both.
- Tessa de Baudinière
My Name is Matthew Fiorenza and I’m a Firefighter/paramedic for a large agency in Southern California. I’ve been on the Job for 17 years and have responded to thousands of emergency calls. Around the 15 year mark I began to experience severe PTSD and an injury caused me to have surgery. I became very depressed and could not escape my thoughts of suicide. I tried many different avenues of treatment but one of the most important healing treatments was Rose Mary’s Equine Therapy. I cannot express enough gratitude for how much my work with Rose Mary helped me get through a process of letting go of many different problems that I had buried deep down since childhood. The connection I felt with the horses was a truly spiritual experience and I will never forget the day I spent with Rose Mary in Malibu. Her professionalism and knowledge is expressed in an encouraging and loving way. I would highly recommend Rose Mary as an Equine Therapist to family and friends. Since spending time with Rose Mary and the horses I’ve returned to full duty at the Fire Department and I am enjoying my life. My family and I are forever grateful.
- Matt Fiorenza
My experience doing yoga on horseback with Rose Mary and her sweet angelic horse Sophie was absolutely life changing.
I serendipitously met Rose Mary and Sophie when I was hiking in Malibu and the words "I just need a spiritual outlet involving animals and I need healing" had just come out of my mouth as I was chatting with my mother, when all of a sudden i see this glowing woman on her beautiful horse! Rose Mary was kind enough to let us visit with Sophie on our hike and explained her offerings of horseback yoga. Rose Mary was so easy to approach, calm, empathetic and open in our initial meeting (and Sophie was too) so I knew I just had to try it and it was meant to be.
I can't even put into words how much deep healing and powerful visualizations I experienced while in savasana pose on Sophie's back. I felt warmed by the sun, supported by Sophie and guided by Rose Mary. Rose Mary provided me with helpful poses to use to clear blockages and encourage balance in the face of my imbalances mostly stemming from my PCOS and compassion fatigue at the time. She was able to focus in on my stagnant energy and the reason for it right away. She provided me with helpful visualizations and exercises to incorporate into my own personal work as a healer and caregiver that i still use today over a year later. I continued seeking peace and healing from Rose Mary after that initial session and will certainly be back.
I encourage anyone who is looking to gain some self-awareness, moments of serenity and feel more connected to nature and animal spirit to check out Rose Mary’s amazing services. She is a beautiful soul, a true healer and is so comfortable to be around. I am grateful for the support I've received from her!
- Jenna Bollard, Music & Art Therapist
Rose Mary is loved by many; not just because she is a talented yoga therapist or a gifted Equine Therapist …Rose Mary has the ability to help each person she works with to see the best in themselves and others. When she walks into a room, people are drawn to her. She carries an essence of beauty and grace that was forged through her commitment to helping others see their own beauty and light. Rose Mary has led the yoga at my annual Women’s Transformation Retreat here in Colorado for the past 4 years and everyone loves and appreciates her serene and feminine nature. Working with Rose Mary has been a pleasure because she comes from a place of collaboration and the desire to create an atmosphere of love and acceptance whether working with clients that have extensive yoga experience or are absolute beginners. I would not dream of hiring any other yoga instructor or equine therapist for my women’s retreats!
- Julie McAfee, Women’s Empowerment Coach
Rose Mary and Sophie gifted me a very transformative experience! Whether you are totally inexperienced with horses or an experienced rider, I cannot recommend a Yoga on Horseback session enough. Sophie is a very settled, grounded, and reflective horse. She and Rose Mary have a strong connection with each other and make a beautiful team with so much to offer. This was so much more than just combining yoga with being on a horse. Rose Mary and Sophie helped me ground into my body and really get in touch with myself, including an injured area of my hip and some difficult parts of my life that actually manifested in our session. I released a lot of 'stuff' that I've been holding onto, and Sophie gave me the gift of feeling the support of another sentient being in a profound way. I do ride horses very frequently-but they are very jumpily and easily scared, so I'm always on edge when riding. I recently had a bad fall, and Sophie really helped me let go of being so cautious while riding because she is so safe and trustworthy...I was able to drop into myself. Rose Mary was an amazing guide and let the session unfold naturally. Even if you don't have experience, please gift yourself the presence of this healing horse and human! Totally safe and in my opinion, a no-brainer! I will definitely be back to work with Rose Mary and Sophie in the next few weeks, and will make it a regular habit...and the ocean views are a major plus. Lovely and peaceful location.
- Nisha