partnering with horses for human development
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Working with horses in the service of human developmentTRANSCRIPT
Free Rein AustraliaFree Rein AustraliaFree Rein AustraliaPartnering with horses in the service of human
development
Equine Facilitated Learning
www.freereinaustralia.com
We work with horses as
co-facilitators
For Leadership Development
For Personal Development
For Team Development
For Individual Coaching
• NOT about teaching horsemanship techniques• NOT about riding
What Equine Facilitated Learning is NOT!
How does it work?
Participants are invited to do an activity with the horses
Parameters are set
…such as no touching horses and no verbal
communication
Participants are encouraged to get creative and utilise
other ‘resources’ for accomplishing the task
Debrief after each activity
Facilitators lead discussions that help participants reflect on their experience to:• reveal individual insights • draw meaning• see parallels elsewhere in
their lives
Why horses?
They retain their wild instincts
Despite breeding for colour, speed, size, conformation… horses have the same instincts and behaviours as their wild ancestors
They are herd animals
They live ‘in community’ where everyone matters. They each have a role that contributes to the safety and well-being of the herd.
What this means…
When a ‘human herd’ interacts with them, they expect the same level of coherence and harmony, and want to be part of our ‘herd’
They dislike violence and seek peaceful solutions
Violence distracts them from being alert to the environment and could render them injured and easy prey.
What this means…
They will let us know that they don’t like any form of aggression, dominance, force, lack of respect…
They seek leadership
Their safety is dependent on having a competent, trust-worthy leader.
What this means…
They need to know who we are – does our outer expression match our inner thoughts; are we clear and consistent; are we present and aware?
They have enhanced sensitivity to inconspicuous body language
In the late 1800’s a horse named Clever Hans captivated the
world because he could answer mathematical
questions correctly – he was reading his
owner’s unintentional body language
What this means…
They see us for who we are …
They are curious
The way they learn about us and their
environment is through curiosity.
They mirror
Like us, horses have mirror neurons that cause them to reflect our behaviours.
What this means…
We have the opportunity to see our behaviours reflected back at us
They don’t judge
They give us immediate, honest feedback
without filters
What this means…
We can practice new behaviours without consequences
Our experience with the horses stays with us long after we’ve left
them
What can we learn from horses?
As leaders we learn
To influence others, adapt to change, meet challenge with confidence and dignity
As members of a team we learn
To work in harmony, embrace diversity, build trust and increase creativity
As individuals we learn
To live with purpose and clarity
Free Rein AustraliaFree Rein AustraliaFree Rein AustraliaPartnering with horses in the service of human
development
Equine Facilitated Learning
www.freereinaustralia.com