From my own experience, I know that the squirrel bike can run elsewhere
than just in Southern Finland. I used to run it in Äkäslompolo.
I ran an Icelandic horse trekking stable there for 10.5 years and during that time that small, lovely fell village changed a lot, even though my own group sizes remained the same. I got tired of tourism on that scale and wanted a change in my life and to actually return to the countryside to live again.
I returned to my roots on my home farm in Tuusniemi in Northern Savo in August 2025 and founded a small rural tourism company here.
Now I want to offer my customers what I myself get peace of mind and relax from here.
The farm is surrounded by fields and forests that create a peaceful feeling with their own stability. The farm is home to horses, sheep, cats and dogs.
Before, I guided groups on horseback trekking trips, which had to have certain rules for safety reasons and had to stick to schedules. Nowadays I like the more relaxed group guidance and I try to live a much more relaxed life.
All activities always take place on the animals’ terms. On hot days, the animals
are allowed to be alone in the shade, but people can ask permission to go and cuddle with the animals.
The animals welcome you with their gentle nature, here you don’t have to do anything, you can leave your watch and mobile phone on the nail and come as you are.
I am sure that you will leave here with a much lighter nature, your head and mind suitably empty of the heavy things of everyday life and you will have gained clarity and space for your own inner self and thoughts, you will have been given permission to breathe in peace and enjoy the moment.
As life is truly made up of moments, this does not necessarily happen during the first retreat and everyone will go at their own pace, which feels best for you.
Late at night, I might sit in the yard with the sheep for over an hour, scratching and just talking to them about everything. I let my mind calm down before going to bed in the gentle proximity of the animals. I also go to breathe with the horses every day at the same peaceful pace.
A horse, which is a much larger animal than a sheep, often causes fear in many people at first because of its large size. Despite its size, a horse is a sensitive, sensual and gentle animal. A horse reads people really well just based on a person’s appearance and breathing.
With a horse, you have to calm your own mind if you want the horse to be calm and present with you at that very moment.
Unfortunately, we humans sometimes have a bad tendency to pretend to be something other than we are. Fortunately, animals never pretend to be anything, they are always the wonderful creatures they are by nature. However, you have to remember that animals have different days too, some days something may not interest the animal and it is very wise to leave it alone for that day. I am aware of this in my own work, some days I just don’t feel like sitting on the computer and then I don’t even try it. I do something else that feels good at that moment and I look at the computer again the next day.
Our retreats have small group sizes so that everyone has the space to be themselves. Everyone has the right to tell as much about themselves as they want. I am interested in hearing why you came to our event, but remember, you don’t have to tell me that either if you don’t want to. If you want, you can tell this to the animals here.
Discover the retreats and book your own place for a peaceful journey into the peace of the countryside