Sunset at HapBE Valley Equine & Wellness Farm in Asheville, North Carolina.
In this episode of Big Blend Radio's Adventures in Asheville Podcast, hosts Steve and Karen Wilson of The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast sit down with Jennifer and Jason Robbins, founders of HapBE Valley Equine & Wellness Farm in Asheville, North Carolina.
The couple shares how they transformed a historic, 100-year-old generational family farm into a serene sanctuary for non-riding, ground-based, horse-led healing retreats, Reiki sessions, and community wellness events.
Listen to the Podcast Episode:
What's in the Name: HapBE (Being vs. Doing)
HapBE is pronounced just like "Happy," but with a deliberate twist: drop the "py" and replace it with "BE." The name captures the farm's core philosophy — a shift from constant doing (achievement, stress, control) to simple being (presence, connection, authenticity).
Origin & Inspiration
At age 50, facing empty-nest syndrome, Jennifer attended a five-day horse retreat in Costa Rica. In those five days, she gained more emotional clarity, self-compassion, and somatic release than she had in 20 years of traditional talk therapy. That breakthrough set the couple on a path that led them, in 2022/2023, to acquire an old farm near Asheville — renovating the tobacco barn into an event space and establishing pastures for natural herd living.
Horse Oliver at Sunset
Why Horses Are Powerful Facilitators of Healing
Every activity at HapBE Valley is zero-riding, pure groundwork — focused strictly on relationship building, somatic awareness, and connection, not control. Unlike humans, horses operate without social judgment or left/right-brain analytical division; they react purely to a person's inner energetic and physical state rather than their words or mental pretense. Jason shared a story of a horse that refused to engage with him until he released his need to "perform" and shifted into genuine, heart-centered presence.
Connect & Learn More
🐴 HapBE Valley Equine & Wellness Farm
Asheville, NC — 15–20 minutes from downtown Asheville and The Lion and the Rose B&B. Visit: hapbevalley.com/
🏡 Stay at The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast in Asheville's historic Montford District — the perfect home base for a HapBE Valley visit:
https://www.lion-rose.com/
👋 Meet the Hosts: Read Steve & Karen Wilson's full bio and browse all their Adventures in Asheville episodes:
https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/meet-the-experts-steve-and-karen-wilson
🎙️ More Adventures in Asheville: Browse the full podcast channel:
https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/t/steve-and-karen-wilson
🎧 LISTEN:
• Check out the Big Blend Radio "Adventures in Asheville" Digital Podcast Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/ADVENTURES-IN-ASHEVILLE/
• New episodes air every 1st Tuesday: https://adventures-asheville.podbean.com/