Partnering with Horses
for Experiential Learning
Equine Assisted Learning offers a powerful experiential learning opportunity for individuals, groups, or teams to explore thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and actions while offering the potential for a new perspective without feeling judged or criticized. For several decades now, Equine Guided Educators have introduced partnering with horses as a method for deeper learning, self-discovery, and self-awareness. This highly motivated learning opportunity offers the head to heart connection that spring boards into taking action and empowering change.
How does this interaction with horses cause deeper learning of self and others? Naturally horses are prey animals and require a high level of intuition along with the reliability of their herd members to survive. Unlike a small prey animal that can more easily hide or slip away in a hole from a predator, horses need to use all their senses and work together instantly and spontaneously to stay alive. They are highly sensitive and are connected to their surrounding environment where even the slightest pressure or threat can cause a reaction. As humans have evolved, we have abandoned some of those natural instincts that connect us to nature, our needs, other’s needs, and needing each other.
Being outdoors in nature and observing the herd quickly reconnects us to our natural craving of wanting to be present and feeling alive. Horses truly live in the moment and are always present to the elements of their environment. Like horses, learning to have a daily practice of being present and living in the moment is one of the sweet spots for healing and personal growth. We purposely and thoughtfully set up exercises that create a positive learning environment putting to practice the natural instincts (intuition, trusting our gut, tuning into energy, etc.) we may have suspended and integrate them using all our senses to invoke new awareness and deeper understanding.
Horses naturally react to your behavior, energy and even your thoughts and emotions creating a mirror for self-awareness and deeper understanding. This offers an opportunity to closely examine yourself from the inside out. Each exercise with our horses is custom designed and tailored to assist and support your intentional learning. Our herd of horses help grow trust, confidence, clarity and compassion with self and others. Come and explore, the potential is endless!
Affinity Ranch, Inc., Castle Rock, CO – formerly owned and operated by Lin Whitlock
Unlike Humans...
Unlike humans, horses do not hold a grudge, seek revenge or hold onto unresolved emotions. Their responses to each other or humans are purely authentic as well as spontaneous leaving no room for manipulation. The horse as teacher and the human as student receive feedback that is pure and authentic lowering the human defense response and giving way to inner wisdom.
Horse as Teacher
Authenticity is another great advantage of horse as teacher. Our equine friends won’t sugar coat their feedback or manipulate to get what they want. This lends an opportunity to self examine or explore without reservation on our part. Opening the door to a new perspective and facilitating growth. Their response is purely authentic and congruent to what is happening in or near them. The instantaneous reactions given by a horse whether subtle or significant offers a spot light for clarity, curiosity and most often inner wisdom.
Whether aware or not, you spend a great deal of your day not present or conscious of what’s coming in or going out. Standing near or in front of a horse snaps you into being more present for the obvious reasons and offers a better understanding of your own level of conscious and unconscious behavior. Being present has everything to do with your ability to learn, grow, heal, achieve success, create and maintain healthy relationships, etc.
There is also the potential to learn about the importance of leadership, your leadership style and the responsibilities needed to be an effective, respected leader. In the equine world, leadership is vital to the herd’s survival as is with humans. When working with horses, we must step into a leadership role in order to get a job done or complete a task. There is no option to not being a leader when partnering with horses. There is an abundance of opportunity to better understand mutual respect, leadership styles as well as your beliefs and capabilities of stepping into a leadership role.
Our equine friends empower teaching moments that are memorable and often continue to teach you more about yourself beyond the experience. Working with horses is about as real and exciting as you can get for deeper learning from the inside out, paving the way to your positive forward momentum and success. These are just a few of many great advantages of partnering with horses and we look forward to supporting you or your team through this amazing adventure of Equine Assisted Learning.
“You’re not working on the horse, you’re working on yourself.” ~Ray Hunt