The Seat of Presence

Free the Seat. Clear the Mind.

A 5-Day 6 night Immersive Classical Riding & Wellness Retreat in Portugal

Join us for an intimate retreat at Lusitano Heritage, where the Lusitano horse becomes both your mirror and your muse. This programme blends world-class classical riding with mind-body integration practices to help you soften the seat, free old patterns, and rediscover joy in the saddle.

10 small-group riding lessons (1:2 coach ratio) on well-schooled Lusitano horses

• Daily wellness sessions with Ian Lopez: breathwork, tai chi, journaling, and confidence practices

• Your own personal journal an take away plan

• 6 nights at an Ericeira Hotel

• 5 organic lunches plus daily refreshments

• Transfers between hotel,

• Last night dinner

Wellness Guide

This retreat is co-led with Ian Lopez, Tai Chi and Qigong teacher, wellness strategist, and board-certified health coach. With roots in the Yang-style Tai Chi form and the lineage of Professor Cheng Man-ch’ing, Ian brings decades of experience in mindful movement, nutrition, and breathwork. His teaching focuses on song — deep relaxation that unlocks strength, softness, and resilience — helping riders connect more deeply to themselves and their horses.

Sample Itinerary

• Day 0 – Arrive in the Body: Welcome Grounding breathwork, sensory walk

• Day 1 – Soften the Seat: Tai chi, balance-focused riding, journaling, Bodywork, riding

• Day 2 – Ride the Rhythm: Flow in the saddle, bodywork and nutrition talk, riding

• Day 3– Nourish the Core: Stability and receptivity, gratitude lunch, building muscle, riding

• Day 4 – Integrate & Absorb: breathwork final rides in presence, synthesis, reflection

• Day 5 – The Seat I Carry Home: Breathwork, final rides, celebration dinner

A master of classical dressage and 35 equestrian practice with 25 of those years- veteran of the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, Nuno is known for his calm precision and sharp eye. His teaching helps riders find harmony, balance, and lightness with the Lusitano.

Founder of Lusitano Heritage, Teresa blends her deep equestrian knowledge with warmth and vision. She ensures every retreat is more than a holiday — it’s a soulful immersion in Portugal’s equestrian culture.

*When i was young I loved watching the masters in the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art (EPAE) I would stay for hours

It was transformative, those memories are still so alive in my mind. Today, I practise many methods I saw"

"I'll never forget my teachers. Masters such as -

Dr. Guilherme Borba, D. José de Atayde, Dr. Filipe Graciosa,

Mestre Luis Valenca, António Borba Monteiro.

Nuno Palma Santos and many others they all gave me so much."

"They were all students of Mestre Nuno Oliveira.

But, through years of experience each one has developed different techniques to achieve results"

"I would watch Dr.Borba working in hand, he was brilliant.

He could ask a horse to perform a new exercise like piaffe and the horse perform in a moment. Dr Borba would immediately say that's enough. When I asked him how he did it so quickly he would tell me this isn't quick at all! It took many many years to reach this point of understanding"

"The classical way of riding is my the chosen path.

However, I see good in all paths it is simple really it just takes kindness and understanding. Even though I competed as a young lad, I was never really comfortable in the competition environment where everyone is against each other, lam not competative.