HERd Inspiration: A Two-Day Workshop Featuring Horses and Nature for Creative Women

“The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave it neither power nor time.” — Mary Oliver, Of Power and Time

To all creative souls and creative seekers: We’re inviting you to share your voice, while appreciating the freedom and joy of personal expression. Using the seasonal energy of Fall as creative guidance, we’re inviting you to let the colours of your heart guide your inspiration. Express yourself with freedom in words, images, pictures and art.

Open up to the spirited nature of horses and unleash your creative muse in this unique experience hosted at a beautiful century farm 15 minutes east of Peterborough, Ontario.

Your Experience will include:

• Horses: Work with a gentle horse guide who will hold space so that you can safely and courageously connect to your creative muse or be inspired by the majestic beauty of our herd to create your best work. (No previous horse experience is necessary).
• Creative Muse:  Participate in techniques and prompts to guide the creative seeker to access the limitless potential that flows with the rhythm of nature, while drawing encouragement from a supportive group of creative souls (for all experience levels).
• Inspiration: Find inspiration from the connection of mind, body, heart and spirit, the sights and sounds of surrounding nature, your horse guides and your creative community.
• Expressive heart: Enrich your creativity through play, emotional expression, and deepening levels of imagination.

This workshop is informed by the work of Janice Mason Steeves, Canadian Artist, founder of Workshops in Wild Places and Author, Bloom: On Becoming An Artist Later in Life and by the book A Year in Practice: Seasonal Rituals and Prompts to Awaken Cycles of Creative Expression by Jacqueline Suskin. 

Workshop Fee and Details:

• $400 per person plus HST payable by e-transfer to jgarland@themaneintent.ca or by credit card
• Two-day workshop Saturday, October 25 and Sunday, October 26, 2025
• 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Registration Deadline: September 26, 2025
• Maximum 8 participants
• Located at 2410 Cameron Line, Indian River, ON K0L 2B0
• To register, email jgarland@themaneintent.ca

What to Bring:

• A journal, water bottle, and lunch (and your favourite art supplies)
• Closed-toed boots or shoes that you don’t mind getting muddy

About Your Facilitator:

Jennifer Garland, Registered Psychotherapist, is the Owner/Program Director of The Mane Intent, offering equine-assisted psychotherapy, health and wellness workshops, individual and team effectiveness coaching and leadership development. Jennifer Garland is also a mixed-media artist who believes in the reincarnation of found objects and images and in inviting the beauty of the natural world around us to speak for itself in colour, line, form and texture. Jennifer comes from a family of creative seekers.

Jennifer is the recipient of the 2024 Women of Impact Award from United Way Peterborough and Business Excellence Awards from Peterborough and Kawartha Chamber of Commerce.

Before her discovery of horses, Jennifer was President/Owner of The Cactus Group, a management and communications consulting business. To her equine and therapy services, she brings over 30 years of leadership experience in communications, community investment, marketing and change management supporting a variety of clients in corporate and non-profit sectors. She has provided counsel and support to senior leaders from all walks of life to create opportunities to build productive relationships, facilitate learning and to embrace change. To learn more about Jennifer’s experience, lectures, awards and publications, go here.

About the Farm:

Jennifer and her husband Chris van den Berg pursued a shared dream of owning a rural property after their two daughters left the nest. They became stewards of their beautiful farm in 2010 and are pleased to share it with visiting individuals, couples, teams, and small groups looking to explore what’s possible in connecting with horses and nature. Building on the property’s natural beauty and heritage, they’ve worked hard to create a serene place for exploration, renewal and wellness.

The farm features an in-door arena for equine-assisted experiences, century barns, a heated (and cooled) workshop space, a seven-circuit stone labyrinth, a walled- and perennial gardens, rolling fields, and a 20-acre mature forest with trails.

The farm is located in Otonabee South-Monaghan Township near Rice Lake – just a 90 minute drive northeast of Toronto. It’s nestled in the scenic Southern Ontario countryside and offers a variety of opportunities to find tranquility in the sights and sounds of nature. Not far from Peterborough, Port Hope, Campbellford or Cobourg, an extensive variety of accommodations, restaurants, tourist attractions, historic sites, and shopping are available to complement your visit.