Reflect & Restore — A Summer Day Retreat with Horses

Slow down. Breathe. Let the horses show you the way.

Reflect & Restore is a full-day summer retreat at Eat Sleep Ride, a 24-acre off-grid, solar-powered charity site on the Berwickshire coast, just off the A1 between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Eyemouth. The land itself is a story of second chances: a reclaimed former landfill site, rebuilt by volunteers into wildflower meadows, wildlife ponds, a sensory garden and growing spaces, overlooking the North Sea — and home to a herd of 18 rescued and rehabilitated horses. There is no mains electricity here, no traffic noise, no rush. Just sea air, birdsong, and a herd that has all the time in the world.

Your day
You'll arrive from 10:00 to welcome tea by the fire and an introduction to the land, the herd and the people you'll spend the day with. At 10:30, Amy Christie leads a gentle hour of yoga in the yurt or outdoors — suitable for complete beginners through to regular practitioners, with mats, blankets and props all provided. It's a soft landing into the day: unhurried, grounding, and shaped around whoever is in the room.
Then comes the heart of the day: reflective horsework among our rescued herd. Every horse at Eat Sleep Ride has a story — many came from neglect, injury, or lives that had simply ended — and each has been given a second chance on land that's been given one too. Working with them on the ground (no riding, and no horse experience needed), you'll learn to read their body language, slow your own pace to meet theirs, and practise simply being present. Horses live entirely in the moment and respond to who we are, not who we say we are — they notice what we carry before we've said a word, and they hold no judgement about any of it. As prey animals, they survive by reading energy and intention with extraordinary accuracy, which makes them remarkable, honest mirrors. People often tell us this hour shows them something about themselves that nothing else has.

The sessions are led by ESR founder Danielle McKinnon, a licensed TeachingHorse™ practitioner with over two decades of equine experience, whose approach is rooted in trust, patience and shared leadership rather than control. She's joined by a guest facilitator on each date: Midi Fairgrieve of Awakening Through Horses on 26 July, and Loretta Windsor-Mackenzie of Greentree Wellbeing on 16 August. Each date has its own character, so plenty of guests come to both.
At 13:00 we sit down together for a seasonal farm-to-fork lunch made on site, much of it grown in our own community garden and polytunnel — with time to talk, or not. All dietary requirements are happily catered for with advance notice.
The afternoon runs in small groups of six, swapping halfway so everyone experiences both sessions: deeper, quieter time with the horses in an intimate group, and a hands-on terrarium workshop with Myriam of My Mini Terrariums, where you'll build three miniature glass-jar ecosystems with live plants and moss — three little living worlds to take home in a cotton gift bag, and a daily reminder of the day long after it ends. We close together with a quiet circle around the fire and a last goodbye to the herd, and you'll be away by 16:30.

Who this day is for
Anyone who needs to stop for a day. People who love horses, and people who've never touched one. Friends, mothers/fathers and daughters, solo travellers, anyone marking a change or simply running on empty. There's no riding, no fitness requirement, and nothing you have to share — the day asks nothing of you except that you show up.

Where your money goes
Eat Sleep Ride is a registered Scottish charity, and every booking directly funds our work with young people, women and communities across the Scottish Borders. In 2025 alone we supported over 400 regular participants, including 144 children under 14, young carers, people with disabilities and families experiencing hardship — through trauma-informed youth work, women's empowerment programmes, free sessions for autistic children and their siblings, refugee community days and accredited youth awards. When you book this retreat, you're not just buying a day for yourself — you're funding one for someone who couldn't otherwise have it.

The practical bits
Full Day £155 per person (early bird £140) · Morning Pass £110 (yoga, horsework and lunch). Just 12 places per date. Each retreat runs with a minimum of 6 guests — if we don't reach 6 two weeks beforehand, you'll be offered a free transfer or full refund. Ages 12+ (under-16s accompanied by an adult). The site is wheelchair accessible, with hard paths to the garden and viewing areas — call us to chat through any access needs. Wear comfortable clothes and sturdy shoes, and bring layers; wellies and outer layers are available to borrow. Teas, coffee and refreshments are provided all day.
Find us at Quarry Farm, Lamberton, TD15 1XB — directly off the A1, five miles north of Berwick-upon-Tweed, one hour from Edinburgh and 80 minutes from Newcastle. By train: Berwick-upon-Tweed station on the East Coast Main Line, with taxis available.
To book: danielle@eatsleeprides.org · 07516 360 235