Herd & Earth grew from my lifelong love of horses and my own healing journey.

I'm Rebecca Woolford and I’ve been drawn to horses for as long as I can remember. My mum's earliest memory of me? Running up with no fear to the world's largest horse, a Shire who made it into the Guinness World Records.

On my 4th birthday, she hired a horse called Smartie for the day. That's me in the first photo there (scroll down). I cried when I was told Smartie was going home and wouldn't be living in my back garden :).

My mum recognised this wasn't just a phase, and my parents worked incredibly hard to make horses possible for me in my teenage years. Despite the cost and effort, they made sure I could be around them.

Nothing felt better than galloping through forests with my younger sister, especially during the hard times at school. Horses were where I could breathe, feel safe, and express my true self.

But somewhere along the way, I strayed from them. I travelled alone to the other side of the world on a ‘Gap Year’, then later leaned into the fast-paced corporate world, where I contracted IBS and stress-related illness. In those years apart from horses, I lost touch with the deep, intuitive connection I had once felt - with them and with myself.

I later became a digital nomad with my partner, living in Sri Lanka, Madeira, Scotland, Costa Rica and later discovered Slovenia by chance. My body knew immediately: this biodiverse land felt regulating and nourishing. Like home.

Then 2022 happened.

The loss of a business. Traumas from school and university that I'd buried deep finally demanded to be acknowledged. Crippling depression took over. Anti-depressants followed. Days I couldn't get out of bed. I'd lost all hope.

I left Wales for Slovenia, following a deep inner knowing. It told me to go be with the horses in the mountains. That's where I experienced their true power, the way they held space, the way my nervous system settled around them. Nature became my medicine. I started spending more time outside, feeling the earth beneath my feet, embarking on long walks. I rediscovered Mother Nature, a sanctuary that had always been there.

That's when I made my vows: to dedicate my life to protecting nature and empowering women.

I trained first with Athena in London, then qualified with Epona Quest in the Netherlands. I sought out Epona Quest founded by Linda Kohanov, as it was a pioneering approach to equine-facilitated learning focused on non-riding activities. My learning continues to evolve through books like The Horse Leads The Way, workshops with legends like Warwick Schiller, and every person I am honoured to work with.

Nature is my North Star.

Alongside this work with women and horses, I educate travel industry leaders on sustainability through The Tourism Reset podcast and learning platform. Every year my partner and I undertake Hike 4 Nature, a demanding adventure that raise funds for conservation. Environmental protection receives less than 3% of all philanthropic funding worldwide; that needs to change.

The last photo? That's me now, at 37, with one of the herds I'm honoured to work alongside. I am deeply committed to sharing this wisdom with others, guiding them to discover their own paths to wholeness, wellness and reclaim their authentic selves.

Together, we’ll explore the transformative power of horses as they guide us back to our hearts, helping us uncover the wisdom, creativity and power that lies within us.