In this issue of the Eponaquest News:
- Founder Linda Kohanov’s New Program Featured at Tucson’s Center for Integrative Medicine September 26
- Eponaquest Goes to India
- Instructor Training Opportunities at Eponaquest Ranch in Arizona
Chasing the Black Horse Comes to the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine
Author and Eponaquest founder Linda Kohanov will present her new seminar Chasing the Black Horse: Keys for Personal and Social Transformation at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine in Tucson, AZ on Saturday, September 26. Check out this link for registration and more in-depth information: https://eponaquest.com/workshop/chasing-the-black-horse-indoor-seminar-2/
“I was so pleased with the audience response to the July debut of this program in Sebastopol, CA ,” she says. “I hope to take this on the road in 2027 if I can secure the funding, but in the meantime, I’m excited to hold this seminar at the University of Arizona’s stunning new Center for Integrative Medicine. I’ve been privileged to work with this organization as a visiting faculty member, teaching fourth year medical students and residents as part of their integrative medicine elective rotation. I really wanted to make this September 26th seminar a community event accessible for as many people as possible and so I’m offering it at a drastically reduced tuition. We do have people coming from other cities as well, and if it’s at all like the Sebastopol debut, it will be a wonderful way to connect people from multiple disciplines who have a common interest in changing our world for the better.”
Amanda Ball, a Tennessee based mental health professional and Eponaquest Instructor, had this to say about her attendance at the California debut of Chasing the Black Horse:
“Linda never fails to weave myth, research, psychology, history, and personal story seamlessly. Our group became captivated, engaged, and excited to join in — sharing our own spontaneous insights, experiences, books, and podcast references. Her reframe of patriarchy encompasses the domestication and control of animals and their reproduction, the systemic devaluation of animals and humans, primal fears generated from this system, the injustices committed against women, and the often-forgotten brutality and horrific injustices committed by men toward other men throughout its 11,000-year history. This framing reinforces how, today, the keys to what horses have to teach us are urgently relevant. After years of studying and teaching this work myself, I left with a renewed sense of determination and a feeling that I’m on my path toward creating a much-needed oasis in the profound heart of America — in my little corner of the heart of Tennessee.”
Linda encourages people to bring friends, colleagues and family to share in this mind and heart expanding new view of human history and potential. Previous experience with, or even interest in horses, is not necessary to benefit from this life-changing, life-enhancing perspective. As with many of Linda’s workshops, the information, experiential exercises and innovative solutions she introduces are useful for a wide variety of people confused or disheartened by current events and longer-term cultural distress.
“My boundaries are clearer and my compassion, for men especially, is stronger as a result of this workshop,” said Sebastopol seminar participant Renee Wade. “I am still digging through the layers of lies embedded in so many facets of our culture, but the black horse is with me, guiding.”
Those who work in the healing arts, including conventional and integrative medicine, trauma informed therapy, yoga, mindfulness, and energy work, will gain new insights into how and why our current system undermines the ability to achieve and maintain physical and psychological health. Participants will also discover why equine-facilitated learning and therapy is so effective in enhancing the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being of their patients.
Those who advocate for social and political change will gain deeper understanding of the ancient fears and long-unspoken traumas that underlie our current system, while gaining new perspectives on how to work more effectively with people from all walks of life, including those who are fearful or aggressive.
Those who work in the fields of animal-assisted therapy and equine-facilitated learning will gain new ideas and a focused vocabulary for describing how and why their work is so effective.
Equestrians and people who work in animal rescue organizations will also benefit from the historical perspectives and innovative tools this seminar provides.
Again, to register and to see a longer, more specific list of topics this seminar will address, see https://eponaquest.com/workshop/chasing-the-black-horse-indoor-seminar-2/.
Bringing the Eponaquest Approach to India
Linda will lead a monthlong instructor training at the Sri Aurobindo Gnostic Education Centre (S.A.G.E.) in New Delhi starting in mid-December.
“I’m very much influenced by Indian culture, music, and philosophy, but I never in my wildest dreams expected to go there someday,” she marvels. “So imagine my surprise when the head of the S.A.G.E. reached out to me this summer and talked me into traveling halfway around the world. I was resistant at first because of the long journey, but once I looked more deeply into the life and work of the Indian sage Sri Aurobindo, I was infused with incredible energy and inspiration. This brilliant man brought Eastern and Western ideas together in the late 1800s, long before Indian philosophy, music and yoga became quite the rage in 1960s counterculture circles. Son of an Indian doctor, he was sent to England to be educated. There, during his ‘spare time” at the University of Cambridge, he taught himself Sanskrit, and his soul was awakened and enlivened by the ancient wisdom of his homeland.
“Back in India, he became a political activist responsible for helping India gain independence from British rule. He was thrown in jail for his efforts, but during his yearlong incarceration, he did something wildly constructive. He meditated and did yoga for hours under the harsh conditions of that 19th century British prison, eventually accessing deep insights that he brought to his later work as a spiritual teacher and creator of Integral Yoga. Most striking, he was an early proponent of turning challenging earthly situations into fuel for spiritual transformation. He also emphasized the power of feminine wisdom and supported the sovereignty of women at a time when Indian wives were expected to throw themselves on the funeral pyres of their deceased husbands.
“I really can’t believe I will be teaching at one of several gnostic learning centers he established throughout India. And I will be working with horses to boot! The center wants to bring equine-facilitated learning into their offerings, and I will be collaborating with their staff and the nearby thoroughbred breeding farm to create a program especially for their yoga and meditation informed educational goals. I will be leading a four-week Eponaquest Instructor training program for key staff, but I know I will be transformed as much or more by my two- and four-legged students.”
Spaces Still Open in the December Eponaquest Apprenticeship Program
Speaking of instructor training, Linda will lead the first week of the 44th Eponaquest Apprenticeship program December 5 to 12, 2026 at her scenic Arizona ranch the week before she leaves for India. For more information on this in-depth training, see the links at the end of this section. But first, it helps to gain a more personal picture of what this program offers from the participants themselves. Here’s what two graduates from the most recent class had to say:
From Kara Siebert, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who came to the apprenticeship program to expand her already successful equine-facilitated therapy and experiential learning practice in Oregon City, Oregon and La Center, WA:
The Eponaquest apprenticeship was exceptional, exceeding every expectation. As an equine-assisted services practitioner who has studied Linda Kohanov’s work for years, I find her research-backed, scientific lens to deeply resonate. It provides the precise vocabulary needed to translate the ‘unexplainable’ aspects of horse-human interaction into clear, impactful language.
This program offers a profound bridge between professional development and personal growth. I am walking away with a robust toolkit and the confidence to integrate these advanced concepts immediately. Linda is a truly inspiring teacher and leader; I am a better person for incorporating the social and emotional intelligence skills she shares with the world.
In her writing, Linda highlights the concept of ‘Cathedral Thinking’—the idea that building something magnificent often spans generations, where the initial architect may not see the final stone laid, yet every hand involved is essential to the sacred whole. It is a profound honor to contribute to this particular “cathedral:” a world that moves beyond the paradigm of conquest and dominant submission, toward one defined by non-predatory power and social intelligence.
I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to bring these approaches back to my community. Linda’s ability to weave the wisdom of ancient pastoral cultures into modern leadership is masterful. Her work fosters an embodied presence that supports genuine collaboration, empowerment, and connection. This experience has been transformative, and I am honored to be part of this collective effort to build a more conscious and connected future.
From Maja Živanović, who also has an established equine facilitated learning program, Horses of Magic, in Croatia:
The Eponaquest apprenticeship was a beautiful life changing and personal growth experience. The knowledge I gained helped me to broaden my work with horses and humans. Linda’s incredible capacity to merge experience, science and spirituality had always been a source of inspiration and guidance for me. To learn from her and her herd was an incredible honor and a dream come true. Ever since I opened her first book, I knew I want to meet her and learn from her. The world we live in today needs more horse wisdom, more gentle, unconditional love they provide and safe space that is created when mindful humans and horses join together. 5 Roles of Master Herder, Sentient Communication, facilitation format I learned here gave me a strong base for my future work and I am proud to take this knowledge in my country, in the Balkan region and further.
(Graduating Class May 2026: names in order left to right: Tina Carruthers, Missoula, MT; Jen Ybarra, group leader, Amado, AZ; Rebecca Blevins, Winston Salem, NC; Linda Kohanov; Jennifer Stewart, Ashville, NC; Cornell Andras, Tucson, AZ; Yetty Uscher, Colombia and Collegeville, PA; Maja Zivanovic, Zagreb, Croatia; Kara Siebert, La Center, WA; Elysa Ginsberg, faculty, Tucson, AZ. Not picture Sarah Jones, group leader, Raleigh, NC.)
I feel I have wings now and I can fly, not just business wise but this journey gave me the capacity to go higher and have even more elevated perspective of human relationships, personal growth, and horse-human connection.
I am deeply grateful for this experience!
For an in-depth overview of the history and orientation of the program that has graduated over 300 instructors from 5 five continents since its inception in 2003: https://eponaquest.com/overview/ And for a look at the program specifics including dates and costs, see: https://eponaquest.com/upcoming-program-specifics/