The moment that Divina, Rocky and Luciano came to live with Charlotte and me on our land, we suddenly had 5 horses. And that's a lot...
When I just adopted Flame in 2013 with no experience with horses, the only thing I did with him was taking him out on walks. To places with grass because my little plot of land had no grass whatsoever. I was afraid of him; so big, although only 2.5 years old, and so strong. He wasn't used to humans and I wasn't used to horses. So i took him on walks to places with grass and watched him eat, for hours, in the hope that he would be full at one point, but he was never. Later i learned that they eat about 18 hours per day ;-) so i've spend a lot of time just being and watching him.
So when we had to find a way to create some income to buy hay etc for 5 horses, i remembered my beautiful times I shared with Flame, just wandering through the fields. So we came up with the 2 hour horsewalks. We advertised a bit and Airbnb opened up the Experiences so we attracted a lot of people. Also because Rocky and Luciano were only one month old and little foals attract a lot of people. It was a success.
But we wanted to take it further, especially Charlotte. 7 day journeys she wanted to do, though the vast terrains of the Costa Vicentina. I was a bit reluctant; 7 days, pppfff. Walking? oei. So i managed to bring it down to 5, which turned out to be enough to change participants State of Being. It was wild. Finding spots to legally put up our camps with tents, finding routes through the vast area we were exploring. Most tracks not accessible by car. Rivers, fallen trees, heat, sweat, yes it was hilarious. But we found the route of our first journey.
Our first journey we didn't had the weather gods on our side. The support truck to bring the tents, food and luggage got stuck in the mud on a hill and when we freed it, it slides sideways of the hill. Stuck again. So that costed one whole day of preparation while next day we would start. We dropped water bottles strategically along the route and found places to rest, nothing was not thought of.
We wanted it as primitive, pure and simple as possible. Cooking on the spot on a fire, no showers, and sleeping in small tents in the field where we kept the horses. That was not the smartest idea. One subtle touch of the hoof while you lay there in this small tent. So next morning we broke up camp and moved it outside of the horse area.
We learned a lot that journey, what to do and what not.
But we wanted to get more participants. The first journeys were basically filled with friends and volunteers ;-) so we approached Happiness magazine. And guess what; their photographer and journalist were in Portugal and they were very into it. So we organised a journey for them and we went. The journey was a big success. All went very well but they both made incredible shifts in their being and afterwards they changed their lives according to the insights they received on that journey. And that was massive. The photographer told us later that she did courses, retreats and healings her whole life, but this journey had more impact on her then all those experiences together.
So it got busy. More then 200 responded on the article and wanted to join a journey too ... but ... Covid kicked in. Travel restrictions etc. But was worse, we got so aware of the dangers and side effects and the shedding of the vaccine on others, we only allowed unvaccinated people. And for the shorter walks, people had to wear gloves and only then they could touch the horses etc. It was a drama. So we did only a few journeys and that was it. It bled dead and Charlotte left.
So, the last years it were only the 2 hour walks that kept me occupied and i relaxed in the vaccine issue. Not that it's all not true, on the contrary, but would i really live in insolation and not see anybody or not live a life in connection, while the horses are such a great tool to connect and to heal? No. So i eased up and everybody is welcome.
March 2025 suddenly emails poured in. People read the article in the German Happiness and wanted to join. I had no idea and they didn't tell me about the publication. The first requests i denied. I didn't do the journeys anymore. After Charlotte left i tried to work with different people but it didn't work. But an angel made me rethink it and then it was a big yes. This time Charu and Tamy stand by my side and they will lift you to your next level.
They journeys are a bit different this time, not as in the magazines. We can't use certain campsites any more and access to the beach is forbidden. And maybe for the better. Before we went within an hour with the participants on our journey with just a short intro from me. Now we take the first day to integrate with the horses and ourselves on our new 8 hectare land. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th we are walking and the 5th day is all about integration. No stress, not to long walks, just bliss. I like it better like this.
So, this was a long needed little update about the evolution of the journeys and i hope that you will join one of them.
Looking forward to walk with you, Sakshin.