Thanksgiving Ranch Camp: In the Company of Horses
Is a partial scholarship for you?
We believe in making personal growth and education accessible to everyone, which is why we offer partial scholarships on a needs-aware basis for many of our programs.
These scholarships support individuals facing financial challenges, including — but not limited to — members of underrepresented communities. If financial stress might prevent you from attending a workshop, we encourage you to apply.
Partial scholarships, provided through the Association for Growth and Education, are limited to 2–3 seats per workshop and reviewed in the order received. We recommend applying as soon as possible, as scholarship decisions are typically confirmed 90–120 days before the workshop date.
Mary Hofstedt
MEA Lead Facilitator in Santa Fe
Joanna ‘Jo’ Nichols
MEA’s Santa Fe Ranch Manager
Ride out with the wranglers. Learn the rhythms of the ranch. Spend Thanksgiving somewhere wild and wide-open.
For five days, the high desert outside Santa Fe gives you plenty to do – and room to take it all in. You’ll spend time with horses, learn from the people who care for this working ranch, and find yourself paying attention in ways an ordinary week rarely asks of you.
There’s a particular pleasure in being new at something. In asking a question instead of already knowing the answer. In coming back from a ride with a story you wouldn’t have had if you’d stayed on familiar ground.
And this Thanksgiving, you don’t have to host at all. Take your place at a generous table with people who’ve shared the trails, the learning, and the laughter with you.
Come on your own or with someone you love. Leave with some great stories, new friends, and a stronger appetite for days that make you feel alive.
What you'll gain
Alongside MEA’s core curriculum, you’ll spend time with the herd and the people who care for our working ranch, with opportunities to reflect on what you’re learning about yourself along the way.
See what caring for the land takes. See how the ranch team works with animals, grazing, and soil restoration – and how much observation goes into keeping land and herd healthy.
Get past small talk. Shared rides, meals, and unfamiliar experiences give you something to talk about together – and time for more personal conversations to follow.
Practice gratitude without forcing it. With Mary’s guidance, pay closer attention to what you value here, then look for ways to carry that habit into ordinary days at home.
Enjoy being a beginner again. Learn from the wranglers, spend time with the horses and cattle, and try things you’ve never done before. Remember how satisfying it feels to get the hang of something.
Make room for awe. Take in the scale of the high desert, the movement of the herd, and the moments that make you stop mid-thought and look again.
Celebrate a different kind of Thanksgiving. Gather for a chef-prepared feast with people you’ve spent the week getting to know. Leave with a holiday memory shaped by the place, the company, and everything you tried while you were here.
This workshop
is for you if…
Meet
Mary Hofstedt
MEA’s Santa Fe Program Director & Facilitator Lead
Mary’s an experienced leader of mission-driven organizations and initiatives that benefit individuals and communities and strive to advance a more hopeful, caring, and connected world.
As a facilitator and strategic advisor, she’s coached teams and facilitated multi-year projects to transform communities, created and led training and dialogues across the country, and worked for 15+ years with research-practice bridging organizations including Challenge Success and the John W. Gardner Center, both Stanford University-affiliated research organizations.
Before joining MEA in 2024, Mary took a mid-career sabbatical to reflect on purpose, study Spanish, travel, and volunteer with whale shark research and conservation. She also serves as a Senior Advisor with Heartwise Learning, and works with both corporate and educational clients in strategic planning and values alignment. She’s thrilled to be based back in Santa Fe after a 22-year stint in the Bay Area!
Meet
Joanna ‘Jo’ Nichols
MEA’s Santa Fe Ranch Manager
Joanna Nichols is the Ranch Manager at MEA, where she leads a hands-on ranch program focused on horsemanship, regenerative practices, and meaningful guest experiences.
Her connection to horses began at age four, growing up riding, caring for animals, and competing in horse shows. She later became a collegiate tennis player and art major, with a lifelong passion for creativity.
After working as a teaching tennis professional and decorative artist in Austin, Texas – where she also built a successful 1,500-member networking community – Joanna felt called back to her roots. That path came full circle when she met her husband, a renowned horse trainer, and returned to ranch life.
At MEA, she’s built a growing program that includes cattle management, regenerative grazing, and guest experiences such as trail rides, cattle drives, and carriage rides – bringing her lifelong passions together in a purposeful way.
Supported by the Rising Circle Ranch team
T'ai Jamar Hanna
Experience Facilitator
T’ai Jamar Hanna, MS, LMT serves as MEA Santa Fe Program Coordinator and Facilitator, where she helps create communication systems, manages scheduling, and collaborates with the Director to train, support, and guide the Facilitation Team. T’ai Jamar founded Integral H ...
View BioBrad Shadle
Ranch Program & Horsemanship Lead
Brad is a lifelong horseman whose roots run deep in the traditions of the American West. Raised on a working ranch, he was horseback as soon as he could walk, learning the craft and responsibility of ranch life alongside his father. He went on to become a successful bull and bron ...
View BioOur Agenda at a Glance
Monday:
4:00 PM: Check-In / Welcome
5:30 PM: Welcome Reception, Wagon Ride to Dinner, & Dinner
7:00 PM: Orientation Session Around the Fire
Tuesday:
7:00 AM: Mind-Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Horse Care & Ground Demos
12:00 PM: Circle & Reflection
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
2:30 PM: Cattle Drive
5:30 PM: Free Time
6:30 PM: Dinner
8:00 PM: Fireside Drinks/Gathering
Wednesday:
7:00 AM: Mind-Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast / Free Time
10:00 AM: Land Regeneration Talk and/or Trail Ride
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
3:00 PM: Equine Assisted Learning
5:30 PM: Free Time
6:30 PM: Dinner
Thursday:
7:30 AM: Labyrinth & Seven- Pointed Star Walk
8:30 AM: Breakfast Free Time
10:00 AM: Morning with the Horses: Grooming, Time with the Herd, or Optional Trail Ride
11:30 AM: Gratitude Activity
12:30 PM: Light Lunch
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
2:30 PM: Classroom Time
4:30 PM: Thanksgiving Feast with the Ranch Team
6:30 PM: Dinner
7:30 PM: Live Music and Cowboy Poetry and/or Line Dancing
8:00 PM: Fire Circle & Free Time
Friday:
7:00 AM: Mind & Body
8:30 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Trail Ride
12:00 PM: Lunch & Free Time
1:15 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM: Free Time
2:30 PM: Classroom Time
5:30 PM: Closing Circle
6:30 PM: Farewell Dinner with Ranch Team & Wrangler Graduation
8:00 PM: Free Time
Saturday:
7:00 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Checkout / Departure
Step into transformation in the high desert
Rising Circle Ranch | Santa Fe, USA.
Our spectacular Santa Fe campus is located on an upscale regenerative ranch featuring traditional Pueblo architecture and nearly 2,600 acres of wildlife, hiking trails in the arroyo, and awe-inspiring beauty. Close to historic Santa Fe, an artisan’s mecca.
PLUS: Gourmet from-scratch meals, snacks, and drinks featuring locally sourced ingredients, made by our in-house chefs
Meet the horses of Rising Circle Ranch
Rising Circle Ranch spans 2,600 acres of New Mexico high desert – wide skies, rugged trails, and plenty of room to roam. During your stay, you’ll see that our horses are part of the daily rhythm of life on the ranch.
For our three-day workshops, optional guided rides are available to book on-site for an additional fee, depending on weather and ranch conditions. Led by experienced guides, these rides are open to all skill levels – from first-timers to seasoned riders.
You’ll experience highlights like:
Your workshop also includes:
A seat at the table – and one in the saddle.
For five days, you’ll learn by doing: handling a horse, following a wrangler across the high desert, hiking through arroyos, and seeing the care and attention behind this working ranch.
When you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, the people around you will be the ones who were out there with you – asking questions, trying things for the first time, and coming back with stories of their own.
Leave with more than relief that somebody else handled the turkey.
Head home with stories you couldn’t have had anywhere else – and an appetite for the kinds of days that leave you feeling energized, capable, and glad you said yes.
Book your spot today
Thanksgiving Ranch Camp: In the Company of Horses
Is a partial scholarship for you?
We believe in making personal growth and education accessible to everyone, which is why we offer partial scholarships on a needs-aware basis for many of our programs.
These scholarships support individuals facing financial challenges, including — but not limited to — members of underrepresented communities. If financial stress might prevent you from attending a workshop, we encourage you to apply.
Partial scholarships, provided through the Association for Growth and Education, are limited to 2–3 seats per workshop and reviewed in the order received. We recommend applying as soon as possible, as scholarship decisions are typically confirmed 90–120 days before the workshop date.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a workshop, a retreat, or a holiday vacation?
It’s a five-day Ranch Camp: part MEA workshop, part high-desert adventure, and part Thanksgiving gathering.
Alongside facilitated conversations and time to reflect, you’ll spend time with horses, learn from the ranch team, ride and hike across the property, see how a working ranch operates, and take part in activities that get you outside your usual routines. There is also room to rest, explore, and enjoy the ranch at your own pace—but this is not a passive ranch stay.
How physically active is the week?
Expect to be actively engaged. Ranch Camp includes horseback riding, walking or hiking on uneven high-desert terrain, time outdoors in changing late-November weather, and opportunities to try hands-on ranch activities. You do not need ranch experience or advanced athletic ability. You do need to be comfortable being a beginner, spending time outdoors, and taking part in activities that may use muscles differently than your usual routine. If you have questions about mobility, riding, or whether the experience is a good fit for you, speak with the Admissions team before enrolling.
What's included?
Your registration includes the five-day immersive program, accommodations at MEA’s Rising Circle Ranch, chef-prepared meals, snacks, and drinks, plus the workshop sessions and shared group experiences. Travel to Santa Fe and personal purchases are additional.
Do I need experience with horses or ranching?
No – and that’s the point. Most Thanksgiving Ranch Camp participants will arrive with zero experience. The willingness to be genuinely new at something is one of the most valuable things you can bring. The ranch team works with all experience levels, and every activity – from ground sessions with the horses to the cattle drive – is designed to meet you where you are.
What will Thanksgiving Day feel like at Ranch Camp?
You’ll gather for a chef-prepared holiday feast with the people you’ve been riding, hiking, learning, and sharing stories with throughout the week. There is no menu to plan, no house to prepare, and no pressure to make the day go a certain way. Instead, you’ll have a place at the table after days spent out on the ranch, with a group that already has something more interesting to talk about than the usual holiday small talk.
What should I pack?
Plan for late-November high-desert conditions: bright sun, cool mornings and evenings, and temperatures that can change quickly. Bring layers you can move in, a warm jacket, sun protection, sturdy closed-toe shoes or hiking boots, and clothing you do not mind getting dusty. The Admissions team will share a detailed packing list, including guidance for riding attire and what equipment is provided, before your arrival.
Still deciding or have questions?
Connect with our helpful team of Advisors
Our Advisors are all MEA alumni who can offer genuine insights into our programs. They’re passionate about helping you find the right fit to make your next chapter the best one.
Daniel Booz
Lucas Erie
Leslie Bartlett