Melinda Starr

STARR HORSE RETREATS

Horse Healing Retreats

And Beyond the Saddle Holistic Clicker Training Program

Our retreats teach holistic healing modalities surrounding mindful living and respecting the planet. We learn about equine behavior and psychology, and how those concepts can be applied to our mental and emotional skills. We bring the medicine of nature back to the people.

Horse Healing Retreat

Our three-night Horse Healing Retreat allows guests to work closely with the horses' shamanic abilities to rewrite their narratives, clear blockages, and experience ancillary healing modalities. In addition to equine interaction, we offer daily yoga, a traditional Mayan sweat lodge, sound healing, a cacao ceremony, and a flower bath for energetic integration.

At Starr Horse Retreats, we honor the horse spirit and ask permission for the experience of getting on the backs of horses, and we always express gratitude for the privilege. Our sanctuary upholds the horse as healer, creating space for them to share their medicine and awaken the human heart.

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Beyond the Saddle: 30-Day Holistic Clicker Training Program

Beyond the Saddle is not just a training — it’s a transformation.

This four-week, hands-on program is rooted in the art of holistic clicker training, where positive reinforcement replaces pressure, and communication is based on mutual trust. Here, we don’t dominate horses — we listen to them. We co-create a learning space where humans unlearn old paradigms, and horses are empowered to show up as partners, not tools.

When horses are no longer in survival mode — when they have freedom, safety, and connection — they return to their natural role as healers. And it’s in this state that real magic happens. Our participants often come to teach the horses… but discover the horses are teaching them.

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Melinda Starr

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Melinda Starr, owner and founder of Starr Horse Retreats, is dedicated to equine-assisted healing and education using positive reinforcement (R+) ridership techniques. She works in stewardship with the horses advocating for their needs and care and works with humans through the horses.

"I grew up in rural Illinois, where we rode barefoot and bareback all over the country roads and into small towns. That culture differs from equestrian barns, which are typical for competitive sports. I've heard many stories from kids who wanted to be with horses in these barns and were told to whip the horses harder, show them who the boss was, use their spurs, etc. It breaks the hearts of the young riders as well as the horse. So, we aim to show people that there is a different way to be with horses — in both training and healing capacities."

Melinda opens a safe container with the horses to help people heal genetic memories of trauma and fear encoded deep in their ancestral history. She is driven to build a new paradigm that honors Mother Earth and all of her inhabitants.

Mission Statement

Starr Horse Retreats is a sacred sanctuary where horse enthusiasts, starseeds, and awakened individuals from all walks of life come together to open to their divine purpose, rediscover their soul family, and embrace their unique gifts.

Guided by the celestial wisdom of horses—sacred healers, shamans, and profound mirrors of higher consciousness—we provide transformative healing retreats, holistic clicker training programs, and equine-assisted education. Our bitless approach to training and ridership honors the innate needs of horses and their ability to guide humans toward trust, forgiveness, and emotional intelligence.

We create a nurturing space for deep healing and spiritual growth through innovative modalities such as free liberty meditation, sound healing, sacred Temazcal, yoga, intuitive animal communication, Reiki, constellation exercises, and flower or ice baths. Together, we explore the wisdom of horses as partners in awakening consciousness and healing humanity.

At Starr Horse Retreats, co-creation is our way of being. We cultivate a community and movement rooted in love, harmony, and infinite possibilities, weaving a new paradigm for humanity and Gaia. By empowering participants to embrace their full potential, healing ripples out to the collective, extending far beyond our sanctuary and creating a brighter future for all.

Meet the Horse Teachers

Our teachers and healers are the horses themselves. Our herd of 17 equines came to Starr Horse Retreats to help change the world during this transition of the ages. They honor their role and look forward to working with our Holistic Clicker Training Program and Horse Healing Retreats participants.