Experiential Learning with Horses
and Nature
• LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE
• TEAM PERFORMANCE
• ORGANIZATIONAL SPIRIT
• PERSONAL DISCOVERY
See our Video Page
- How Horses Can Teach Human Communication
- TEDxAkron: Live Like a Horse: Innovation Inspired by Nature
Inspirational Speaking
Ask Jackie to speak at your event.
Workshops & Retreats
for Personal Discovery & Professional Development
"There is a quiet light that shines in every heart. It is what illuminates our minds to see beauty, our desire to seek possibility, and our hearts to love life" --John O’Donohue
Nestled in the natural beauty of Novelty, Ohio, Pebble Ledge Ranch offers a sanctuary where you can explore life’s most precious questions and embrace your most authentic, lovable self. Surrounded by the majesty of nature and our gentle, wise herd of horses, our retreats and coaching sessions provide a unique opportunity for personal growth, reflection, and rejuvenation.
Experience Transformation at Pebble Ledge Ranch
Whether you are seeking clarity, healing, or a deeper connection with yourself and others, our retreats are designed to support your journey. Through guided coaching sessions, interactive activities with our horses, and time spent peaceful outdoors, you will find space to breathe, reflect, release stress and realign with your true path.
For Teams and Leaders: We invite you to bring your team to Pebble Ledge Ranch for an immersive experience designed to enhance relationships, boost leadership skills, and improve team performance. Our tailored sessions draw upon the present strengths of your team, guiding you all toward a shared vision of success and a desired future. Through equine-assisted learning and thoughtful coaching, your team will cultivate trust, communication, and collaboration in a way that is both impactful and memorable.
Discover the profound wisdom that nature and our horses have to offer. Join us for a retreat or a customized coaching session, and step into a space of growth, connection, and renewal. We can’t wait to welcome you to Pebble Ledge Ranch.
Call of the Wild
Spring retreat with Nature
April 26, 9am - 4pm
Pebble Ledge Ranch, Novelty, Ohio
The Wild is alive in all of us Let her out to play
“All good things are wild and free” Henry David Thoreau
An inner journey, vision quest and woman's retreat in winter wonderland
Listen for the call of the springtime wild and awakening your Dreams
Gather your deep feminine instinct, free horse spirit, wildish and wolfish nature and love of the natural world. We will follow the snowy trails through the forest uncovering our natural primitive self step by step. Gathering in a tribal circle around a warm fire we will share stories and wisdom
The river calls us to be heard, the earth longs for our footsteps to hold the souls of our feet, the trees & rocks have secrets to tell us, the fire holds healing warmth for our bones & the wind inspiration for our spirit. Exploring our dreams within nature's wisdom.
Connecting through nature to your wilderness spirit, inner nature and natural being
- Discover quiet moments in nature and spend peaceful time
- Join a herd of six wise horses and ponies
- Sit by a campfire or listen to the creek to reflect, dream and vision
- Stretch your body and self perception walking or climbing
- Dwell beneath 350 million year old ledges & 1.1 billion year old crystals
- In the rebirth of spring enjoy the simple luxury of slowing down.
- Awaken through body intelligence and energetic awareness
Moving with the rhythm of spring beauty, timelessness and ceremonial space, and listening deeply within we will create the energetic field to support each other’s wisdom, healing and instinctual natures.
Location: Pebble Ledge Ranch, Novelty, Ohio
Bring your lunch
Registration: Open to a circle of 20 women. To register for your place in the circle or for more information contact Jackie at jacalynstevenson@gmail.com.
Fee: $135
The land is about 80 acres and is surrounded by 500 acres of Geauga Park land and the Geauga Rookery. The Chagrin River wanders along and through the forest of the east boundary offering beautiful places to dwell by the water and to splash about on warm days. The west boundary is guarded by a Hemlock forest and old Canadian Glacial Rock and ledge formations and millions of 1.1 billion year old quartz pebbles...hence the name Pebble Ledge. On the north boundary is a three acre natural bog with amazing lily pads, water birds, turtles and many other primordial critters of the bog. The south boundary is living space for people and horses. The 20 acre rolling pasture is home to the herd of 7 remarkable horses and one courageous zebra, which live freely, joyfully and at peace.
We will wander through the forest above the beautiful ancient grandfather and grandmother ledges. Many sacred and ceremonial sites have revealed themselves and welcome us to learn from them.
Wisdom Gathering: Let Your Life Speak and Be There To Listen
Co-sponsored by the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland and Spirit of Leadership
In-Person workshop
Saturday, May 3, 2025 - 9:00am-5:00pm EST
Location: Pebble Ledge Ranch, 9796 Cedar Road, Novelty, OH 44072
Fee: $225
Continuing Education:6 Core/1 Resource Dev: CCEs - GPCC™ and ICF Core Competencies6.5 hours: CEs (counseling, social work psychologists)
Faculty: Jackie Stevenson, MSSA, LISW, BCC, GPCC™
Enter into the sacred silent realm of nature, where we can hear ourselves think and listen within for what most wants to be heard. We will create a field of dreams surrounded by a herd of gentle horses where you can gather the wisdom of your inner nature and dream your world into being.
Integrating a Gestalt and a Transformational Presence approach, ICF coaching guidelines and ancient Indigenous practices, nature’s teachings and our inner knowing, we will gather collective wisdom and listen for our life to speak.
This highly experiential workshop is for all who want to enhance their professional skills and to expand their approach in guiding clients through challenges and into opportunities.
In this workshop, participants will increase their understanding and practice:
- Expanding your capacity and the capacity of your clients to invite your life to speak and be there to listen to what life wants rather than what you think your life wants.
- Deepening your understanding of a Gestalt approach to change cycle of experience: sensation and awareness; mobilization and relational contact; and integration and assimilation through the lens of embodied presence and body intelligence.
- Enhancing self-awareness of professional presence and relational alliance, to support the awareness of the client of their presence and how it impacts their life and to positively shift the experience of your life and the people in it.
- Applying ICF and clinical competencies within in a Gestalt and transformational presence approach and embodied presence to expand professional coaching practice and competency.
- Strengthening your awareness and ability to be present, resilient, and ability to be a compassionate presence during chaos, stress, and uncertainty guided by horses and nature; and
- Drawing from the work of Alan Seale, Parker Palmer, and Gestalt and ICF principles.
No horse riding - this is about respectful trustworthy relationships.We will be outside in nature; and in protected outdoor and indoor spaces.
Dreaming our Life -
Tending to Our Dreams
A Retreat Guided by Horses, Nature, and Your Dreams
Dream your world into being
Sunday May 4, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Horses and nature guide us into dreamtime, both in sleep and waking visions, as a source of remembering, visioning and healing.
Horses, attuned to energy and presence, invite us into deeper intuition, revealing what lies beyond our waking minds. Nature, with its rhythms, reminds us that dreams are woven into our becoming.
Dreams whisper from childhood, speak through the present, and beckon from the future. What we dream of and long for reveals what already lives within us and what truly matters in our lives.
Awaken the Power of Your Living Dreams
Experience in the dream world expands the awareness of our life journey. The challenge is not that we have too few dreams or visions but in moving them to our awareness and recognizing which ones to cherish, follow and bring to action.
Facilitators:Jackie Stevenson, Lourdes Kepner, and the Spirit of Leadership Herd and Team.
Wisdom of Life Well Lived
A retreat Guided by Horses, Nature, and your own inner Wisdom
Join a circle of adults, all ages, for a transformative day to honor the past, celebrate the present, and step fully into the future.
Embrace the beauty of a life well lived through nature, connection, and self-discovery.
May 18, 2025, Time 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Pebble Ledge Ranch, 9796 Cedar Rd., Novelty Ohio
Guided by Jackie Stevenson, Jody Wainer & the Spirit of Leadership Team & Herd
Fee: $135
Horses and all nature hold the wisdom of the ages, living harmoniously within the natural cycle of the seasons.
During this retreat, you will be held by the embrace of Mother Nature as you explore your life questions and your stories through timeless folktales
A day of simply being, playing with horses in the pasture, chatting around the campfire, strolling through the forest, resting, and reflecting in the ancient rock ledges, and sharing sacred knowledge:
- Thinking less and feeling more
- Worrying less and trusting more
- Releasing stress and calming more
- Letting go and laughing more
Join a Joyful Journey inspired by folktales that offer us wisdom and guidance to our life’s most important questions as we:
- Awaken Dreams Forgotten
- Release Fears Unfounded
- Deepen Instinct and Intuition
- Explore How to Simply Be Your Self
We invite you to a day of joy, wisdom, and renewal.
Step into the natural rhythm of life with grace and gratitude.
- Jackie Stevenson is the founder and CEO of Spirit of Leadership Services LLC, offering coaching, leadership, & team-building retreats guided by horses & nature.
- Jody Wainer is a Licensed Independent Social Worker and Jungian analyst with a passion for sharing the benefits of Jungian thought and how it enriches everyday life.
For registration or information contact Jackie at jacalynstevenson@gmail.com
Cultivating Connection in a Community of Work
Building Stronger Bonds and Inspiring Collaboration
A Retreat Guided by Nature, Horses, and Meaningful dialogue
June 6, 2025, 8:45am to 4pm
Pebble Ledge Ranch, Novelty Ohio
Facilitated by Jackie Stevenson, Leslie Yerkes, and the Herd
Fee: $250, $200 for teams of three or more, per person (Lunch is included)
A connected community of work fosters collaboration, enhances productivity, and nurtures a positive work environment. When employees feel connected to their colleagues, they are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and committed to their organization's goals. Connections lead to better teamwork, improved communication, and a sense of well-being and belonging, all of which are crucial for a harmonious and productive work environment.
Join us to explore and experience strategies and practices that can help cultivate meaningful connections ensuring that the workplace is not just a place of work, but a thriving community where everyone feels valued and supported.
There is no horse riding: the horseplay is relational & takes place on the ground.
TAKE AWAYS
Open Communication and Active Deep Listening
Encourage participants to share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns without fear of judgment, creating an environment where all feel heard and valued.
Team Building
Team building activities strengthen bonds among employees creating opportunities to interact in a relaxed and informal setting, fostering trust and camaraderie.
Promote Inclusivity and Diversity
A diverse and inclusive workplace fosters a sense of belonging and connection among all employees, where all employees feel respected and valued.
Navigate Challenges in Building Connection
While cultivating connection in a community of work is essential, it is not without its challenges. Recognizing and addressing these challenges is crucial for success.
Remote Work and Virtual Connections
The rise of remote work has made it more challenging to build connections learn strategies to strengthen and maintain a sense of connection among remote employees.
Balance Professional and Personal Boundaries
Developing and supporting boundaries helps maintain a healthy and respectful work environment.
We are ready for the changing moods of Mother Nature with indoor and outdoor spaces to engage safely with the horses and for moments of team reflection and dialogue.
Be prepared to be safe, discover something meaningful & have fun
Find the herd within your team where everyone belongs, everyone is essential, and everyone matters.
How horses teach communication - CWRU https://youtu.be/bVoxFqh_ZHM
Reawaken, Reset, Reimagine
A Retreat Guided by Horses, Nature, Gentle Yoga and Inner Wisdom
Saturday JUNE 7, 8:45 am - 3:30 pm
Pebble Ledge Ranch 9796 Cedar Rd Novelty, Ohio
Fee: $135
Guided by Jackie Stevenson, Janice Hanrahan & Spirit of Leadership Herd
For registration or information contact Jackie at jacalynstevenson@gmail.com
Join us for a day of mindful movement, meaningful moments, and a touch of magic as we immerse ourselves in embodied practice, playful interaction with horses, and the healing beauty of nature.
This retreat offers a unique opportunity to connect deeply with your body, mind, and spirit.
Guided by nature, horses, and your own inner wisdom, this retreat provides a safe and supportive space to quiet the noise of daily life. Let go of irrelevant inner chatter and listen to the whisper of your own truth. Experience the gifts of inner peace, mindful focus, embodied presence, and spiritual awareness.
Join us on a journey to reawaken, reset, and reimagine—a path toward harmony and the nurturing of human kindness.
Slow Down & Be Present: Embrace a slower pace to become more fully aware of the present moment.
Mindful Walking: Move through nature at the speed you’d like to live your life, savoring each step.
Forest Wandering: Discover the path of your life’s journey surrounded by the wisdom of the woods.
Practice Being, Not Doing: Deepen your connection to yourself and others through mindful stillness.
Explore Breath & Air: Engage with the elements—breath, wind, and sky—to nurture calm and clarity.
Fire Ceremony: Participate in a release and reclaim ritual, igniting your passion and creativity.
Water's Healing Energy: Flow with water's energy, inviting healing and well-being.
Medicine Wheel Balance: Rebalance body, mind, emotions, and spirit through Native American traditions.
Balance in Relationships: Find the harmony between giving and receiving, bringing more joy and fulfillment into your life.
Reawaken, Reset, Reimagine: Transform stress, anxiety, and trauma in your nervous system into lasting patterns of calm and well-being.
This is not about horse riding but about building a meaningful relationship with the horses and yourself. Whether you are new to yoga or have never been near a horse, this retreat is for everyone. No prior yoga or horse experience needed.
For registration or information contact Jackie at jacalynstevenson@gmail.com
Journeying Around the
Medicine Wheel Retreat
Renew, Revitalize, and Recreate the Sacred Within Nature's Realm of Spring Magnificence, Magic, & Mystery
Sunday June 8, 2025 9:00-4:30
Pebble Ledge Ranch, Novelty Ohio
Join us at Pebble Ledge Ranch in Novelty Ohio, surrounded by the majesty of nature, our majestic herd of horses, and the wisdom of three Medicine Wheels to explore your life's most precious questions, to discover your part in service of a better world and to simply be your most loveable self.
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world…In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart." --Anne Frank
- Journey around the medicine wheel, interact with horses in their herd and engage with nature providing a lived experience to build on strengths, face challenge with courage and compassion and experience the connection and interconnection of living systems of which we are an integral part.
- Create your own "traveling" medicine wheel with stones from the land.
- Learn about The Medicine Wheel or deepen your relationship with the Medicine Wheel.
The Medicine Wheel or the Circle of Life, as it is sometimes called, is central to the tradition of most indigenous peoples. Although specific aspects of the medicine wheel vary from tribe to tribe and culture to culture, the intrinsic meaning is shared. The Medicine Wheel represents the circle of life and carries wisdom from many perspectives to inform and bless our daily journey through life.
The Medicine Wheel is both a sacred representation of life's journey and a practical system for maintaining balance and direction for the individual, the family and community.
The Medicine Wheel is a map of discovery, balance, and healing. The wheel offers an integral map of the physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual realms.
The term medicine refers to one's wisdom, personal power, essence, and unique spark of the divine... To learn about, walk or pray the Wheel is to approach life from divergent perspectives and to integrate the wisdom and truth from each in our pursuit of wholeness.
There is no horse riding...the horseplay is an opportunity to learn more about you. The interrelated four directions in the circle of the Medicine Wheel and the four forces of nature each offer us spiritual teachings and practical life lessons inviting intuition and inner wisdom and an awareness of our place of belonging in the family of life.
Fee: $135
Contact Jackie for information or to register for this retreat.
We are prepared for the changing moods of Mother Nature with indoor and outdoor spaces to engage safely with the horses and for moments of team reflection and dialogue.
Journey around the medicine wheel, listen within to the wisdom of horses and nature and attune with grace to your true nature and imagine living life in peace.
Guided by Jackie and Herb Stevenson and the herd.
Welcome to Wolf Creek: Medicine Woman Ways
Join us in creating a community of inspired women—supporting each other’s intuition, healing gifts, visions, and life purpose.
September 26, 4:00pm - September 28, 2:00 pm
Pebble Ledge Ranch, Novelty Ohio 44072
To reconnect with who we are, we may need to step off the sidewalk onto a winding dirt path, trading the walls of our homes for the untamed wild of the forest. Here, nature speaks—leaves scatter, branches break, trees fall, and new life takes root in fertile soil.
Held by the earth, surrounded by trees, and guided by the song of the stream, we will explore our inner nature, listen to our calling, and step forward as conscious caretakers of the sacred.
A time of simply being, playing with horses in the pasture, chatting around the campfire, strolling through the forest, resting, and reflecting in the ancient rock ledges, and sharing sacred knowledge:
- Thinking less and feeling more
- Worrying less and trusting more
- Releasing stress and calming more
- Letting go and laughing more
We gather to share our stories, traditions, passions, creativity, and wisdom—both known and yet to be discovered.
As a diverse community of women, we honor our roles as sisters, healers, and leaders—learning from the past, embracing the present, and shaping the future.
Together, we seek balance between life’s demands and our personal desires, reclaiming what we’ve lost and celebrating all we have to offer.
Expect inspiration, transformation, and the unexpected as we illuminate the brilliance of our collective wisdom. Together, we will:
- Explore and honor the wisdom and mysteries of our feminine rhythms, cycles, and consciousness—challenging reality and expanding possibility.
- Awaken vitality, creativity, and power through ceremony, vision quests, drumming, and dreaming.
- Deepen our connection to our physical, emotional, and spiritual bodies through nature-inspired body and energy work.
- Learn the healing art of ritual and ceremony to enrich everyday life.
- Prepare for the challenge of radiance—expanding our capacity to be a healing presence for Mother Earth and future generations.
- Embrace intimacy and relationships as "love in action," cultivating conscious connections with family, friends, community, and all living beings.
Fee: $295, includes simple meals with vegetarian options
We will camp in the forest. You can bring your tent or sleep in our yurt.
Some scholarships are available, no one will be excluded because of finances.
At Wolf Creek, We Will Learn From nature, horses and our inner nature:
- A relationship of wisdom, respect, and generosity—toward ourselves and one another.
- The tenderness in our hearts and the compassion in our souls.
- The deep memory held in our bones and the primal instincts within the wilderness of our spirit.
- Nature’s beauty, life pulse, energy, and the expression of spiritual consciousness.
- The natural way of the herd—grounded, calm, and resilient—reflected in the presence of horses.
- Spirit, wonder, magic, and mystery, as we embody the gifts and resources already within us.
JACKIE STEVENSON is founder and CEO of Spirit of Leadership. She is a therapist and coach incorporating bodywork, energy work, spiritual practice and relationship with nature and horses into her practice. She teaches at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland and at Case Western Reserve University. She is author of "Someday We'll Live like Horses: authentic Presence in Leadership and Life"
Jackie has been actively studying medicine women ways with Brooke Medicine Eagle, other indigenous teachers and healing journeys via the Foundation of Shamanic Studies.
For information or to register contact Jackie at jacalynstevenson@gmail.com
Embodied Presence and Body Intelligence: A Gestalt approach to Coming to Your Senses
A workshop Guided by Nature and Horses
Co-Sponsored by the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland and Spirit of Leadership Services LLC
Saturday, October 4, 2025 9am - 4:30pm
Spirit of Leadership LLC,
Pebble Ledge Ranch, 9796 Cedar Road,
Novelty, OH, 44072
Faculty: Jackie Stevenson, MSSA, LISW, BCC, GPCC™
Join a herd of horses within the wonder of nature deepening your understanding of your embodied presence and tapping into the resource of your body intelligence to be more aware of self and others and to expand your range of compassion, resiliency and inner knowing. This highly experiential workshop integrates a Gestalt approach to embodied awareness as we “come to our senses” to better navigate challenge and change and to collectively create a better world for all.
Embodied Presence is the capacity to literally use your senses, to experience your physical self, not simply your thoughts about yourself. It is intelligence, along side of cognitive intelligence and emotional intelligence that provides you with a clearer awareness of your inner and outer world.
Embodied Presence is the ability to live and function more fully as an embodied being by physically sensing, registering and managing inner experience and outer experience in relation to the surrounding world so as to have greater awareness, range and choice.
Being an embodied presence as a leader, coach, facilitator, manager or educator or simply your loveable self offers you expanded perspectives and possibilities.
In this workshop, participants will increase their understanding and practice:
- Deepen your understanding of a Gestalt approach to change cycle of experience: sensation and awareness, mobilization and relational contact, and integration and assimilation through the lens of embodied presence and body intelligence
- Learn embodied practices to access body intelligence and embodied presence for self awareness and to support the awareness of the client
- Apply ICF competencies within in a Gestalt approach and embodied presence to expand professional coaching practice and competency
- Strengthen your awareness and ability to be present, resilient and ability to be an embodied compassionate presence during chaos, stress and uncertainty guided by horses and nature
No horse riding--this is about respectful trustworthy relationship.
We practice safe physical distancing, masks required, small group gathering, we will be outside in nature.
Continuing Education (CE):
- 5 GPCCTM; CCEs
- 5 Core Competency ICF CCEs Fee: $275 (early bird fee: $200) Social work, counselors and psychologist CEU's
To register registrar@gestaltcleveland.org or call 216-421-0468. For more information contact Jackie at jacalynstevenson@gmail.com
Journeying Around the
Medicine Wheel Retreat
Releasing and Embracing Change Within Natures Realm of Autumn’s Magnificence, Magic, & Mysteryy
Sunday, October 5, 2025 9:00-4:30
Pebble Ledge Ranch, Novelty Ohio
Join us at Pebble Ledge Ranch in Novelty Ohio, surrounded by the majesty of nature, our majestic herd of horses, and the wisdom of three Medicine Wheels to explore your life's most precious questions, to discover your part in service of a better world and to simply be your most loveable self.
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world…In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart."
--Anne Frank
- Journey around the medicine wheel, interact with horses in their herd and engage with nature providing a lived experience to build on strengths, face challenge with courage and compassion and experience the connection and interconnection of living systems of which we are an integral part.
- Create your own "traveling" medicine wheel with stones from the land.
- Learn about The Medicine Wheel or deepen your relationship to the Medicine Wheel.
The Medicine Wheel or the Circle of Life, as it is sometimes called, is central to the tradition of most indigenous peoples. Although specific aspects of the medicine wheel vary from tribe to tribe and culture to culture, the intrinsic meaning is shared. The Medicine Wheel represents the circle of life and carries wisdom from many perspectives to inform and bless our daily journey through life.
The Medicine Wheel is both a sacred representation of life's journey and a practical system for maintaining balance and direction for the individual, the family and community.
The Medicine Wheel is a map of discovery, balance, and healing. The wheel offers an integral map of the physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual realms.
The term medicine refers to one's wisdom, personal power, essence, and unique spark of the divine... To learn about, walk or pray the Wheel is to approach life from divergent perspectives and to integrate the wisdom and truth from each in our pursuit of wholeness.
There is no horse riding...the horseplay is an opportunity to learn more about you. The interrelated four directions in the circle of the Medicine Wheel and the four forces of nature each offer us spiritual teachings and practical life lessons inviting intuition and inner wisdom and an awareness of our place of belonging in the family of life.
Fee: $135
Contact Jackie for information or to register for this retreat.
We are prepared for the changing moods of Mother Nature with indoor and outdoor spaces to engage safely with the horses and for moments of team reflection and dialogue.
Journey around the medicine wheel, listen within to the wisdom of horses and nature and attune with grace to your true nature and imagine living life in peace.
Guided by Jackie and Herb Stevenson and the herd.
Experiential Learning with Horses Professional Practitioner Certificate Program
Developing Human Potential for Positive Change for the Future of Humanity and All Life
October 8-12, 2025
Pebble Ledge Ranch Novelty, Ohio 44072
Guided by Jackie Stevenson and the Pebble Ledge herd
This professional certificate program is designed for
- People interested in integrating and facilitating relational work with horses in their careers and personal lives
- People interested in strengthening personal mastery in their professional practice and personal lives by engaging with horses
- People interested in expanding their coaching capacities; client centered active listening, quality connection, embodied language, collaboration, flexibility, grounded mindful presence, inclusion, and awareness of the field by engaging with horses and their herd. You will learn and practiceBoard Certified Coaching (BCC )and International Coaching Federation (ICF) competencies.
Join the adventure with your fellow horse and human herd members for the Experiential Learning with Horses 2024 program. It is an honor, privilege, and responsibility to engage with horses and to support and guide people in their personal and professional learning, skill building and growth through experiential learning with horses and nature and coaching competence.
The Courage to Live Beyond Human Trafficking
With Horses and Nature as Your Guides
Retreat for women who are survivors of sex trafficking and taking back their life
Sponsored by the Renee Jones Empowerment Center & The Spirit of Leadership
Join our herd of brave-hearted horses at Pebble Ledge Ranch where “everyone belongs, everyone is essential, everyone matters, and everyone is treasured.”
October 18, 2025, 9:00-3:30
Pebble Ledge Ranch, Novelty in Northeast Cleveland, Ohio
The focus of the “Take Back Your Life: The Courage to Live Beyond Human Trafficking Retreat is to strengthen empowerment, self-care, and loving relationship for those with the courage to break the human trafficking cycle and the commitment to get their lives back on track.
We will explore:
- Moving beyond trauma and returning to a sense of safety
- Developing positive self-esteem, self-compassion and self-care
- Learning to establish healthy boundaries and safe relationships and to make good decisions
- Experiencing empowerment through faith, resiliency and optimism
- Daring to dream about a positive future
Horses, for generations, have carried us upon their backs, taking us farther and carrying us faster than we could travel alone. Today, horses can guide us to find our way in life. They challenge us to move beyond our previous limitations and forward to be our best self. Horses have an amazing ability to understand our true emotions, offer a unique perspective and reflect back to us what we most need to know.
Guided by Jackie Stevenson and the spirit of leadership team, horse herd, and nature
For registration contact Renee Jones at the Renee Jones Empowerment Center rjones@rjecempower.org.
Our promise is that you will have a safe, meaningful and fun experience.
There is no horse riding and all the horseplay takes place on the ground
Nature soothes the soul and is an abundant source of creative and healing energy. Within the sacred power of nature and the compassionate heart of the horse familiar patterns are often challenged and resources untapped become available. Nature expands our capacity for focus, intention, and integration to help ourselves and others embody the gifts of self empowerment, self healing, &self care.
Woman's Call of the Wild
An Inner Journey, Vision Quest
and Fall Retreat in Nature
Sunday, October 19, 2025, 9am - 3:30pm
Pebble Ledge Ranch, Novelty, Ohio
Have you been hearing the call of the wild?
Have you been dreaming and awakening to inner knowing?
Gather your deep feminine instinct, free horse spirit, wildish and wolfish nature and love of the natural world. We will follow the trails through the forest uncovering our natural primitive self step by step. Gathering in a tribal circle we will share care and wisdom
The river calls us to be heard, the earth longs for our footsteps to hold the souls of our feet, the trees and rocks have secrets to tell us, the fire holds healing warmth for our bones and the wind inspiration for our spirit. Explore the beauty of your changing seasons.
Moving with the rhythm of timelessness and ceremonial space, listening deeply within we will create the energetic field to support each other's wisdom and instinctual natures.
Connecting through nature to your wilderness spirit, inner nature and natural being
- Discover quiet moments in nature and spend peaceful time
- oin a herd of seven wise horses and one courageous zebra
- Sit by a campfire or listen to the creek to reflect, dream and vision
- Stretch your body and self perception walking or climbing
- Dwell beneath 350 million year old ledges & 1.1 billion year old crystals
- Nap underneath a tree and enjoy the simple luxury of slowing down
- Awaken through body intelligence and energetic awareness
- Sleep on the earth; under the stars, in the forest yurt or cottage
- Expand your authentic presence and life design through ceremony
- Explore the simple questions: Who am I? How am I to be? What is my unique purpose? If not now when?
Location: Pebble Ledge Ranch, Novelty, Ohio
The land is about 80 acres and is surrounded by 500 acres of Geauga Park land and the Geauga Rookery. The Chagrin River wanders along and through the forest of the east boundary offering beautiful places to dwell by the water and to splash about on warm days. The west boundary is guarded by a Hemlock forest and old Canadian Glacial Rock and ledge formations and millions of 1.1 billion year old quartz pebbles...hence the name Pebble Ledge. On the north boundary is a three acre natural bog with amazing lily pads, water birds, turtles and many other primordial critters of the bog. The south boundary is living space for people and horses. The 20 acre rolling pasture is home to the herd of 7 remarkable horses and one courageous zebra, which live freely, joyfully and at peace.
We will wander in the forest above the beautiful ancient grandfather and grandmother ledges. Many sacred and ceremonial sites have revealed themselves and welcome us to learn from them.
Registration: Open to a circle of 20 women. To register for your place in the circle or for more information contact Jackie at jacalynstevenson@gmail.com.
Fee: $135
Touching and Being Touched by Men's Hearts:
A Retreat Welcoming Everyone
Guided by Horses and Nature, and Compassionate, Courageous, Honest Personal Reflection and Dialogue.
Awakening, unlocking, and touching hearts is a delicate process of coming alive. Promoting a felt sense and culture that respects diversity, enhances quality of life, and preserves human dignity.
Wednesday October 22, 2025, 8:45am - 2:00 pm
Facilitated by Jackie Stevenson, Eric FitzMedrud & the spirit of leadership herd
Pebble Ledge Ranch, Novelty, Ohio 44072
For registration or information contact Jackie at jacalynstevenson@gmail.com
Fee: $ 195 (lunch included)
Be prepared to be safe, discover something meaningful & have fun
There is no horse riding: horseplay is relational & takes place on the ground
We are ready for the changing moods of Mother Nature with indoor and outdoor spaces to engage safely with the horses & for moments of reflection and dialogue.
With deep appreciation to Leslie Yerkes, Catalyst Consulting Group, Inc for inspiring and supporting this retreat
Join us as we walk through the beauty of the hemlock forest, warm and share our hearts in the glow of the campfire, learn from the calm, clear, compassionate presence of the horses and co-create a safe and sacred space to be present.
- Discover quiet moments in nature and spend peaceful time in heartfelt reflection on who you are and what you have to offer
- Dwell beneath 350-million-year-old ledges & 1.1-billion-year-old crystals appreciating the deep resonance that comes when we sit in silence over issues of deep significance.
- Explore the flow of clear, compassionate, courageous relationships and how it affects every aspect of life through respect, trust, and love
- Understand the role of emotions in relationships as we touch and are touched by men's hearts
- Being part of our herd where everyone belongs, everyone is essential, everyone matters listening through the heart of the horse to a place of deep connection
- Strengthen your authentic embodied presence to prepare for touching & being touched by men's hearts
Eric FitzMedrud, MA, PhD, is a psychologist and coach who specializes in relationships and sexuality. He is also the author of the multi-award-winning book. The Better Man: A Guide to Consent, Stronger Relationships, and Hotter Sex. He helps people connect by facing uncomfortable truths, aligning with reality, and becoming more peaceful.
Individual sessions with Eric available March 19 following the retreat.
Jackie Stevenson, MSSA LISW, BCC, is a coach & therapist integrating horses, nature, and embodied presence in work with individuals, couples, teams, and organizations. She is CEO of Spirit of Leadership Services and author of the book Someday We’ll Live Like Horses: Authentic Presence in Leadership and Life.
Personal and Professional Retreats at Pebble Ledge Ranch
Visit Personal or Professional Retreats at Pebble Ledge Ranch to learn more.