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The Ranch Life Collective

What is the Ranch Life Collective?

We have a big vision for the historic Golden Gate Dairy Stables, which is nestled in the heart of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area just north of San Francisco in Muir Beach, California.  As with any big vision, there are many elements in different stages of becoming.  We trust that our vision will expand and evolve over time and we hope that many in the Bay Area community will be contributors and participants.


We believe that spending time with horses in nature offers humans of all ages a valuable opportunity to move into greater harmony with oneself, with each other, and with nature.  We value collaboration and creativity and together bring different perspectives on leadership, learning and life.  We believe that we are all interconnected and that we can better support the wellbeing of the world around us when we begin with ourselves.  Together, we offer customized experiential programs with horses for individuals, groups and teams of both non-profit and for-profit entities. 

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Elements of Ranch Life Collective

A LITTLE ABOUT US AND OUR PERSPECTIVES

We are a dynamic team with years of experience and who have dedicated our lives to learning all things horse. If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.

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As a leadership consultant, coach and therapist I have observed many of my clients over the past couple of decades progress from being busy and motivated, to stressed-out, to overwhelmed and, in recent years, to depleted and unsure of how to cope. I am not immune to any of these feelings. 


What is to blame? I believe it is the culture that we have all, in some way, participated in creating. But blame isn’t really the point, is it? What many of us have realized is that we want and need to create something new. I know that I want to be a part of co-evolving our culture, and the ways we interact, towards greater psychological, physiological and planetary wellbeing.


This is where horses come into the picture. Horses have cooperated and partnered with humans for thousands of years. They have been essential to our evolution and I believe they are essential for our future as well. While there is emerging research on the ways that horses benefit humans, citing studies is not enough. Their wisdom has to be experienced.


I believe there is tremendous value in partnering with horses to learn how to better connect with self, with others and with nature. I want to build deeper relationships, truly support one another, and find ways to change the systems that we know are not working for us. I hope to see you at the ranch.


Co-founder Perspective2, licensed psychotherapist (LMFT) and certified equine professional (CEIP-ED).

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I'm a farmer's daughter. I was raised on a multi-generational family ranch (I am the 6th generation) in Northern California with black Angus cattle, wine grapes, and pears. My first job was driving a tractor when I was twelve: I disked fields, hauled brush, and changed irrigation pipe. I became very connected to the land I lived and worked on.


In grade, middle and high school, I ran livestock enterprise projects and rode and showed quarter horses. Horses have always been my refuge, my joy, and my True North.

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As a Certified Equine Interaction Professional Equine Educator (CEIP-ED), I have guided hundreds of clients on their individual journeys.  My work is rooted in science and the wilds of nature; I rely on connection from the horses as well as the inner wisdom that is within all of us. 

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My core beliefs are:

  • We possess the best answers for ourselves within ourselves. 

  • If we want to make the world better, we have to start with making ourselves better.

  • Nature is always giving us clues and pointing us in the right direction. It's our job to pay attention.

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Jessica Pinto

As a lifetime horsewoman and lover of the outdoors, I am consistently inspired by the profound impact animals and nature can make on our sense of self and our way of being in the world.  I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Certified Equine Interaction Professional (CEIP-MH) and have been working, learning and evolving in the field of equine guided therapy and education since 2005.  


I grew up in Marin in the 80s when horses and ranches were woven into the fabric of the county.  As a child, the ranch was my haven, my day care, my clubhouse, and in the many hours I spent there I received the most valuable education of my life. 


Horses are naturally social animals and are gifted at responding to their emotions in useful ways so interacting with them offers humans an opportunity to improve their emotional modulation and relationship skills, two of the most common reasons people seek therapy.  As a therapist I have a background in group therapy, cognitive/behavioral and somatic modalities, and nature-based experiential education.  I am currently training in the EQUUSOMA model for horse-human trauma recovery.

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I continue to learn and grow from my relationships with horses, both personally and professionally, and am often reminded by my equine partners to slow down, tune in, and enjoy the deeply restoring experience of being present and connected.  

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Horse Partners

The clip-clop of a horse's hooves hitting the ground is a sound embedded in all of our DNA.  It is recognizable anywhere.  There has never been a time that humans existed without horses. They have been our partners in hunting, exploring, plowing fields, fighting wars, and delivering mail.  We owe much to the horse for our civilization's development.


Today horses continue to benefit humans by acting as reflective partners who nudge us into authenticity.  We have much to learn from their sophisticated herd hierarchy and keen prey instincts.  Horses model self-care and living in the present moment - both excellent tools for surviving and thriving in our non-stop lives.  If we are open to receiving their wisdom, they can help us reconnect with ourselves and improve the ways we relate to others.  They challenge us to build better relationships with others and with ourselves. 


Our horses are accustomed to being with people they have just met.  We prioritize safety and all activities with the horses are by choice.  Our horses, who we respect as sentient, autonomous partners in this work, engage by choice as well.  Healing with horses is not healing if it comes at the expense of the horse. 

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The Ranch

The Golden Gate Dairy Stables

Built in the late 1800s by Constantine Bello, an immigrant from the Azores Islands off the coast of Portugal, the dairy once supplied butter and cheese to the surrounding area, shipping it by boat across the channel to San Francisco.  The historic dairy evolved into a horse boarding facility in the early 1970s and is now managed by Ocean Riders of Marin, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve the historical presence of horses and ranching in Frank Valley while maintaining the integrity of the land, water, flora & fauna and promoting environmental stewardship through community outreach programs.  

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Get in Touch

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