2026 is the year of the horse in the Chinese zodiac. So it seemed like a good time to revisit the question: what exactly is Cowgirl Yoga? 

Yoga and horses were not a thing when I first pursued this dream almost 20 years ago. Now, there are lots of places where you can practice yoga and ride horses – but I believe we are unique in the way that we combine the two.

I call it the mind-body-horse connection. 

At the beginning, we talked about creating horse-human connection, and connecting what we practiced on the yoga mat to our time with the horses. This still holds true, but has been refined. Because along the way, I started to notice that the most powerful mind-body-horse connections happened out of the saddle. 

We started to use the round pen – a circle, like a sacred mandala, where the energy flows and doesn’t get stuck in corners – to show women how being tuned in to their own energy could develop their connection to a horse. Just as we move energy while practicing yoga, we can also move energy while being with a horse. The horses noticed. They liked it. They responded on an energetic level. And the humans? They felt wonder, joy, release, freedom. Feelings that flow, that don’t get caught in corners. (Equine coaching in the round pen is an integral part of our Dude Ranch Cowgirl Yoga retreat in Montana.) 

Horses + Mindfulness 

Last year, we launched a new program on our Cowgirl Yoga Argentina retreat that was a deep dive into horses and mindfulness. We took things out of the round pen, but still on the ground, with the horses. We elaborated on the original idea behind CY, that there is a strong connection between how practicing yoga helps us be more present and mindful, and how this creates connection to horses. Yoga helps us be in the moment; horses are already there. So they are the best mindfulness teachers we could have. 

Back in the Saddle

If we tap into how to be mindful around horses before we get on their backs, this state of mind will show up back in the saddle, too. Creating connection and feeling more comfortable with your equine partner is a different choice than just showing up and launching yourself onto his back. And yoga doesn’t just open your hips to make riding more comfortable; it opens your heart to the possibilities of this horse-human partnership. We just go through the motions in so many parts of our lives; the gift is finding ways to undo that and truly tune in to what we are participating in. Which would you prefer, just getting on or authentically partnering with your horse? Think of him as your “moving yoga mat”. 

My favorite t-shirt says: Unicorn Wrangler. I love this idea for Cowgirl Yoga. The unicorns being both horses and humans, who are willing to open themselves to creating horse-human connection. And I have the privilege of facilitating that. As I mentioned: horses are already there. We just need to follow suit. 

So how will you celebrate the year of the fire horse, that symbolizes energy, passion and transformation? Sounds like a great year to come on our Dude Ranch Cowgirl Yoga retreat and explore the mind-body-horse connection firsthand. Book soon, we’re filling up fast. 

Yeehaw & Namaste.