1. sports
2. horses

" Eponaquest Costa Rica Adventure Vacation"
Facilitated by:
Shelley Rosenberg, Senior Eponaquest Faculty
Deborah Draves Legg, RN, Advanced Eponaquest Riding Focused Instructor
Hosted By:
Leaves and Lizards Arenal Volcano Cabin Retreat, Costa Rica
May 24th – 31st, 2015
What are Eponaquest workshops?
Eponaquest workshops offer participants experiences that renew strength, regain spirit, tap into our intuition
and rediscover our own inner power. The Eponaquest Costa Rica Adventure Vacation combines equine
facilitated learning, riding with exciting Costa Rica adventures.
How does it work?
Horses are ancient creatures, a species that has survived for 50 million years. As prey animals, their lives
depend upon the ability to properly and correctly assess a situation and react accordingly. Therefore they
have developed extremely heightened intuitive senses, enabling them to accurately perceive what is
happening around them and then communicate this to the rest of the herd. Hence they have the ability to
reflect back to us our internal state. When humans begin to understand this energetic interaction we learn
about ourselves from what they are reflecting back to us. They make the invisible visible, if we know how to
see it.
This multifaceted workshop combines equine assisted learning with the surreal beauty of a tropical paradise,
adrenaline pumping adventure, and nourishing farm-fresh food all in one amazing package!
Space is limited.
When is the last time you did something for the first time?
This workshop is designed to ignite the spark that makes us thrive and strive. Activities planned during this event
will push your adrenaline rush button, just enough to feel blood coursing through our veins, heart pumping in
reaction and anticipation.
Activate your potential, learn to listen to what information your body has for you, learn to use emotions as
information. Tap into your full resources.
Imagine what you could achieve with more access to your own untapped stores of personal
wisdom, direction and authentic power?
In the workshop your facilitators will guide you through practical exercises and experiential learning designed to:
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Discover where your intuition lives
Reconnect with your internal power
Become comfortable using your own personal power
Re-Define confidence and your direction in life
Recognise the blocks that keep you from acting on your intuition
Find your Authentic Self (the real you, rather than the conditioned you)
Learn how accessing your Authentic Self sets your moral compass
Learn how to set healthy boundaries to protect your intuition/intention
Develop methods to refine your leadership abilities and relationships in all areas of your life
Experiential learning is a powerful way of creating sustainable change. Rather than working with words and
thoughts (which we often forget or cannot translate easily into new situations), it enables you to tap into an
experience (and associated feelings) when you want to re-create something in other areas of your life that you’ve
learned from this experience. Experiential learning, is just that, an experience. It is a solid memory of an action
that provoked a reaction internally or externally. It connects our logic with our intuition.
Workshop Itinerary
(Please be well rested for the start of the workshop. It is recommended to come in the
night before)
Day 1 (May 24th, 2015)
 Morning: Arrival by 11 am
 Midday: Welcoming Lunch and Introductions
 Afternoon: Horse Selection/Partnering
 Later Afternoon: Spa Evaluation and Recommendations
Days 2 - 7
 Ride to a beautiful River and swim with your horse in the river.
 Ride to a waterfall in the rainforest
 Rodeo Day
 Ziplines
 Cano Negro Jungle River trip
 Obstacle Course
 Ride at the base of the Arenal Volcano
Day 8 (May 31st, 2015)
 Morning: Breakfast
 Departure: If you schedule your departing flight today, it should leave no
earlier than 1pm
Workshop Facilitators
Shelley Rosenberg has had a 38 year career as a dressage rider, competed for the long-list on the U.S. Olympic
equestrian team and is a professional horse trainer. In addition, she is a United States Dressage Federation (USDF)
“L” judge, and certified USDF instructor. She served as President of the Tucson Dressage Club and ran her own
professional Dressage Center in Oro Valley, AZ for 18 years. She moved on to become Ranch Manager in 2005 for
Linda Kohanov, author of ‘The Tao of Equus: A Woman’s Journey of Healing and Transformation through the Way of
the Horse’ (New World Library 2007) and founder of Eponaquest.
Shelley’s first book, ‘My Horses, My Healers’ (AuthorHouse 2006), is her personal story of childhood sexual abuse
and trauma. Through the healing power of horses, Shelley transforms her experience into a protocol for self -healing
through the way of the Horse.
At Eponaquest from the beginning and as one of Eponaquest’s Senior faculty, Shelley’s innovative, multifaceted
approach has supported the evolution of Equine Experiential Learning. Shelley integrated riding with Eponaquest
ground activities elevating the Eponaquest process to a new level, and in 2013 Eponaquest officially added her
riding program to the Eponaquest foundation. She conducts Eponaques t Apprenticeships and workshops.
Deborah Draves Legg left her life in the USA and a 25 year career as a registered nurse in 2006 and created Leaves
and Lizards Arenal Volcano Cabin Retreat in Costa Rica with her husband Steve Legg. Horses found their way into
Debbie’s life serendipitously after the move to Costa Rica. Little by little as the herd grew to 20 plus horses so have
the equine programs and Leaves and Lizards is now the Eponaquest headquarters of Central America. As an RN and
an Advanced Riding Focused Eponaquest Instructor, Debbie is able to bring insight and wisdom to hotel guests,
local therapy clients and workshop participants in the glorious shadow of the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica.
What to Expect Beyond the Life-Changing Epona Experience!
There is a popular framework in sociology research, psychology and management training called “Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs”.
It suggests that if basic needs (Food, Water, Shelter) are already met then humans are able to focus on their secondary needs
(Relationships, Learning). In this way when needs are being met and we move up Maslow’s hierarchy, we have the capacity to
reach the highest level of human fulfillment which he calls “Self Actualization”.
In the friendly, nourishing, beautiful and safe environment of Leaves and Lizards, your basic needs will be more than met,
allowing you to concentrate on gaining the full benefit of the workshop.
The Horses: The Costa Rican horses, Costarricense de Paso also known as Criollo, are a combination of several Spanish horses
and the Peruvian Stepping Horse. This magical combination has created horses with a smooth, comfortable gait. The spirit of the
Costa Rican horses will touch your soul. They are fearless, sure footed, hardworking and extremely versatile.
The horses at Leaves and Lizards are cared for and trained using natural horsemanship techniques. We offer a variety of horses
to choose from and cater for all riding abilities. The riding style is Western.
The Riding: You will interact with the horses both on the ground and in the saddle. Riding will include various terrains including
open pastures, rainforests, river crossings, spectacular volcano views with opportunities to experience tropical flora and fauna .
Spa Services: Treatments may include: therapeutic, deep, hot rock massages, fascia release, paraffin treatments, volcanic mud
wraps, reflexology, chakra balancing and more. Evaluation and 4 hours of spa service are included in the rate.
Nutrition/Lodging: You will enjoy farm fresh foods. We offer low carbohydrate, vegetarian, gluten free, vegan meal options. We
produce our own eggs, chickens, milk products and many fruits and vegetables. Cabins are well equipped with private
bathrooms, hot showers, comfortable beds, fine linen, Coffee makers, microwaves all with amazing views of jungle and the
volcano. There is WiFi at the one-site Lava Lizard Restaurant.
Guide Services: Horseback trips will be professionally guided by a bilingual naturalist guide. Spot monkeys, birds, sloths and learn
about the flora and fauna of Costa Rica.
Fees include: accommodations, guide services, riding, spa services activities as
described, meals and workshop tuition.
$3400/person for double occupancy (space is limited)
Not included: Airport transfers and tips.
Go to www.leavesandlizards.com for more information on rooms and meals.
Extra nights available, there is much to see and do in the area. It is
recommended that you arrive May 23rd to be well rested for the start of the
workshop on May 24th. The special nightly rate for a cabin is $150/night plus
13% tax and includes breakfast / double occupancy.
Recent Participant Testimonial:
I live in a corporate world, in the city, where it is incredibly hard to keep your head in touch with your heart. That reconnection
is what the Eponaquest experience enables, plus so much more.
The other words I must use here are Authentic Community - such a rare thing to find these days - which the incredible leaders
Shelley, Debbie and Nancy created together with the horses. Trust, mutual respect, understanding, support and connection
follow such authenticity. Fun and laughter do too of course! What a huge relief and weight off my shoulders to be in this
authentic environment and to be free to be me. And accepted just the way I am.
That is truly a rare gift and I wish everyone had the chance to experience it.
When my horse, Beauty, picked me (yes I was selected by my horse rather than the other way around!) it was an incredibly
moving experience. To know that this beautiful, powerful, noble animal actually wanted to work with me was like being given a
precious gift of trust, connection and validation. The understanding, unconditional love and support she gave me throughout
the whole workshop was the most moving experience of my life - all the more so as it was freely and willingly given, with no
expectation of anything in return.
She also taught me some tough life lessons: to stand in my own power (in fact to be aware of where and what my power and life
force is in the first place), to maintain boundaries, to know when I am being true to myself.....a horse (so I have learned) will
react like a mirror to your energy and to where your attention and thoughts are. As she is a horse, I really couldn't blame her
reactions to me and what I was doing on anyone else, or use any other typical human excuses - which meant I didn't get away
with anything as she called me out immediately with her reaction, so I learned about myself and my impact on others
extraordinarily fast.
I have done many personal development, team building and leadership exercises in a corporate or business school setting and
can honestly say that nothing is a patch on this. Talk about fast-track to self-awareness, clarity and truth!
The horses are extraordinarily genuine, compassionate and giving - their interaction with me brought out feelings I had not
expected to surface and I worked through blocks and identified barriers I didn't even know were there. Working with the horses
in the group dynamic was also a fascinating mirror to how I show up in other life situations.
Horses really do give you what you need, rather than what you think you want. This is their most powerful lesson as so often
we focus on what we think we want and ignore what we actually really need to grow. So we end up just surviving, rather than
thriving. That was a big lesson for me.
With all my basic needs being met at Leaves and Lizards (actually more than met with blissful comfort, fabulous food, inclusi ve,
genuinely friendly atmosphere and ooh! the spa treatments, let alone the views and the volcano!) I was in such a wonderful safe
and nourishing place, leaving me free to experience, explore and learn from a totally different perspective.
All I can say is what an opportunity and what an enriching, empowering and life-changing experience! The whole group (a
diverse mix, many with little or no horse experience) felt the same.
If you are at all interested in learning, positive growth, action and solutions, to feel that you are moving forward, to find clarity
and identify things swiftly, to expose and examine your real truth and how you show up in the world, all in an authentic, nonthreatening, supportive and quite literally heart-warming place then this experience is a must for you.
Authenticity is hard to find, I found it here.
To register contact Deborah at Leaves and Lizards Arenal Volcano Cabin Retreat
[email protected]
Call: 1-888-828-9245 OR 1-866-860-7613 for more information.
A 50% deposit is required to secure your place in the workshop. The remainder is due 60 days before the event.
We can offer a refund for Cancellations > 60 days before the event, less a 20% processing fee. Cancellations < 60
day we cannot offer a refund.