Clinic & Gathering with Dr. Susan Fay

Register

Join us for a hands‑on, research‑informed clinic with Dr. Susan Fay, scientist, horsewoman, and author of Sacred Spaces. Explore practical ways to improve presence, communication, and performance while strengthening trust between horse and human.

  • Dates: Sat–Mon, Nov 29–Dec 1, 2025

  • Venue: AMEC — 4101 N Bear Canyon Rd in Tucson, Arizona 85749

  • Audience: Riders, trainers, auditors, students

  • Host: Al‑Marah Equine Center (U. Arizona) and Equiphysics

Fees & Registration

Horse-Human Pairs

  • UA/Tucson Dressage Club members: $200/day

  • Non‑members: $250/day

  • Free Trailer in, Stall $20/day (bring your own shavings) & self‑care; auditing for that day included

Auditors

  • UA/Tucson Dressage Club members: $30/day early (by Nov 15) • $40/day standard

  • Non-members: $40/day early (by Nov 15) • $50/day standard

  • 3‑Day Pass (UA/TDC): $80 early • $100 standard

  • 3‑Day Pass (Non-Member): $100 early • $130 standard

  • Free Auditing for UA Students and AMEC staff with ID

Register

  • Click Register to complete the form. Invoices follow by email.

  • Early registration deadline: Nov 15 (Horse-human priority & discounted auditor rates)

Format for the Gathering

Day 1: Meet and greet, a short lecture, and Q&A. Participants have time to get to know Dr. Susie and each other, and feel comfortable with the flow and structure of the gathering. Sessions with horses and humans to follow.

Day 2-3: Every participant and their horse will receive a full hour with Dr. Susie each day, while auditors and participants observe. There is typically an hour lunch break after the first three sessions each day. 

Each session is driven by the horse and may be on the ground or in the saddle. On day one, the focus is primarily on Sacred Space relational principles. In some cases, this may include an emphasis on creating mental and emotional balance, as well as exploring the signs of trauma/emotional triggers in a horse that create relationship, training, or handling challenges. 

​It is strongly recommended that all gathering participants read Sacred Spaces: Communion with the Horse Through Science and Spirit here, and take The Sacred Breath online course, here prior to attending. This will ensure that everyone maximizes his or her learning experience.

About Dr. Fay

Dr. Susan Fay is a rare combination of scientist, horsewoman, and educator whose work bridges the seen and the unseen in the horse-human relationship. Her early love of horses—starting when she finally got her own mount at age nine—led her journey from environmental scientist to full-time equestrian. She raised Morgan horses and Scottish Highland cattle on a Colorado ranch, competed in dressage, carriage driving and western disciplines, and observed first-hand how our mental and emotional state influences equine behavior. Driven by a curiosity about why connection with a horse sometimes feels effortless and other times seems blocked, Dr. Fay returned to academia, earning a PhD in psychology, and pursued certifications in hypnosis, mental training and energy-based modalities.

In her bestselling book Sacred Spaces: Communion with the Horse through Science and Spirit, Dr. Fay invites riders and handlers to explore how thoughts, breathing, presence, and subtle energy shape outcomes—showing that what may appear magical in horsemanship is often grounded in awareness, physiology and intention.

Since then, she has travelled internationally, facilitating clinics and gatherings worldwide where participants are guided to develop their awareness, deepen their partnership with their horses, and create their own “sacred space” in and around the arena.

At this event hosted by the Al-Marah Equine Center, Dr. Fay will lead both mounted and groundwork sessions, demonstrate and discuss the science-and-spirit of horse-human connection, and support auditors and participants alike as they explore how their internal state affects the quality of partnership with their equine partners.