What is Equine Assisted Learning?
Cooperation and communication with transparency and authenticity are the keys to corporate leadership – these are also the keys to survival for horses and their herds. To better understand our interactions in the workplace and to quickly adapt to a changing and increasingly complex workplace, participants and teams embark on a collaborative experiential learning day where their interaction with horses and the herd conceptualizes the workplace in a new way. Through the use of equine assisted learning, participants hone and improve their management skills, leadership abilities, communication and team building skills. Team members and individuals, like horses, have to manage their emotions and communication styles to gain cooperation in the workplace and with clients.
As you know, one of the biggest challenges in running a business is to grow and nurture leaders while maintaining the integrity and quality of products and services. Boulder Ridge is dedicated to providing quality learning experiences for professional growth and enrichment to help you achieve your team goals. Boulder Ridge customizes team and individual 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 and soft skills in their lives, both professionally and personally.
Activities may include different techniques used to lead employees and clients in a more thoughtful way and is 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 with horses and assists individuals and groups to learn about themselves and others by participating in specifically designed activities with the horse.
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 a changing and increasingly complex environment, participants and teams embark on a collaborative experiential learning day where their interaction with horses and the herd conceptualizes the work place in a new way.
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 from AJ Moran.
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 thoughtful manner. Participants are involved by thinking, doing and feeling with immediately
authentic feedback from the horse that is actionable in the workplace and 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 and management that your employees would never get in a typical meeting.
Facilitation is aimed to create more purposeful leadership, increased emotional intelligence, more effective
communication as well as improved cooperation and trust.
What You Need to Know:
All participation is done on the ground, not in the saddle. Breakfast and lunch are provided in a classroom setting with
equine work happening 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 – they will
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 or 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 and meeting space in the barn with restroom facilities, projection area for presentations,
and workspace 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 and barn are 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 injury possibility 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 and asthma sufferers work in the equine and 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 and boots as they will be walking and
standing in sand and will be touching horses.