Men's Support Group
The Round Pen & Fire Circle
Why Horses?
Horses don’t ask you to explain yourself. They invite you to show up as you are. Sensitive to energy, emotion, and non-verbal communication, horses reflect what we’re holding—sometimes even before we’re aware of it ourselves.
In this space, you’re not expected to talk your way through things if that’s not your style. Instead, horses help us tune into what’s happening beneath the surface—what we’re feeling, what we’re avoiding, and where we’re holding tension. You’ll have the opportunity to notice patterns, practice new ways of being, and experience relationships without judgment or agenda.
No horse experience is required.
Medicine Horse Ranch is hosting a six-week evening group to build embodied, present-moment connection with others and with ourselves. Each week, we’ll explore relational activities with horses, followed by a fire circle to integrate the experience. Join us if you are looking for a more embodied, nature-based way of connecting with yourself and other men, and if you’re ready to embrace the weather. All men age 18+ welcome– the more diverse the group, the better.
The Round Pen is an enclosed space where a horse and a human can build their relationship. Because the horse is at liberty, both creatures have choice, and can give each other honest feedback. The cornerless, small enclosure creates safe containment, but also means that neither being can fully disengage.
The Fire Circle is a flickering light in the darkness, an ancient gathering place after the work is done, meant for sharing warmth and stories that tend to the mind and the spirit.
In today’s culture, men often receive conflicting messages about how to be in a relationship, how to experience emotion, how to manage stress. Do we let it out or move on, rely on others or on ourselves, be gentle or be firm, strong or sensitive, control or surrender, be the provider or the caregiver, share our struggles or make space for others’ struggles? It’s not easy to talk about these things, so when life gets hard, it can also get lonely.
Sometimes it’s easier for men to build real connections not by sitting in a circle, but by doing a shared activity. Our two hour group will work in two parts. During the Round Pen, we will engage with horses in new activities each week that allow these themes to come to the surface. Horses are large, sensitive, social beings. They offer non-judgmental connection, and they also ask us to be clear, present and real. During our Fire Circle, we will hold space for what comes up during our horse time, and for what is coming up in our lives.
When: Tuesday's, November 4 through Tuesday, December 16
(skipping Nov. 25th for Thanksgiving)
Time: 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Cost: $180/person for the full 6-weeks (that's only $30 per session!)
Upcoming Groups
Tuesday, November 4 - Tuesday, December 16
What to expect:
Over six weeks, we will deepen with each other as the nights lengthen and days grow colder. Our final group concludes just before the winter solstice, traditionally a time of stillness and rebirth. Below is the six week flow you can expect, though we may adjust based on the interests and needs of the participants.
Week 1: Being present in the herd. We’ll get to know our horses in the indoor arena and practice techniques for being in the moment. Each week, we’ll close with a fire circle.
Week 2: Authentic stoicism. Both horses and humans tend to hide our stress and pain; we’ll practice a technique called the Masterson Method to help horses release theirs, and see what that might mean for ours.
Week 3: Leading in connection. Leadership can often be disconnecting. What’s it like to lead clearly while maintaining a connection to ourselves and others?
Week 4: Obstacles without sight. We will lead a horse through obstacles with eyes closed, using the group to help us find our way.
Week 5: The Round Pen. We will hold space for each other as each person takes a turn working with a horse one-on-one in a round pen, and learns about themselves in the process.
Week 6: Men’s Medicine Walk. We will walk the ranch in silence while leading our horses, integrating our 6 week experience and setting intentions for the coming winter.
Our work is experiential, not clinical. With guidance from a licensed therapist and support from the herd, you’ll be invited into a space that honors choice and personal pacing. Horses, as relational and intuitive beings, help us tune into what’s happening beneath the surface.
You don’t have to talk a lot. You don’t have to “fix” anything. You just have to show up.
Meet the instructor
Michael Mahoney
Michael Mahoney (LPCC) is a graduate of Naropa University in the Wilderness Therapy program. He is conversational in Spanish. Michael loves working at Medicine Horse because animals offer us a relational connection which in turn, helps us connect with ourselves and with other & important relationships in our lives.
Michael comes to this group with his own experience of being a man, but not as an expert of anyone else's experience. His intention as a facilitator is to create space for the group to touch into their own wisdom around being men.