Horse Assisted Learning – Leadership Skills

Taster day April 2011Horse Assisted Learning is a unique and powerful team building experience. This programme is not about horses  – it is about people.

Why Horses and LEADERSHIP?

  • Horses have worked with man for 25,000 years and willingly give their time, focus and energy to help us.
  • Horses are very perceptive and will give you instant feedback.
  • Horses can see right through to the core of you – they will know if you are frightened and challenge your authority, as they are much bigger and stronger than us.
  • Horses will know if you are not being congruent and respond accordingly. So if you don’t believe in yourself and what you can achieve, they won’t either.
  • Horses are not impressed by money or status.
  • Horses respond well to clear leadership and direction.
  • Horses can be abused and treated badly, but they don’t respond well when that happens – any more than humans do. De-motivated horses are very difficult to work with.
  • When horses trust us and believe we will protect them (as they are flight animals), they will follow us anywhere.

Wouldn’t you like your staff to do the same?

Work with horses for a day or two and see the change in your leadership style. Find out how you tend to lead your team and discover what you could do differently. Improve on your leadership approach and learn the benefits of being congruent. Improve your communication skills by allowing the horse to teach you new methods of communicating, without words.

Why Horses and TEAM BUILDING? .

  • Horses are herd animals and enjoy working with others.
  • Horses will strive to become part of your team, as they love challenges and achieving great results.
  • Horses are very perceptive and will give everyone instant feedback if they don’t like the way they are being led.
  • Horses can be persuaded to complete quite complex tasks with the help of your team.
  • Horses can help you build a stronger, more cohesive team by allowing the participants to work together in challenging situations, without role play.
  • Horses will attempt to take over the team if not led responsibly.

Programmes are facilitated by Madeleine Moore and Annie Larner, both qualified members of the European Association of Horse Assisted Education, at Annie’s small farm near Hitchin in Hertfordshire.  Here are some of the testimonials received from previous workshops:

“I found the course to be entertaining, professional, relaxed, interesting and very thought provoking. I would recommend this course to a number of managers who are looking to improve their leadership methods and understand how to get staff and colleagues to ‘buy in’ to your methods and goals……
The experience was powerful. I felt fully involved with the day and enjoyed the initial unknown and then the unfolding of the learning experience”

Tom Hedges – General Manager, Sentry GroundCare

“I really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere; the immediate feedback from the horses was very worthwhile. Sometimes it is good to let someone else lead and I benefited from the importance of non-verbal communication. It was a really enjoyable and useful workshop”

Alison Penfold – Financial Controller, McMullen & Sons Brewery

“A great and interesting learning environment”.

Emma Turner, Training Manager, McMullen & Sons Brewery

“I really enjoyed connecting with the horses and learning about myself in the process. I learnt that animals make us all equal, regardless of our individual sense of worth or societal status. That is a very liberating and humbling feeling. The experience was invigorating!

Maxine Perella – Chief Editor, LAWR Magazine

“I benefited from learning about my ability/confidence/reations when working outside of mycomfort zone.  …Really good experience – very interactive.

Catharine Hopper – CEO, Jubilee House Care Trust Ltd

“I enjoyed being able to feel confident and just go for it when doing something different. I saw how to look at things differently. The day was very enjoyable.”

Rosie Norbury  – Child Development Worker, Hertfordshire

“I enjoyed the whole day, the way it was structured and what I learnt from working with the horses abut myself and my leadership.”

Marilyn Bell- Partner, Head of Family Dept, SA Law

“Fantastic!  Very powerful insights into own behaviour”.

Jean Flower, Tri-Business

“Most worthwhile was learning and experiencing the subtleties of leadership styles….Loved every minute.”

Jazz Singh, Wings 4u2 Fly

Want to build up your personal leadership skills or your team so you can all work together more effectively? Then contact Madeleine Moore on 0845 638 1330 to discuss your requirements and arrange a taster day or a team building programme.