Reimagining leadershiplessons from the herd
Fifteen acres in the Santa Monica Mountains
We believe some of the most meaningful learning happens when we step outside familiar ways of doing things. At Equine Therapy Malibu, we bring together therapeutic expertise, embodied practice, leadership development, and the unique intelligence of the horse-human relationship to create experiences that challenge assumptions and open new possibilities for how we learn, lead, and connect.
Our approach is grounded in trauma-informed practice and informed by emerging research, but it isn’t confined to a classroom or a prescribed method. Through bespoke experiences and guided work with horses, we invite people to slow down, pay attention, and explore what becomes possible when we approach leadership and relationship from a different perspective.
How it began
Rose Mary & Sophie
What is now an extensive practice at Shakti Ranch began with a determined Founder and her horse. Long before there was a ranch or a business, there was Sophie, Rose Mary’s first horse. Wise, compassionate, and deeply headstrong, the chestnut mare pulled Rose Mary towards something deeper. What began as companionship became a calling the intensity of which neither of them expected. As Rose Mary transitioned from running the Equine Therapy program at Save a Warrior, the two of them came together to found Equine Therapy Malibu and build Shakti Ranch together.
Rose Mary and Sophie found their first private clients at boarding facilities and ranches scattered across Malibu, offering equine assisted learning sessions. Sophie mirrored, guided, and regulated clients, and Rose Mary honed her skillsets working largely alongside military veterans and first responders, people who understood, better than most, what it means to trust and work seamlessly within a team. That early work left its mark, and it’s still there in how Rose Mary thinks about teams today: that true teamwork begins much deeper than words can reach.
As the practice grew, so did the herd. Frankie arrived first, then Cash, each widening what was possible in a session. In 2025, the ranch found its permanent home, fifteen acres in the Santa Monica Mountains, room enough for the horses to roam and the practice to grow into itself. Abe joined not long after, completing the herd as it stands today.
Meet the herdThe herd
The Shakti Ranch Herd
SophieThe Lead MareThe ranch's cofounder. A highly attuned, empowered, and sensitive mare with a gift for taking in others' energy and returning it grounded and calm.
CashThe Straight ShooterSharp and expressive, with a no BS attitude and a knack for identifying exactly what needs to be drawn out in a session.
FrankieThe IcebreakerSmallest in size, gentle, and sweet. Always eager to connect with new people.
AbeThe Steady OneQuietly confident and deeply grounded, a steadying presence for groups that come in running hot.
“Equine therapy works because it creates a safe emotional connection with another sentient being. Horses are not tools, but active participants and partners in the work. Because they hold zero judgement, they help participants build trust in themselves and each other and act boldly from that place of trust.”
The place
Shakti Ranch
Our property’s name, “Shakti,” means feminine wisdom, an energy that honors equal partnership and moves in cycles and seasons rather than straight lines. The land exemplifies that rhythm, and so does the work done here.
- WinterSoft, ethereal fog blankets the ranch
- SpringGreenery and wildflowers sprinkle the hillsides
- SummerBright light and warm energy envelop the paddock
- FallGolden California tones illuminate the property
How we work
Power with, not power over
At the heart of Equine Therapy Malibu is a simple idea: that meaningful change happens through practicing new patterns in safe relationships. To create such safety in relationship at Shakti Ranch, we approach horses not as tools or mystical entities, but as wise partners. Horses bring an extraordinary sensitivity to emotion and relationship, while humans bring capacities for reflection, language, and abstract thought, a complementarity that creates a unique opportunity to learn and work together as equals. Rose Mary’s early work with Sophie was the bedrock for this exploration centered on connection, curiosity, and power with rather than power over or power under, and her philosophy continues to shape how we work today.
Whether working with corporate groups, therapeutic teams, or 1:1 clients, our staff brings together emerging research, therapeutic practice, and embodied experience, always upholding the horses as partners and co-facilitators. Research gives us a foundation for understanding how humans learn, relate, and adapt; therapeutic practice keeps that knowledge grounded in the complexity of real people and real relationships; and working with horses gives us an immediate, embodied way to explore those ideas without story or judgement. Here, theory meets the real world: where ideas can be felt, tested, and experienced in relationship.
Opportunities
Ways to work with us
EAL Certification
The path to facilitating this work yourself, taught at the ranch alongside the herd. Level 1 is the way in, and Level 2 is the certification. Read about the certification.
Clinician Trainings
For therapists and clinicians who want to bring horses into a practice they already have. Read about the trainings.
Working at the ranch
If you want to do this work with us, write and say so. We read everything that comes in. Get in touch.
The ranch as a location
Fifteen acres in the Santa Monica Mountains, available for filming and for gatherings that suit it. Ask about the ranch.
Dance of the Wild: The Journey Home
An award-winning documentary by Chance Foreman. Featuring our founder Rose Mary Riggs, the film explores the sacred bond between humans and wild horses. It’s a fitting companion to the work at Shakti Ranch, built on the same core belief that horses are sentient partners whose wisdom holds real power for human healing and growth.
As seen in
Equine Therapy Malibu
We bring together therapeutic expertise, embodied practice, and the intelligence of the horse-human relationship to reimagine the ways humans learn, lead, and connect.
From a single horse-human partnership to a vibrant herd, a team of facilitators, and a range of trainings and experiences. At every stage, the goal remains the same: to create meaningful opportunities for people to deepen awareness, strengthen relationships, and discover new ways of learning, leading, and connecting.
