River Mountain Farm and Life Center and Family Aberg
Simon, Janine, Arowin, Katanyah and Soercha Aberg (on horses Elindril/ Smart Hollywood Star, Satar/ A Gentleman’s Banjo, Koa, and Nahalani/Nikki, left to right)
WHO ARE WE?
Simon and Janine Aberg are passionate about horses, family, art, and culture. We are lifelong learners who deeply value history—especially the kind that shapes the future.
In the world of horsemanship, there are many philosophies—both ancient and modern—that inform how we engage with horses. We are especially drawn to approaches that emphasize humane treatment, enduring wisdom, and deep connection. From Xenophon (400 BC) to contemporary masters, we seek out what has stood the test of time.
Our influences include:
- Buck Brannaman – We make it a priority to ride with Buck annually to stay close to the source of true horsemanship.
- Bent Branderup – Academic Art of Riding.
- Jonathan French – Meditative practices with horses.
- TNT Horsemanship – Practical groundwork and riding tools.
- David Lichman – Liberty and communication without tack.
We also enjoy Working Equitation, a discipline that puts our training into functional and playful practice.
Our evenings are spent studying—reading, watching horse documentaries, and learning. We don’t own a television. When we’re not working with horses, Janine is often painting—mostly horses, naturally.
Our greatest passion is helping horses and humans come along together. We love starting young horses and guiding people as they reconnect and move forward with their own. Through a blend of natural and academic horsemanship, we help students find true harmony and connection with their horses—in body, mind, and spirit.
FINE ART BIO – JANINE ABERG
Janine Aberg, a South African artist, and her Swedish husband, Simon, met in Hawaii. Their shared love of culture, nature, and connection has taken them around the world. As a couple, they spent ten years in Hawaii and now call the Shenandoah Valley home, where they live on a small equine-centered farm in Keezletown, Virginia. Together, they run River Mountain Farm and Life Center, raising their three daughters—Arowin, Katanyah, and Soercha—in a vibrant, creative environment.
Janine has traveled to over 40 countries, and her life experiences deeply inform her art. Her paintings are a rich tapestry of psychology, dance, horsemanship, spiritual connection, beauty, culture, and healing. Her work is a meditation—an expressive, reflective process that blends the spiritual with the physical.
Having grown up in a difficult home, Janine has walked a long, honest journey through grief, loss, and personal transformation. She finds peace and meaning at the easel, using art to process life and explore the complex relationship between suffering and joy. This personal depth gives her work an emotional honesty that resonates deeply with others.
Her art is driven by light, color, movement, and animals. It captures the dance of life—the beauty found at the intersection of struggle and celebration. Janine’s paintings often reflect her heritage and influences from South Africa, her years in Hawaii, and her global travels. She draws inspiration from artists like Van Gogh, Salvador Dalí, Paul Klee, Jean-François Millet, and Francisco Goya.
Janine has painted murals in homes, churches, and businesses across South Africa, Hawaii, and Virginia—including local projects for Dick Myers, Sentara RMH Wellness Center, and J. Frank Hillyard Middle School. Her artwork has appeared on book covers, including To Stir & by Nikia Chaney, and is featured at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, VA.
She works primarily in oil and acrylic but also explores the intersection of fine art with dance, theater, music, and healing. Her portfolio includes portraiture, landscapes, murals, body painting (especially for expectant mothers), and pieces focused on social justice.
Janine holds a BA in Performing Arts from the University of the Nations and an MA in Conflict Transformation from Eastern Mennonite University’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding. She has won awards at the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival and the Waimea Arts Council in Hawaii, completed a residency with Philadelphia Mural Arts, and exhibited work during the 2012 Olympic Games in the UK.
Her artwork can be found in private and public collections around the world, including the USA, South Africa, China, Germany, Sweden, and England.
At River Mountain Farm & Life Center LLC, Janine and Simon blend their talents to offer experiences that restore and ground people. Through art, horsemanship, dance, yoga, and wellness sessions (including the Photon Genius/Super Sauna), they create space for others to slow down, reconnect, and rediscover themselves.
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