Our Approach
All Homeward sessions are grounded in Equine-Guided Empowerment® and supported by body-based practices outside in the pastures with our free-roaming herd.
Unlike many equine-therapy methods, Homeward’s practices are firmly rooted in the belief that sovereign horses who are fully free to express themselves are the key to pointing us back to our sense of agency, innate wellbeing, and freest expression of self. The horse becomes a willing partner in our self discovery, as the parallel experience of allowing freedom for the horses grants each of us freedom to be authentically ourselves. As this work is deeply relational, self-honoring, and rooted in the presence, the horses are truly our guides.
Rather than setting goals, we pay attention to what unfolds when everyone has permission to choose and show up exactly as they are in a given moment. Through guided somatic practices, your facilitator helps you notice what your body, the horses, and the moment are revealing. Together, you'll explore how you set and respond to boundaries; attune; embody neutrality; release and hold; and communicate through the integration of body, mind, heart, and energy. The horses offer non-judgmental feedback, while your facilitator helps make sense of what unfolds, without pressure to reach a particular outcome.
Meet Amanda
My journey with horses began at age five in rural Wisconsin, where I first experienced their quiet wisdom and steady presence. Over the years, horses have been my greatest teachers, offering a deep sense of connection and guiding me to discover so much about myself and the way I move through the world.
After a global career in education, a move to Portugal in 2016 left me feeling untethered. I sought out horses as my refuge and reminder of everything that felt familiar and fulfilling within myself. This time they showed me a new path: one that wove together my lifelong bond with them and my experience guiding others. Through The Reflective Horse® Mastery program, I deepened my embodied awareness and embraced a way of living and working in alignment with my truth and passion.
Today, I continue to grow alongside my two children and the remarkable horses I care for, each one a dynamic and unique partner in healing, insight, and transformation.
Who Is This For?
People come to Homeward for many reasons.
You may be navigating a transition, feeling stuck in familiar patterns, or simply looking for a slower, more grounded way of being. Some people struggle to stay present with themselves or loved ones and want to learn practices to help quiet their minds and attune to others in the moment. Couples can do a session to bring vulnerability and curiosity into a shared space, observing what patterns and responses arise in real time without judgement.
Others come because they feel drawn to horses and want to experience their connection in a setting that prioritizes freedom, presence, and genuine connection in every element of the interaction.
You don't need any experience with horses or body-based practices to participate.
Just bring your curiosity, an open mind, and a willingness to see what unfolds.
Why Horses?
Horses are highly sensitive, relational animals whose nervous systems respond quickly to what is happening around them. They notice tension, trying, and shifts in attention often before we do, and they respond without the social filters humans often use.
Horses are not conditioned—they are instinctive. Because horses are so attuned for survival, they respond quickly to changes in our regulation. When we soften, steady, or become clearer inside, they often shift too—coming closer, relaxing, or exhaling. This isn’t magic, and it isn’t about performing calm; it’s about real-time co-regulation between two nervous systems that are sharing space.
Because our horses are free to approach, move away, or simply observe, their responses often reveal patterns we cannot reach through thinking or talking alone, and can bring the body into a more present, regulated state, from where it is easier to sense what is true and what needs to change.
As herd animals, horses are relational beings. By observing the herd dynamic and orienting ourselves to their communication, we can learn and practice ways of connecting, disconnecting, setting and responding to boundaries, and being clear about our needs.
Meet The Herd
Highly sensitive, Gatão often anticipates and reads cues before we even notice them ourselves. He is vigilant, always ensuring the cohesion of the herd and drops into a deep calm when he feels safe. He is fierce and direct, reminding us that power can be big and soft at the same time.
Gatão
Curious and brave, Moonlight is the first to check out anything that’s new in the environment, communicating to the rest of the herd if it’s safe. He demands presence and eases when someone is clear with their intentions and boundaries. Moonlight has a defensive shell when he anticipates non-consensual interactions, but can also slip into a dream-like state when he feels presence without an agenda.
Moonlight
He may be our only pony in the herd, but Newton knows size is only in the mind. He is clear in his search for connection and equally clear in his independence and determination. He reminds us that moving together is always more enjoyable than anything that feels like a push or pull.
Newton
Playful, curious, and solid, Lotus communicates clearly and takes his time to accept invitations, but when he says yes, he is deeply trustworthy and grounded. In the herd, he’s as likely to initiate play as he is to keep watch, ensuring the others can rest. Lotus has learned how to hold his ground in his herd, reminding us that saying yes and no doesn’t have to be personal; it is our birthright.
Lotus
“Connecting with the horses through Amanda’s gentle guidance left me feeling refreshed, inspired and more in tune with myself. ”
— Yasmine Jordan/Portugal