New Jersey-based equine nonprofit organization The Pegasus Foundation will soon offer riders across the globe a unique and meaningful vacation experience unlike any other. The organization has announced that it will begin offering a weeklong riding vacation and equestrian getaway experience from its home base of Ringoes, New Jersey. The experience will allow guests a special chance to give back to the animals they love while they ride, reflect, and recharge far away from the distractions and stresses of everyday life.
Through this immersive weeklong getaway, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy one-on-one riding lessons with renowned horse trainer, clinician, author and Pegasus Foundation founder, Dr. Maria Katsamanis, while enjoying ample time to connect with their horses in the serene New Jersey countryside. All lessons throughout the stay will be taught in English, and local riders as well as those traveling from locations abroad including Canada, Europe, and South America are welcome and encouraged to come enjoy this one-of-a-kind immersive learning vacation. The experience is also ideal for aspiring professionals and students looking to obtain credits for certification, including instructor certifications.
Charming and comfortable accommodations at an onsite cottage will be provided at Harvest Moon Farm, and all proceeds from the retreat will go towards the nonprofit’s mission to help and rehabilitate horses with mental and physical issues that otherwise would likely be sent to slaughter. As a 501c3 New Jersey based nonprofit organization, all guest fees for the Pegasus Foundation trip will be fully tax deductible.
“This is the perfect opportunity for anyone looking for a chance to catch their breath, and to grow personally as well as in their riding,” observed Katsamanis. “Horses have so much to teach us, and being with them not only brings a great deal of joy and peace to our lives, but also helps us learn to be better humans. This experience gives us an opportunity to benefit from what horses have to share with us, but also to give back to them too, which is especially fulfilling. It’s a really fun and special way to be a part of this important mission,” explained Katsamanis.
The foundation will begin offering the unique getaways beginning in September, just in time for guests to come enjoy the cool autumn weather and breathtaking fall scenery. Through the program, guests will have the opportunity to customize their own itinerary of activities to suit their tastes, interests, and goals while working with Dr. Katsamanis to create a totally one-of-a-kind dream getaway. For guests interested in a more riding-intensive experience, they can also choose to work with Dr. Maria on specific riding goals, as well as obtain an individualized riding evaluation and lesson plan. For those interested in sightseeing, the New Jersey farm is set in an ideal location just an hour away from exciting destinations including New York City, Philadelphia, and the New Jersey coastline, offering guests a wide range of day trip activities depending on their tastes.
Guests will be welcome to bring their own horses to ride during the retreat, or they can also choose to ride one of the horses on property at the farm. Either way, they’ll surely be in for an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind equestrian experience.
“It’s so much more than just a normal ‘vacation.’ You’ll leave not only feeling renewed and more confident in your riding, but also with a keener awareness of how connected we are to our horses- and to the world. It’s not just about getting away, but about growing and learning, rediscovering your center, getting back to what’s most important to you, and bringing all of that with you when you leave,” remarked Katsamanis.
In addition to training and instructing, Dr. Katsamanis also holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and continues to maintain an appointment as Clinical Assistant Professor at Rutgers Medical School. Her background in biofeedback and psychophysiology is central to her training approach, dubbed “Molecular Equitation”, which examines the connection between horse and rider on a molecular level and focuses on improving such basic elements as balance and relaxation, muscle formation, and breathing behavior to dissipate physical blocks and facilitate communication.
Her training techniques are built upon the foundation of classic French and Greek principals, which are beneficial to riders in all disciplines. An in-depth study of the science behind Dr. Katsamanis’s approach can be found in her book, The Alchemy of Lightness: What Happens Between Horse and Rider on a Molecular Level And How It Helps Achieve the Ultimate Connection, coauthored with world-renowned horseman Dominique Barbier.
The Pegasus Foundation works to provide horses with mental and physical problems a second chance at life through compassionate training, rehabilitation, and education efforts. To learn more about The Pegasus Foundation, or to hear the stories of horses who have been helped by
The Pegasus Foundation, visit the nonprofit’s website at www.thepegasusfoundation.org or follow them on facebook. To sign up for a riding retreat through the Pegasus Foundation, contact Dr. Maria Katsamanis at mskatsamani@aol.com, or call 732-921-0565.