About Kindred Saddles

About Kindred Saddles

In many parts of the world, horses are still part of everyday life, shaping how people move through the land, gather, and connect with one another.

Kindred Saddles was created to bring families into these living horse cultures through slow, place-based retreats centered around horses, landscape, and shared experience.

As a parent, I have found that some of the most meaningful moments with my child happen in environments like these—not through busy schedules or constant entertainment, but through simple days spent outdoors, around animals, and alongside other families.

Travel can create those moments, but often it moves too quickly. These retreats are designed to give families time to settle in, connect with the outdoors, and experience daily life in places where horses remain woven into the culture and landscape.

What These Retreats Are

Each retreat takes place in a distinct region, whether in southern Spain, rural Ireland, or closer to home in North Carolina.

Days are intentionally unhurried and built around shared experiences:

• Horseback riding and time with horses in a way that feels approachable for beginners
• Time outdoors on farms, in fields, and in the surrounding landscape
• Shared meals and gatherings that bring families together
• Cultural experiences that reflect the uniqueness of each region

There is space for learning, but also for play, rest, and connection. In a world that often feels fast and fragmented, Kindred Saddles invites families to slow down and experience a different rhythm of life together.

Introduction to the Owner

Jennifer Gruhn

Mother, horsewoman, and founder of Kindred Saddles

Jennifer’s path to creating Kindred Saddles grew out of a lifelong connection to horses, a background in natural history and conservation biology, and a desire to create meaningful experiences for families.

She holds a PhD in ecology and has spent years studying how landscapes and ecosystems change over time, and how people connect to them. She also founded Asheville Hiking Tours, and still guides firefly and nature tours in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

Today, she splits her time between raising her son, working with horses, guiding nature tours, and building Kindred Saddles for families to share meaningful experiences together.