Nestldown Therapeutic Riding Center

Nestldown Therapeutic Riding Center is located just ten minutes past Los Gatos, CA in the Santa Cruz Mountains. We are a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that provides horseback riding lessons to anyone interested in the strong and reciprocal bond between horses and people. We focus on the relationship between horses and those with disabilities, at risk youth, and veterans. We accept all experience levels and horseback riding is not required. Please contact us for more information and to set up a lesson.

RIDING LESSONS
Our lessons provide personalized attention to each client that will connect you with a horse through hands on horse care, grooming, and riding activities. We craft each lesson to the needs of the student and their personal goals.

• Individual Riding Lesson (30 minutes) $50
• Individual Riding Lesson (50 minutes) $75
• Two Person Riding Lesson (50 minutes) $110

HOOVES ON THE GROUND
This groundwork lesson is geared for clients who are not ready to start riding but would like individualized instruction focused on behavior, safety, horse care, grooming, and relationship building. This is a great option for those who cannot ride independently and would still like to have time with horses. All ages and abilities are welcome!

• Individual Groundwork Lesson (50 minutes) $60

TINY HOOVES
This groundwork lesson is geared for children ages 3-5 years old to introduce them to our miniature horses through petting, grooming, and painting.

• Individual Groundwork Lesson (30 minutes) $45

EQUUS COACHING
Equus Coaching is an experiential process of self-discovery through partnering with a horse and an Equus Coach.  The process is achieved through hands on interactions and exercises on the ground (no riding).  The horse reflects your way of showing up in the moment.  The Equus Coach translates the non-verbal language of the horse through inquiries which will assist the client in connecting to their own deeper awareness.
Horses physiologically calm our nervous systems.  The horse speaks to the body while the Coach speaks to the mind.  This creates a balanced alignment between our mind-body connection.
Many benefits include a sense of calm, clarity, trust, boundary setting, leadership, connection (to self and others), patterns, as well as how present we are in each moment.

• Individual Session (First time=1 hour) $145
  Meet and Greet with Coach and animals.  First time horse interactions take place along the fence-lines.
• Individual Session (After first time session=1 hour) $165
  After Meet and Greet, client and horse interactions take place in arena or round pen.
• Two People – Shared Session (2 hours) $275

LIFE COACHING
A Life Coach assists people with “Life” circumstances.  Sometimes we find ourselves with issues that may not require a therapist, and our friends or family can’t quite help us.  A Life Coach has the training that fits between therapy and friends. The sessions take place outdoors in nature’s office, where we will chat about your specific life topics that you would like assistance with and create solutions that feel realistic and doable for you.

• Individual Session  (1 hour) $145

ADULT MEDITATION
Meditation provides a practice of quieting the mind and bringing our awareness back to ourselves.  There are many ways to meditate. We offer monthly meditations where we start with a meditative walk through nature and then transition to a seated, guided meditation.

• Adult Group Meditations, 1 hour (ages 12+) $35 per person

KIDS MEDITATION
Teaching mindfulness practices to children assists them in being in touch with their body and mind connection. Children do not yet have the emotional language to express feelings so we will be guiding them through breathing techniques, mindful movements, and relaxation exercises.

• Kids Group Meditations, 45 mins (ages 5-11) $35 per person

DECOMPRESS FROM STRESS PROGRAM
The Decompress from Stress Program offers a field-trip style visit for small groups of participants that are feeling challenged by life circumstances.  We created this program to address the needs brought on by the pandemic such as isolation, grief, stress, depression, anxiety, illness, care-giving, and mental exhaustion.  Our staff will take your group on an outdoor experience through nature, along redwood lined paths, past koi ponds, blooming gardens, a fairy cottage, pastures, and into the riding center where you will meet our dogs, goats, and horses of all sizes. Some of the many benefits of being in nature and around horses include calming of the nervous system, mindfulness, relaxation, confidence building, connection, feeling peaceful and reset.

• Youth Groups ages 8-17 (4-15 participants) 2 Hours =$25 per person
• Adult Groups ages 18+ (4-15 participants) 2 Hours=$40 per person

SPECIAL EVENTS – CELEBRATIONS – FIELD TRIPS
We can create a special visit for your company, school, family, or friends to suit your interest.  Whether it be a meet and greet with the resident animals or painting a horse, we offer many different activities for a fun time together.  We will work with you to co-create a unique experience!

We look forward to serving the community and sharing the magic of horses with you. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to set up a tour of our center.

We will be hosting two weeks of summer camps this year. Students ages 5-16 are welcome to join us this year