Eleonore & Peter Mott

Wellness, healing, and therapy are all top search words that have drastically increased in search engines, for people who have an interest in what they can do for their health, wellbeing, and how to deal with any traumas, especially since the last two years of the pandemic.

We had the opportunity to explore what a week in Jamaica with the focus on exactly these key things means, as we chat with Peter & Eleonore Mott, who operates Villa Exodus Retreat in Runaway Bay, which exclusively offers Jamaica’s first Villa with equestrian retreats.

Tell us how this came about and what is an equestrian retreat?

I’ve been riding since I was a child. Being around horses always had a grounding and harmonic role in my life in more ways than I, as a child, originally realized. Growing up with various hardships and trauma during my childhood was challenging and being around horses on a weekly basis, fine-tuned me and enabled me to focus, improve my confidence, and helped build my self-esteem. It was literally a form of weekly therapy that enabled me to concentrate and keep my focus which has led me into living my dream lifestyle today, owning and caring for a herd of horses. We now offer equestrian retreats to people from near and far, because it works for everyone and you will feel better, calmer, experience a unique and spiritual connection between you and the horse and we are happy to be the first Villa in Jamaica to do so. Our equestrian retreats include an array of riding experiences such as mountain trail rides, peaceful scenic view trails, and swimming with horses in the turquoise Caribbean Sea. We curate a combination of these equestrian experiences blended with our signature wellness services and products such as botanical outdoor flower baths & massage treatments, yoga, meditation, and holistic & personalized live it as we prefer to call our food, rather than diet, as it’s supposed to give you more life through nourishment, as well as some fun traditional Jamaican excursions included such as a waterfalls visit, healing fire waters, yacht rides and more.

How does this equestrian therapy work exactly? Equine therapy is an experiential treatment method that works through using the connection between people and horses to enhance one’s physical and/or emotional healing. Different forms of equine therapy may be used depending on the client’s needs.

There are several forms of equine-related therapy and treatment. These include:

Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP)

Therapeutic Riding

Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) focuses on those with mental or substance use disorders, cognitive issues, and other disorders. While still a form of “talk” therapy, EAP allows clients to use multiple senses while identifying and processing emotional issues. The outdoor environment and use of animals lend a unique, positive dimension to the experience. During each session, clients may ride or otherwise work with horses while a mental health professional helps the individual process certain emotions. Participants usually learn all aspects of horse care, including grooming, saddling, and riding.

Therapeutic Riding is considered an Equine-Assisted Activity, rather than Equine Therapy, and has proven effective in helping children heal from trauma, as well as improve confidence and self-esteem.

What conditions can be treated with these forms of therapy? Research shows EAP and Equine-Assisted Activities are appropriate therapeutic approaches for children, teens, adults, families, and

groups. Some conditions or disorders that respond well to EAP & equine-assisted therapies include:

Substance Use Disorders Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, Stress Trauma Eating Disorders Behavior Disorders Traumatic Brain Injury Dementia Learning Challenges ADD/ADHD Autism, Asperger’s Down Syndrome

What types of guests come to stay at your Villa? Everyone is welcome! It could be guests who are curious about horses and want to experience Jamaica, it could also be experienced riders who want to experience Jamaica from the horseback by doing a variety of riding experiences on the island. We are also here for guests who may already be in some form of therapy. We offer a supplemental addition with our equestrian retreat inclusions, based on the needs and wishes of each group. You can find some examples of our packages on our IG page @equestrianretreat.

What could a typical week of staying at your Villa look like? To curate the perfect week for each group that comes to stay with us, an over the phone Villa consultation is always held in advance, to establish the guests’ specific needs, riding/interacting with horses experience level, who their health care professionals are if necessary, and their overall wishes.

A 7-day stay starts with a welcome tour of the property, during which you get an introduction to the staff servicing you and the horses that you will be interacting with.

A specialized meal plan is carefully preplanned with our farm-to-table initiative, mainly organic fruits, vegetables & meats, freshly made healthy juices every day, and more. The first breakfast includes traditional American cuisine, followed by a popular Jamaican dish for lunch and one of our specialties for supper.

During the day, we will be riding on the beach, in the areas around the Villa, or up in the mountains. While out on our rides and being one with nature, we give our guests the opportunity and the space to focus on repeating their mantras and visualizing the manifestation of their goals, dreams, or healing. While riding thru botanical gardens, farms, and forestry where the oxygen is clean and crisp, it becomes easy to understand why we call the retreat magical.

To further the bliss we incorporate yoga, our signature wellness treatments & products and for those who are cannabis or psychedelic mushroom enthusiasts, we offer a special menu for that incl. botanical bath soaks, various edibles, a variety of Bud Bags and Shroom Bags as well as sessions led by a professional therapist. Our guests leave us feeling rejuvenated, relaxed, and happy as our horses help their healing process thru their senses working magic on us. It reminds me of a quote from the author Henry Beston in his book “ The Outermost House” from 1928 - “For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear”.

How do we find you to book a stay or find out more? We are listed on Airbnb as Equestrian Dream & SPA/luxury/budfriendly, www.airbnb.com/h/equestriandream Our Instagram page is @equestriandreamvilla and we welcome inquiries through there.