What is Equine Assisted Learning?
Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) partners individuals as well as groups with horses to facilitate the learning and growth process. Through experiential learning, horses along with their herds are able to reflect concepts in leadership, teamwork, and communication that are difficult to replicate in human interactions.
WOW- just wow. Who knew that you could learn so much by simply being with a horse? I’ve spent a lifetime riding horses but never had an experience quite like this. It’s simply incredible the way that horses can mirror a person’s emotions in such a raw and simple way. By implementing simple exercises, I learned so much about myself and my ability to lead (or not lead).
For me, learning by experience is the best way to learn. Combine that with an animal on a farm and my head was sent for trip, as I was able to synthesize business and leadership information in a completely new way and through a new perspective. It all seemed so incredibly natural and simple. Like Apple’s innovative designs, breaking through the clutter and diving down to the basics of what matters in a way that no presentation or conference could replicate.
I especially loved “Dancing With Horses” which provided me with one of the best meditative experiences I’ve ever had-truly a beautiful moment for me. As a business owner who consults with various companies, understanding people is key to being successful and this learning workshop allowed me to better understand how my actions create reactions and how important it is to watch and listen before reacting. I highly recommend this workshop for all business consultants and business teams, as this will be an experience like no other and one that makes a true and lasting impact.
-Jordan Manfredi, Big Red Advisory Group
Business and Horsemanship
Collaboration, communication, transparency, and authenticity are the keys to corporate leadership – these are also the keys to survival for horses and their herds. Through the use of equine assisted learning, participants hone to improve their management skills, leadership abilities, communication, and team building skills. Team members, like horses, have to manage their emotions and communication styles to gain cooperation in the workplace as well as with their clients.
One of the biggest challenges in running a business is to grow leaders while maintaining the integrity including the quality of products and services provided. Boulder Ridge is dedicated to arranging learning experiences for professional growth and enrichment to help you achieve your team goals. Boulder Ridge customizes Business and Horsemanship off-site training sessions for business units to work on communication, management, and leadership skills. Through activities on the ground with horses, participants practice real-world skills with horses and relate their newly gained insights including soft skills in their lives both professionally and personally.
Activities may include different techniques used to lead clients in a more thoughtful way and are customized with the group to address the following:
· becoming more adept at knowing when to follow and when to lead
· practicing nonverbal communication skills in groups
· adapting to different personality styles in the workplace
· adjusting the lead employees and clients based on their personality
By partnering with horses, Boulder Ridge provides an experiential learning opportunity for professional growth. Using a Centered Leadership Framework ( McKensey & Company) and Situational Leadership Techniques (Center for Leadership Studies, Dr. Paul Hersey), programs are customized to meet unique and specific organizational goals. Equine Assisted Learning involves non-riding activities that assists individuals as well as groups to learn about themselves and others by participating in specifically designed activities with horses.
Why horses? Horses and humans have worked together for centuries. Horses are transparent and authentic, providing immediate responses to our actions. To better understand our responses to stimuli in the work place and to quickly adapt to an increasingly complex environment, participants embark on a collaborative experiential learning day where their interaction with the herd conceptualizes the work place in a new way.
Alexandra "AJ" Moran
Sessions are facilitated by AJ Moran, MSW, who combines 20 years of horse experience with communication and leadership skills from the Board Room and the classroom. Her corporate management of a multi-million dollar enterprise with at-will employees, staff, clients, and stakeholders in the ever-volatile financial industry in Chicago has challenged her to be creative. AJ is known to never lose sight of helping her team and clients get what they truly want for themselves. Her leadership style led to the 2014 Outstanding Leader of the Year award from a Fortune 200 financial company. AJ also teaches in the Business School at Purdue University Calumet where she shares her passion for injecting emotional intelligence into the workplace.
To schedule a consultation to determine if Equine Assisted Learning through Business and Horsemanship is right for you and your team, please complete the form in the tab "Join the Herd" in order to receive more information.
What to Expect at Boulder Ridge
Activities challenge participants to improve relationships, problem solving, creativity, communication skills, and leadership capacity. Services are customized to include different techniques that enable employees to engage with clients and each other in a more thought-ful manner. Participants are involved in custom activities that generate authentic feedback from the horses. This feedback is translated and made actionable for a corporate setting as well as everyday life.
Business and Horsemanship is an experiential program that uses the horse’s unique ability to provide real-time, direct, and honest responses to leadership that your employees would never get in a typical meeting. Facilita-tion is aimed to create more purposeful leadership, increase emotional intelligence, create effective communication, as well as improve cooperation and trust.
What You Need to Know
All participation is done on the ground- not in the saddle. Breakfast as well as lunch are provided in a classroom setting with equine work happen-ing in the barn and pastures. Activities are coupled with debriefing sessions to record learning experiences from the horses and other team members before moving to the next exercise.
Facilitated learning exercises
are tailored to the team’s needs in the workplace. Participants are asked to arrive wearing boots and jeans. The goal is to leave with a changed perspective of their individual leadership capabilities for their employees, team members, and clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to ride a horse?
No. Business and Horsemanship at Boulder Ridge is done on the ground with horses and participants in a controlled environment. No previous horse experience is necessary.
Do you have overnight facilities, meeting facilities for retreats, or strategic planning?
In working with our partners, we have several overnight venue options available a short drive from Boulder Ridge. Boulder Ridge has a classroom setting along with a meeting space in the barn with restroom facilities, projection area for presentations, and work space for up to 20 participants. Catering is contracted with our local partners and is served in the meeting
space, or, weather permitting, outside on the farm.
How long is the curriculum?
Sessions are typically customized to a half day or full day with corporate groups. Content is predetermined through an assessment process.
Are you ADA accessible?
Yes. The parking is flat and easily accessible. Those in wheelchairs can maneuver through the facility.
How do you handle liability?
Boulder Ridge maintains an equine professional general liability policy covering equine interaction for all participants.
The quality of the facilitation decreases the possibility of injury and all horse interactions take place in a controlled environment with equine specialists. Horses are selected for their ability to safely work with people.
What if participants are afraid of horses?
Participants who are fearful of horses are not required to personally interact with horses. We find that through the curriculum and sessions, most participants who arrive fearful of horses will have that fear significantly decreased by the time they depart.
What about those with allergies and asthma?
Those who are on medication for allergies and asthma are encouraged to continue taking medication prior to and post sessions. Many allergy, asthma sufferers work in the equine-farm industries and remain constantly prepared to treat a reaction when necessary.
What does one wear?
Casual clothes are appropriate. Participants are encouraged to wear long pants along withboots as they will be walking, standing in sand, and touching horses.