Experienced American Equine Therapist Ansley Bevan – whose mission involves ‘Empowering the everyday equestrian’ – ran a bespoke equine therapy course in April 2024 for five guests from the US and Spain.
Hosted by the team led by Pedro and Ana, it was a week that was, by all accounts, a great success for humans and horses alike and one that we hope will become a regular fixture in the Kukutana calendar.
Set in the tranquil surroundings of Kukutana over four immersive days, Ansley taught our guests how to identify pain and discomfort in horses and demonstrated hands-on techniques designed to help to prevent injury and improve behaviour and performance. Ansley’s focus is on helping horse lovers and regular riders develop stronger connections with their horses, so an immersive, personalised retreat in the peaceful setting of Kukutana is the perfect spot.
Lifelong horse lover Ansley Bevan originally trained in massage therapy, anatomy and biomechanics and has gone on to become certified in equine bodywork and rehabilitation and is a Permitted Equine Therapist (PET).
Ansley credits her success with an approach that is “slow, patient and intuitive“, explaining: “Horses are not a one size fits all situation. Each one is unique and special. Which is why you need to learn more than one facet to truly understand and care for them“.
“The better we understand our horses, the deeper our connection with them becomes”.
Kukutana is ideally placed on many levels to host a week of equine therapy. It is a quintessentially Andalusian farmhouse (known as a cortijo), complete with whitewashed walls and cast iron window grills, located in an idyllic position on the edge of Doñana National Park. The park is one of the most important wetlands in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which offers a bewildering patchwork of immense pine forests, marshlands, shifting dunes and virgin beaches home to a huge number of birds and other wildlife.
Horses are fundamental to Spain’s – and Andalusia’s – cultural identity, inextricably linked with the country’s history and rural life and, to this day, Andalusia bursts with equestrian traditions.
The horses at Kukutana are a huge part of life here – they enjoy five star treatment and are central to the Kukutana experience; guests can explore mile after mile of one of the largest protected areas of land in Europe by horseback or horse-drawn carriage.
