Our Story
The horses brought us to this land as we looked for a place where they could live a natural lifestyle and we could live with them closely. We live here lightly and in service to the wellbeing of all the animals and plants that share this space, responding to the moment, following the heart
The People
Nayana
Nayana is a lifelong student of the horse who has had the great good fortune of spending most of her life in their company. She is also an aromatherapist and herbalist, and her day job is teaching people how to support animals holistically. She dreamed of having a horse farm for years, a place she could live intimately with the horses and share her love and knowledge of horses and how to support them naturally with others who came to stay. She could not have realized this dream without Dado.
Dado
Dado and Nayana first met on horseback on a cattle drive in Oregon, USA. A few months later Nayana found herself on the way to New Mexico, where Dado had taken the horses when the ranch in Oregon folded. She went for a weekend, and never left. Since then they have had many adventures together all around the world, until they embarked on their biggest one ever here in Portugal. Dado’s creative ingenuity has built this place from a piece of land with nothing but a well on it, to a thriving ecological home for everyone. He’s also a great cook and entertaining story teller who keeps us from taking ourselves too seriously.
Teddy and Matteo
Teddy and Matteo came to volunteer for a couple of months, That was in 2022! They knew nothing about horses or distillation when they arrived but dived right in and discovered that this is the life they’d been dreaming of! And we found we didn’t want to live without them, so here they still are.
Teddy takes care of all the living spaces for residents and guests, she may well be the first person you talk to when you make enquiries. She is also our still master and product manager, making our lovely soaps and other fragrant goodies.
Matteo has become a skilled horse person, with a soft touch that the horses (and dogs) love. He helps with all the farm work, building, distilling, cooking, animal care…. in other words he is always busy with farm life, turning his hand to whatever is needed. He is also our social media maestro
The Place
The History
Monte de Nossa Senhora, a 100 hectare farm in South Alentejo, Portugal, was owned by the same family for 2 centuries. In the 1970s, the patriarch died, the children all left for the city to earn money and the land was divided into three parts of approximately 30 hectares. Each one inherited by a separate branch of the family.
For 40 years our part of the farm was kept to the best of their ability, cleared of weeds, harvested for cork, and the house used for holidays. In their hearts they wanted to return but the practicalities of life made that impossible, so they finally decided to sell it. To let it go into the care of people who wanted to live on the land and revive the place before it was too late for the land to regenerate. That’s us.
The present
It was a totally impractical decision on our part, there was no liveable house, no infrastructure, just an old well and lots of space. But everytime we tried to say no, it came back again, and in the end heart won over mind. We had no idea what we were getting into, when we decided to commit to this piece of land and bring it back to life. It has been a steep learning curve. But here we are. Using the principles of the traditional Portuguese Montado, a circular system where humans, animals and woodlands feed each other, we have seen the land return to health. There are more trees growing than dying, grazing for our animals has increased, and valuable medicinal plants flourish. We now have an abundance of wildlife living along side us, the bird and insect population flourishes, and life-giving fungi multiply. We interfere as little as possible and as much as is needed, allowing nature to do its thing, and supporting it where we can. The horses are an integral part of this. You support us as well when you buy our products or come to stay.
The Future
We could never have imagined what the future would bring 10 years ago, all the ups and downs, trials and challenges we’ve faced. And truly we never know what the future will bring. But we’re not too concerned. Like the horses, we live one step at a time, following our noses and taking care of whatever presents itself. We are always learning as we go and become more intimate with our inner and outer eco-sphere every day. Living like this it becomes clear what is truly important in this small beautiful life we have been gifted and we embrace it gladly. I can’t see us going anywhere soon 🙂
The Animals
A safe home for all
All the animals who live with us here (9 horses, 3 cats, 2 dogs) needed refuge. Some were more traditional ‘rescue’ animals, abandoned or in danger. Others were placed into our care as the best option to give them a safe and happy life when circumstances were difficult for them. We are committed to the lifelong wellbeing of every single one of them. Cats, dogs, horses they are loved and respected for the unique individual that they are and bring us joy every day.
Some more pics of the tribe
