DevelopingCoherentLeadershipInPartnershipWithHorsesANewApproach

toLeadershipTraining
EllenKayeGehrke
Abstract
Thispaperoffersanewperspectiveinleadershipdevelopmentbydemonstratinghow
engaginghorsesaspartnersinleadershiptrainingcanleadtomorecoherentand
sustainableleadershipeffectiveness.Thetrainingexperienceprovidesaunique
approachforstudentsandcorporateparticipantstodevelopsustainablechangesin
theirawarenessandactionsregardingtheirleadershipabilitiesandauthenticity.Horses
provethemselvesasdynamiccofacilitatorsbyprovidingparticipantsgenuine
opportunitiestoengagewithothersinthepresentmomentandobtainhonestfeedback
regardingthecongruencebetweenwhattheysayandwhattheydoasleaders.This
innovativeworksuggestshowtheapplicationofequinepartneredexperiences(EPE)
canhelptransformandmotivatepeoplesotheyareabletomakebetterdecisions,gain
moreclarity,experiencemorecommitmenttotheirlifeandworkandgenerallyimprove
thecoherenceofthemselvesandthosearoundthem.Caseexamplesareprovidedof
actualtrainingsituationsdemonstratingthevariousoutcomesrelatedtoincreasing
effectiveleadershipandmanagement.
KeyWords
leadershiptraining,equinefacilitatedlearning,decisionmaking,leadership
effectiveness,naturerelatedexperientialeducation,socialsystemsdynamics,herd
behavior,equinefacilitatedpsychotherapy,psychophysiology,organizational
leadership,leadershipcoaching,andcrossculturaltraining
Introduction
Aproblemwithmostmanagementeducationtodayisthatitisprimarilyorientedtowards
analyticalconditioning.Thinkingisemphasizedmorethanintuitivedevelopmentis
rewarded.Quantitativeanalysisisoftenmorevaluedthanqualitativeobservation.
However,astherecognitionoftheimportanceofdevelopingsocialandemotional
intelligencegrows,thereisagreaterneedtoemphasizeandencouragetheheartbrain
bodyconnection.(Goleman,2006)Ineducationandtrainingthebalanceisbeginningto
shiftfrombeingprimarilycerebraltowardsincorporatingmoreexperientialapproaches
fosteringthegrowthofmorebalancedandholisticleaders.Itisnotunusualtohear
morediscussionabouttherelationshipoftheheartandbody,particularlytheeducation
ofmanagerswhoprovideleadershipacrossculturesandnations(Senge,2004).Itis
commonlyacceptedthatcontinuouschangeandtransformationisthenorminour
globaleconomyandthatitisverydifficulttomanagethesechangesand
transformationsinwaysthatstick.Theauthorsdevelopmentalwork,aspresentedin
thispaper,providesageneralhypothesisthattheapplicationofenergeticandequine
partneredexperiences(EPE)canhelptransformtheawarenessandmotivationof
individualsandteamssotheydemonstrateimproveddecisionmaking,morefocused
observationandclarity,experiencemorecommitmenttotheirlifeandwork,and
generallyimprovetheirrelationshipswiththemselvesandthosearoundthem(Strozzi,
2004).Anotheroutcomeoftheworkisthereconnectiontonatureandanimalsandthe
growingawarenessoftheimportanceofinteractingwithanimals,particularlyhorses.
(HeslerKey,2001)
Differencesinleadershiptrainingwithhorsesisdiscussedandareassuchasequine
coaching,teambuilding,leadershipawarenessandcrossculturalapplicationsare
presented.Thereaderwilllearnwhyhorsesareeffectivelivingbiofeedbackbeingsand
howthemetaphoroftheirsocialsystemsandherddynamicsisrelevanttocreating
effectiveandcoherentleaders.(Coates,2008)(Kahonov2003)Shortcasesare
includedtoemphasizetrainingapplicationsandoutcomes.Thereisabriefintroduction
ofaquantitativeresearchprojectwhichtheauthorhasunderwaytosupportthe
assertionofthebenefitsofhumananimalnatureinteraction.Usingheartratevariability
asamarkettheresearchersaremeasuringtheexistenceandstrengthofthehuman
animalbond.
Thematerialpresentedtookplaceoveratwoyearperiodwheretheauthorincluded
leadershipdevelopmentinhercoursecurriculaaswellasinhertrainingandconsulting
offerings.Variouscasesareusedtodemonstratehow
equinepartneredexperiencesgeneratedsubstantialchangeinlearners:somethingthat
happeneddeepwithinthepersonandnotjustintheirminds.Mostexecutivesspend
theirlivesintheirheads,concentrating,talking,thinkingandmoveatarapidpace
fromoneeventandopportunitytoanother(Tolle,2005).Theworkwithhorsesina
naturalsettingisdesignedtoencouragepeopletoslowdown,tunein,payattention,
stayinthepresent,makechangesforthebetternowandnotlater,haveanexperience
thatincorporatesbothmindandbodyasasynchronizedeffort,andexperienceawayof
learningthatfacilitateschangewhichsticksandpositivelyinfluencesindividualsandthe
organizationstheyworkin.
Theauthorhasbeenteachingleadershipandorganizationaldevelopmentformorethan
20years.Forthepast10years,shehasalsobeenworkingwithhorses,particularly
wildhorses,gentlingthemandpreparingthemtoworkwithandliveinpartnershipwith
humans.Theexperiencesgainedinyearsofteachingandconsultingandthenyearsof
traininghorsesledtheauthortothisemergingfieldofequinefacilitatedlearningsee
EFMHAwebsite).Thispaperisonlyabeginningdiscussionoftheworkandresearch
thatistakingplaceinthisareaanditishopedthatitwillbewelcomedinthe
managementarenaassomethingthatwillbecomemoremainstreamandnot
consideredastrendyoresoteric.Theworkhaspotentialimplicationsforchanging
peopleattheirheartlevel(Rector,2005)changethatcanmakeadifferenceinwho
leadsourorganizationsnowandinthefutureandhowthesepeoplemakedecisions
thatareforthebenefitofourorganizationsandsocietyasawhole.
TheDifferenceBetweenDominatingorFacilitatingLeadership
Leadershipisntaboutmakingpeopledothings
Toby(namechanged),acomputersoftwareengineerandmanagerofseveralproject
teamsatahightechcompany,showedupfortheSaturdaysessiononLeadershipwith
Horsesthinkinghealreadyunderstoodandhadasenseofhisleadershipstyle.
However,thatdayshiftedhisperspective.Whenitcamehisturntoleadahorse
throughtheobstaclecoursehehadtoslowdown,andcheckinwiththehorseinstead
ofdraggingitalong.Helearnedwhatitmeanttopayattentiontothegoal(the
obstaclecourse)andtopayattentiontohisteammember(thehorse).Hisfirsttime
throughtheobstaclecourseactivitydidnotgoashehadhoped.Hegotangrywhenthe
horsedroppeditsheadandstartedtoeatsohebegantotughardonthelinetomove
forward.Thenthehorserefusedtomoveacrossabridgeandthatbroughtmore
frustration.Finally,hestopped,tookseveraldeepbreathsandbegantopayattentionto
theenergybetweenhimselfandRocket,thehorse.Itwasanobviousandclearshift
fromhiswantingtoaccomplishanagendathatthehorsehadnopartintoafocuson
howtoengageinapartnershiptoachieveagoal.Atthatmoment,Rocketlookedup,
tookastepalongsideToby,beganmovinginstepwithhim,almostasiftheywere
dancing.HerespondedtoTobysclearfocusedleadershipwithenergyandenthusiasm.
Tobycommentedinajournalentry,
Itsonethingtohaveahorselikeyou,howeveritisanotherthingtohaveahorsewantto
followyouaroundwithnoleadlinesattached.Youcantbealeaderjustbytellingsomeoneyou
arealeader.Youhavetoproveit...youhavetobeit.Before,ifIwastheleaderandyoudidnt
dowhatIwanted,Iwouldgetangry.Imaygiveuponyouorjustdoitmyself.NowIhavea
newperspectiveonleadingotherswhichismoreeffectiveandenergizingaswell.Ilearnedhow
myenergyandpresenceimpactedhowothers(thehorses)perceivedmeandthatbecamea
significantlearningexperiencewhichhasshiftedhowImanageandleadmyteam.
Tobyreportedinaconversationthefollowingweekthathehadimmediatelybeenable
toapplyhisnewlydiscoveredrealizationtohisprojectteamandfoundthatthework
weekwentsmoother.Headdedthattheworkwasalsomorefunandlessfrustrating.
Healsoindicatedthattheteambecamemoreproductivewhenhewaslessangryand
morepresenttoassisthisemployees.
Theleadhorseinaherdisnotadominantmemberofthesystem.Theleadhorseis
responsibleforthesafetyandsurvivaloftheherd.(Grandin,2005)Imagineworkingin
anorganizationwhereeachdaytheleadersshowupandworkentirelyforthesafety
andsurvivalofthepeopleandtheorganization.Everydaytheyearntheirpositionsof
leadership.And,thatleadershipisonlymaintainedthroughcontinuousattentiontothe
environment,knowledgeofhowtofindandleadotherssuccessfullythroughcomplex
environments,abilitytomakequickdecisionsthatcouldmeanlifeordeathtothe
organization,andoperatingfromanenergeticconnectionthatisabletomobilize
organizationalactionsimmediately,oftenrequiringlittleifanyonthespotexplanationor
manipulation.Horsesoperateinthismannerandmuchcanbeappliedtohuman
learningsystemsfromtheirbehavior.Iftheleadersarenotabletomaintainthisflowof
safety,awareness,orsocialintegrationcapabilitythenmembersoftheherd,or
organization,losetrust,feelunsafe,andexperienceanimbalance.Whenthishappens
thenitispossiblethatanothermindfulandawareleaderwillquicklymoveintothe
leadershipposition,takingovertheterritorywhichiscommoninherdsanditiscritical
forthesurvivaloftheherd.Thisisapplicabletoleadershiptrainingfortheindividualto
recognizetheirownpresenceandcommandwithintheirorganizationssotheycan
sustainapositiveleadershiprole.
KeepingPeopleSafeAsALeadershipMetaphor
Theconceptofleadingforthesafetyoftheherdisimportanttohorses.Horseherds
tendtodemonstratethreeleadershipstylesleadershipstyleswhichmirrorwhatmany
ofusexperienceeverydayinorganizations.First,therearetrueleaderswholeadfor
thesakeoftheherd,takingcareoftheiremployeesandpayingattentiontothe
workingsoftheinternalandexternalenviroment.Second,therearethosewhoare
dominantbullies,pushingothersaroundandlookingliketheyareincontrol.Others
avoidthemandthismaybeperceivedasleadershipbyanonlooker.Finally,thereare
thosewhogoalongwiththingsinasubmissivemanneralsoconsideredpassive
leadershipbehavior.Thetrueleadhorseservesastheresponsibleleaderleadingfor
theprotectionandsurvivaloftheherd.Iftheleadhorseisnotconstantlyawareofthe
environmentandprovidingconstantcommunicationexchangethenpredatorsmaykillit
ormembersoftheherd.Allmembersoftheherdwhowanttobesafeandcaredfor
makesuretheyknowwheretheirleadhorseisatalltimes.Thedominanthorsetries
tobealeader,pushingandmovingothersaroundsuccessfully,butisnevergiven
leadershipstatusbecauseitisconsideredabullyandnotlookingoutforthesafetyof
all.Othersmaycomplytemporarilybuttheydonotlooktoadominanthorseastheir
trueleader.Thepassivehorsegoesalongwiththeleaderandwillinglytakesorders
andparticipateswithintheherdhierarchywhichisalsoimportantwhentheleadhorse
givesthesignaltoleavequicklyordangerisnearby.Mostparticipantsintheleadership
trainingprogramsidentifywithwantingtoleadforthesurvivaloftheiremployeesand
theorganization.Observingandengaginginthetrainingprogramshelpsbuildthat
ability.
TheDifferencebetweenEquinePartneredExperiencesandOtherOutdoor
AdventureTraining
Comparingthesocialsystemsofhorseherdswithsocialsystemsinsideorganizationsis
anewwaytoassistinleadershipgrowth,changeandtransformation.Engaging
individualsandteamsinequinepartneredexperiencesisdifferentthanmanyofthe
popularoutdooradventureorexperientiallearningcourses.Somepeoplecomparethe
leadershipwithhorsesprogramstooutdoorsurvivalprograms,ropescourses,river
raftingtripsorotheroutdooradventures.(Graham,2007)However,unliketheseother
experientialprograms,theequinepartneredexperiencesgobeyondovercomingfears
inaperiodofstresstoadeeperlevelofconnection,engagementandheartfeltlearning.
Theactivitiesrequiretruecommunicationandengagementwithanotherbeingata
levelthatdoesnotoftenpresentitselfintraditionaltrainingenvironments(Rosak,1995).
Itisnotaboutovercomingfearorbuildingselfconfidencetojumpoffacliffwithothers.
Itisaboutrecognizingthemomentofanenergeticconnectionwithanotherbeingand
whatthatcommunicationmomentreallymeansforlastingandeffectiverelationships.
Theexperienceofconnectingstronglytoahorsehasbeenprofoundforparticipants.
Theyofteninquireaboutcertainhorsesayearortwoaftertheirinteraction.Theyalso
retellaparticularlessontheylearnedaboutthemselvesinthepresenceofahorseand
howtheexperiencehasstuckwiththem.Thechangesandrealizationsare
persistentandofferparticipantsreflectiveinsightswhichresonatefordays,weeks,
monthsandevenafewyears.(Compiledfromjournalentriesandobservationsfrom
morethan200participants)
ALessonOnHowOthersReflectYourEnergyPresence
Duringoneofthesessionsattheranch,Melissastatedthatshefeltdifficultyinothers
trulyunderstandingher.Shementionedsomesituationswithherparentsaswellasher
coworkersandherfianc.Melissamanagedabusyretailstoreandwasparticipating
inanorganizationalbehaviorclass.Aspartoftheleadershipsegmenttheauthor
insertedtheleadershipwithhorsesworkshopinthecurriculum.Oneofthefirstactivities
wasforparticipantstomutuallychooseahorsetoworkwiththroughawarenessofthe
exchangeofenergeticconnectionandunderstandingbetweenthemselvesandthe
horse.Often,onehorsemayendupwithtwotothreepeopleoutofagroupof1015.
Onthisday,MelissafoundherselftheonlypersonsensingaconnectionwithRusty.
Rustyisaverypersonalhorseandusuallyendsupwithseveralpeoplewhoaredrawn
toworkwithhimduringworkshops.ItwasunusualthistimethatitwasjustMelissa.
Shelaterstatedinherjournal,
Ineverfeltsomirroredintermsofanotheranimalandmyselfinmylife.Ifeltlikehewas
tryingtoreachouttomebutforsomereasonIdidntlethimallthewayinbecauseitwas
overwhelmingtomeandIdidntquiteknowwhattodo.Ithinkthathedefinitelysensedthat
withme.HesensedmypowerandconfidenceafewtimesandIreallydidfeeltheenergy
betweenhimandmewhenIhadhimmovingthenthereweretimeswhenIfeltlostinthe
processandweakandthatwaswhenIknewIlostRustyandhisrelianceonmeashisleader.
It'scrazytomehowwecanoverlooksomanyminordetailswithinourlivesthatplagueand
exciteusonanongoingbasis,buttheninamomentorthroughmeresecondswithahorse,you
canhavealltheclarityintheworldastowhatplaguesorexcitesyou,astheylookwithinyour
soulandyoutotheirs.AllIhavetosayiswow!Iamtrulyspeechlessastotheimmense
freedomthisstudyhasbroughttomylife.ItisafeelinglikenootherthanIhaveeverknown.
MelissalatertoldtheauthorthattheconnectionwithRustyandtherealizationsshe
experiencedledhertoarrangeforameetingwithherparentstotalkaboutsomethings
thathadpulledthemapart.Shealsosaidthatshewastryingoutadifferent
managementapproachatworkandwasgettingalongbetterwithheremployees.She
alsofoundthatshewasreducingheralcoholconsumptionbecauseshewantedtofeel
morepresent.ShecameoutforseveralprivatesessionswithRustyaftertheclasswas
overtoengageinequinepartneredcoaching.(takenfromnotesandconversationswith
Melissa)
HowDoesThisTypeofEducationalDevelopmentWork?
EquinePartneredExperiences(EPE),EquineFacilitatedLearning(EFL),Equine
GuidedEducation(EGE),EquineAssistedActivities(EAA)andEquineFacilitated
Psychotherapy(EFP)aregainingincreasingrecognitioninthefieldofpersonalgrowth
andleadershipdevelopment(Halberg,2008).Horsesareincludedaspartners,
consideredasemotionalsentientbeings,intheventureandawarenessforfacilitating
leadershipchangeandlearning.Becausetheydonothaveafrontalcortex(Grandin,
2005),theyarenotcapableofseparatingtheirfeelingsfromtheirbehavior.Infact,they
areprimarilyemotionalbeingsandrespondtothestimuliproducedbyemotionalenergy
whichbeginsintheheart.(McCraty,2006)Horsesdonotapproachrelationshipswith
anyagendas,judgments,orpreconceivedthoughtsofhowtherelationshipshouldbe.
Inaddition,theyarenotfamiliarwithconceptssuchassacredcowsinorganizations,
theydontcarewhatgender,race,sexualorientation,economicstatus,positionsyou
holdoranyothersocialindicatorsofstatusorequity.Thismakesthemidealin
providinghonestandclearfeedbacktothosewhoengageincommunicationwiththem.
Italsohasbeeneffectiveatrestoringasenseofrelationshipwithnatureandnaturallife
cyclesastatethathasbeenconsideredanimportantelementtothedevelopmentof
theemotionalself(Goleman,2006).
Incorporatingparticipantsinapartneredapproachwithatrainedfacilitatorandwilling
horsesisprovingtobeausefulanddynamicapproachforcreatinglastingand
meaningfulleadershipchanges.Itisimportanttotheintegrityandoutcomethata
competenthorseperson,acompetenthumanrelationsfacilitator,andahorsewhohas
beentrainedforthisworkareconsideredwhenparticipatinginthesetypesofprograms.
Thepotentialfortransferenceandcountertransferencecanoccurwithinthetraining
environmentanditiscriticalthatthehorseandthehumanarenotharmedandalways
keptsafementally,emotionally,spiritually,aswellasphysically.(Rector,2005)
WhyDoHorsesMaketheDifference?
Therehasbeenagreatdealofresearchandtrainingintheareaofleadership
development...soyoumayask,whyhorsesandwhyisthisdifferentanddoesitwork
andwillthelearningsstickorbesustainable?First,itisdifferentbecausewhena
humancomesfacetofacewithahorse,thehorsecanonlyworkwithintheboundaries
ofthepresentmomentandofferacommunicationenvironmentthatisgroundedin
honestyandtruth.Horsesarenotcapableoflyingashumansareandthusmake
excellentpartnersintheleadershiptransformationprocess.(Dorrance,1999)Horses,
becauseofthenatureofbeingpreyanimals,aremastersatreadingbodylanguageand
nonverbalcommunication.Theyrespondinstantlytothetrueenergeticfieldofthe
human.Thetrainingprogramsworkbecausetheactivitieswiththehorsesaredesigned
toallowparticipantstoexperiencethealignmentormisalignmentoftheenergetic
momentinthepresentandmakechangesimmediately.Itisnotpresentedinawaythat
requiresparticipantstodohomeworkorengageinathinkingactivityinsomefuture
momentinordertounderstandwhathappened.Whenworkisdonewiththehorses,it
isdelightfully,or,painfullyobvioushoweffectiveapersonorteamisatleadingforthe
safetyofeachotherandtheperformanceoftheorganization.
CrossCulturalTrainingwithHorsePartnerships
Theauthortaughtacourseincrossculturalmanagementfortenyears.Herevaluations
andcontinuouscontactwithstudentswouldbeenoughforsometoconsiderherefforts
tobesuccessful.However,itwasnotuntilshebroughthercrossculturalmanagement
classoutforadayofleadershiptrainingthatsherealizedhowsignificantthehorses
wereinvirtuallyeliminatingboundariesofdifferenceandallowingforastateofcomplete
appreciation,careandsupportofothers,nomatterwhotheywereorwheretheywere
from(Trompenaars,1994).Oneparticularclassconsistedofaproximately20students
whooriginatedfromdiversecountriessuchasKenya,Brazil,Turkey,China,Taiwan,
Thailand,Peru,Germany,Sweden,Russia,Tunisia,Mexico,Italy,Egypt,andtheUSA.
Thestudentswereaskedtoparticipateinseveralleadershipexerciseswiththehorses
asapartofadayattheranchonleadershipandculture.Itwasimmediatelyapparent
tothestudentsthatthehorsesdidntcarewhatnationalitytheyoriginatedfromorwhat
languagestheyspoke.Theyonlycaredhowthestudentspresentedthemselvestothe
horsesenergeticallyDidthestudentsstandbeforetheminheartfeltappreciationand
readkytobeeffectiveleaders?Thehorsesjustwantedtoknowifthestudentshad
goodheartsandiftheyweregoodleaders.Manystudentscommentedthattheyhad
neverexperiencedanythinglikethisintheUnitedStates,thatitwasalwaysthem
adaptingtotheAmericansituationsorthescenariospresentedinclassroom
discussions.Someoftheparticipantsexperiencedafewtearsofjoyattheconnection
theyrealizedwithanotherbeingandhowgooditmadethemfeel.Theyalsostatedthat
theyfeltanintensedesiretocareforthehorseandtobeagoodleaderandaware
person.
OneKenyanstudent,whowasdestinedtoreturntohishomecountryandbecomechief
ofhislocaltribechangedhiswholedemeanortotheclassandcouldnotstayaway
fromShiloh,abigblackmustangadoptedfromtheBureauofLandManagementand
gentledbytheauthor.Thetwoofthemmadeapowerfulconnection. Heproclaimeda
greatdealofappreciationforShiloh'sblacknessandhisstrengthandpowerasawild
horse(hewasgentlenow).
Thewallsbetweenalltheculturescametumblingdownthatday.Thedebriefingafter
theexercisewasasrawandexposedasanyactivitytheprofessorhadeverconducted.
Manytearsweresharedbetweenthestudentsastheirheartsopenedtothehorsesand
toeachother.Journalsweresubmittedproclaimingthatthehorseexperiencewasthe
mostprofoundinalltheireducationinanyoftheircountries.Itwasthefirsttimethey
experiencedthemselvesandotherswithnoculturalboundariesonlyhowthey
interactedwithoneanotherfromtheheartandthattheheartknowsnocultural
boundaries.TheprofessorhadtwosetsofparentssendhermessagesfromChina
askingwhatshehaddonewiththeirchildrenthathadgiventhemsomuchcourageand
confidencetocontinuetheirstudiesintheUSinsuchadeterminedmanner.Allshe
couldrespondwasthatitwasgiftfromtheinteractionwiththehorses.Shehadjustset
uptheexperienceforthestudentsandtheytookfromitwhatwasimportanttothem.
EnergeticAwarenesssinMBAStudents
Theauthorincludedahorsesandcoherentleadershipsegmentinherleadershipand
managementofchangeclassintheMBAcurriculum.Duringapreliminaryactivityto
preparethestudentsforcomingouttotheranchsheworkedontheirawarenessoftheir
energeticfieldsandhowtheyinfluencedoneanotherwiththeirpresence.(Lipton,2005)
OnestudentfromTurkey,Hakan(namechanged),hadbeenparticularlyaggressive
duringthepracticeactivitiesandtheprofessorsuggestedthatthestudentnotattendthe
horsesessionifhewasgoingtohavesuchaggressivebehavioraroundherhorses. He
didattendthesession,butasamuchcalmerperson.Hehadhadsuchastrong
reactiontothefeedbackabouthisenergythathemadeatremendousshifttoagentler,
moreapproachableperson.Thisdidnotgounnoticedwiththehorses,whowillingly
engagedinactivitieswithhim,anditwasapparentfromtheirbehaviorthatmutual
appreciationofhorseandhumanoccurredbetweenthem.Inhisjourna,land
insubsequentdiscussionswiththeprofessor,helaterchangedfromastressfuland
unfulfillingjobtoachallengingandengagingorganizationandjobenvironment.Healso
brokeuparelationshipthathadprovendysfunctionalforseveralmonths.Hebecame
moreseriousabouthisstudiesandchangedtheaggressiveangrypresenceheinitially
exhibitedintosomeonewhowasquitepleasanttobearound.Italmostseemedtoofast
ofachange.Thestudentattributedhisrenewaltohisexperienceintheclasswiththe
horsesandrealizedhecoulddothingsadifferentway.Theauthorrelayedtheresults
tocolleaguesfromtheclinicalpsychologydepartmentwhostatedthatthosekindsof
changeswouldnormallytakemonthsoryearsnotjustafewweeksandwerevery
supportiveoftheresults,confirmingthatthetrainingwithhorseswasverysuccessfulfor
initiatingchange.
HowDoesEPEHelpUsUnderstandOrganizationalSystems?
Aspreviouslystated,horsesliveinherdsandarepreyanimals.Thus,theydependon
theirabilitytoreadtheintentionofotheranimalsfortheirsurvival.Theydependon
theirabilitytorelay,orwhatweoftenhearasthetermmirror,thisinformationnon
verballytoothersintheherdinordertomaximizeherdsurvivability.Theyhaveakeen
abilitytosenseemotionalenergyofthosearoundthemandrespondinasynchronous
manner.Theseinstinctsallowthehorsetobeanidealpartnerinworkingwithhumans
tohelprediscovertheabilitytosensetheenvironmentandcommunicatewhetherthere
isathreattoourselvesandothers.Itisthisabilitytodiscovertheenergeticfieldof
humaninteractionthatmakesthistypeofworksorelevanttogoodcommunicationand
organizationaleffectiveness.(KayeGehrke,2006)Horsesexpecthumanstobe
congruentandcoherentwhileinteractingwiththem.Theyarequickandinstinctualin
sensingtheemotionalfieldandthishelpsencouragepeopletolearnhowtodevelop
trust,tooperatewithintegrityandfairness,tobeclearincommunicationandintention
andtoaccepthowthingsgowithoutcriticismandjudgment.Theselessons,which
horsessogenerouslyandpatientlyteachus,canbesolidifiedattheneurocellularlevel
inourphysicalselvesandbehelpfulinimprovingourrelationshipwithourselvesand
others.(Church,2007)
WorkingFromtheHeartNotJustTheHead
Lisa(namechanged),isasinglemotherwhoexperiencedadifficultdivorce.Shewasa
doctoralstudentinorganizationalpsychologyandparticipatedinanexperimental
doctoralclasswhichtheauthorled,calledChaostoCoherence.Partoftheclass
includedgroupandindividualcoachingsessions(Goldsmith,2006)withthehorses.
WhenLisaarrivedattheranchsheclaimedthatshefelttiredandsad.Oneactivity
involvedgroominghorses.Oftentimesparticipantsclaimthat,whengroomingthe
horses,theyshiftintoahigherlevelofenergeticconnectionwiththehorsesand
themselves.Thenextactivity,calledgestaltwithhorses,involvedLisabeinginan
arenawiththehorse.Therewasnospecificagendaexcepttolistenandbewiththe
horse.Thefacilitatorisalwaysnearbytoinsureasafeworkingenvironmentforboththe
horseandthehuman.Lisahadapowerfulresponsetothegestaltactivity.Thesewere
herwordsabouttheexperience.
Thisexperiencehastrulychangedmylife.IamaveryskepticalpersonbynatureandIamnot
easilyswayedfrommypersonalbeliefs.However,thehorsecoachingexperiencehaschanged
mypersonalbeliefsaboutenergyandconnectionsbetweenpeopleandanimals.Italsoallowed
metobreakawayatawallIhavebuiltaroundmyselfforsometime.Ireallyfoundmyselftrying
tothinkRustyovertome,which,ofcourse,yieldednoresults.WhenRustydidcomeoverto
meIreallyfeltthiswarmthbetweenus.IreallynoticedadifferencewhenIwasinmyhead
andwhenIwasnt.ThehorsesrespondedsomuchtomewhenIwasexperiencingemotionin
myheart.Ispendalotoftimeinmyheadandittookalotoffocustoremaininmyheart.This
experiencetaughtmethatIcanbebigandenergizedandpowerfulandstillbelikedand
effective.ItalsotaughtmethatthewallIbuiltwastrulypushingpeople(andanimals)away
frommeandalmostunsureofhowtoapproachme.(Atonepoint,Rusty,camehalfwaydown
thearenaandstoppedasiftosay,Doyouwantmearoundornot?)Icouldntimaginetryingto
bealeaderwithpeopleafraidofhowtoapproachme.IalsolearnedthatIamsomuchmore
effectivewhenIaminmyheartasfarasconnectionsgo.Thedayattheranchwasthemost
timeIhavespentinmyheartinyears.Ileftfeelingsomuchbetterandmoremyself.
Often,youwillhearthathorsestendtobemirrorsforhumanemotionsandareableto
allowustounderstandourselvesandmakechangesinthepresent.Inreality,horses
actuallyassistindemonstratingtheconsequencesofemotiondrivenbehaviorwithout
thesupportofverbalcommunication.Ifahorsedoesnottrustyourintentionsthenitwill
notbeasresponsivetoyourleadership.Theirsurvivaldependsontheemotionalclarity
oftheherdleadertokeepthemsafe(Strozzi,2004).Forexample,ifweworkwitha
horsewhenwefeelangry,frustratedordepressed,thehorsedoesnotnecessarily
becomeangry,frustratedordepressed.However,theyrespondtotheenergyof
frustration,anger,depressiontheyrespondtotheemotionswegenerate,Humans
mayexperiencethesameemotionalresponsebuttheyhavebeensocializedtocensor
avisibleresponse.Whenhumansfakehappiness,confidence,supportthenthisonly
servestodenyormisreadthecongruenceofhowothersmayactuallyfeelorwantto
reacttotheemotionalenergypresence.Lisalearnedthiswhenshehadhercoaching
experiencewithRusty.Hedidnotknowwhattodowhenshesentconfusingmessages
aboutherleadership.Thismakesahorsefeelunsafeanditdoesnotwanttobewith
thebeingwhoismakingitunsafeinnaturalenvironmentstheycouldgetkilledinsuch
circumstancessotheirinstinctsprevailwhenahumanbehavesorsendsconfusing
messagestothem.
Thesocialpressuresofoursocietyhavetaughthumansthislearnedfakebehavior.
And,asthetoppredatorsinthefoodchaintherehasnotbeenanyincentivetorewire
thisdishonestbehavior.Thehorsesenses,veryquickly,ahumansfrustration,anger,
confusionandtheymaydothreethings.
1)trytoleavethesituationbyrunningaway
2)freezeandnotberesponsivetoanyrequestsorinteractionsfromthehumansource
oftheconfusion,or
3)theymaybecomeaggressivetowardsthesourceorothersnearby.
Thisisnotunlikesituationswhichwefindinmostorganizationalenvironmentstoday.
Theenergyoftheemotionissomethinghorsessenseveryquicklyandrespondto.If
theydonotsenseyouasacongruentleader,theywillnotlooktoyouforleadershipor
safety.Byobservingourselvesinrelationshipwithhorsesandbecomingawareoftheir
reactiontoouremotionalenergy,thisthenbecomesalearningopportunityformaking
changesinhowweauthenticallymanageouremotionsandourabilitytoleadinrelation
toselfandothers.(McCormick,1997)
EnergeticallyLeadinganEffectiveTeam
Duringoneoftheauthorscorporateprogramstheorganizationhadrequestedteam
buildingactivitieswiththehorses.Tohelpthegroupunderstandenergeticconnection
thegroupwasaskedtoformalargecircleandstandatleast510feetawayfromone
another.Oneoftheteamleaderscameintothecenterofthecircletodirectthe
exercisewhichwastoaskahorsetomovefrompersontopersonaroundthecirclein
onedirectionthentoturnandgobacktheotherway.Theteamwasnotallowedto
touchthehorseormoveitoutofawalkorgetitupset.Theyweresurethiswouldbea
simpleactivity.Afterall,theyhadalreadyworkedwiththishorseandtheythoughthe
likedthem.Theystartedoutveryconfidentappointedtheorganization'spresidentas
theteamleader.Thehorse,Storm,startedinthecirclewiththeteamandappeared
engagedwiththegroup.Then,asthegroupbecamemorecompetitiveandinterrupted
theteamleadersdirectionsbyyellingateachotherStormstartedactingworried.One
personthoughtthatthehorselikedthemsomuchthathecouldleadthehorsefrom
persontopersonhimself.Heproclaimedhimselfthesavioroftheactivity.Whenthis
happened,theleaderquitherroleastheleaderoftheactivity.Stormstoppedand
wouldn'tmovewiththenewlyselfappointedindividual.TogetStormmovingmanyof
theteammembersstartedwavinghands.Thiscausedtheenergyleveltoescalateso
muchthatthehorseranofftotheothersideofthearena.Itbecameapparenttothe
teamthattheenergeticconnectionwasbeingsacrificedforthesakeoftryingtogetthe
taskdone.TheyinitiallyblamedthehorseandthoughtStormwasnotcooperatingwith
theirdirections.However,thehorseWASdoingwhattheywantedittodosinceitwas
respondedtotheirenergeticcommunicationoffrantic,takeover,blame,andfrustration
(Mills,2005).Thedebriefwaspowerfulwhentheydiscussedthatthisisexactlyhow
theyconducttheirteamworkbackattheoffice.Itwasaverysoberingexperiencefor
them.Afewweekslatertheyaskediftheycouldcomeouttotheranchanddothe
activityagain.Thistimetheywerecalmer,theyfocusedontheenergyandhowthe
horsewasresponding.Theyweremoresuccessfulthistimeandhadtoldtheauthor
howmuchtheyhadbeenworkingonrecognizingandbeingawareoftheenergetic
connectionofhowtheyallworkedtogether.Thepresidentofthecompanyexpressedto
theauthorthat,energywasn'tsomethingtheyhadpaidattentionto.Afterthehorses
andteamworksessionsithadbecomemorevisibleandapparenttothem.Backatthe
officetheystartedanewbehaviorofrecognizingandmonitoringthelevelofenergy
amongeachotherandindicatingtooneanotherwhetheritwascontributingtomoreor
lessmotivationtocooperate.Theystatedthatthisprocesshadcreatedavery
significantculturechangeintheirorganization.Asindicated,thenexttimetheycame
forasession,theeffortandoutcomewasmoresuccessful.
Thecompanypresidentcommented:
Ifahumanapproachesthehorsewithanagendaandgoalandnotfromapositionofopenness
andawarenessthenitisunlikelythatresultswillbeattainedorfulfilling.However,whenthe
humantunesintotheenergeticfieldofothersandrespondsappropriatelythenmoreoftenthan
notitleadstosuccessfulcommunicationandleadership.
QuantitativeResearchSupportingtheBenefitsofHorseHumanInteraction
Theauthorfoundverylittlequantitativeevidencetosupportalltheanectodotalwriting
claimingthebenefitsofhorsesandhumansworkingtogether.Sherecentlybegana
researchprojecttoquantitativemeasuretheemotionalbondbetweenhorsesand
humans(KayeGehrke,2007)Usingheartratevariabilityasamarker,ateamof
researchersissettingouttomeasuretheemotionalconnectionbetweenhorsesand
humans(Mistral,2007).Thehorsesheartis45timeslargerthanthehumanheartand
capableofsensingamagneticfieldviaitsheartmuchstrongerthanweashumans
(McCraty,2006)(Becker,2004).Theinitialresultsaresupportingthehypothesisthat
whenhumansareinemotionalstatesofpresencethentheconnectionbetweenthem
andthehorsebeginsshowingsimilarrhythmstothehumans.Theresearchiscurrently
undergoingfurtherrigoryet,itdoesprovidesomeinitialsupporttothesuggestionthatit
feelsgoodtouswhenhumansexperienceheartfeltenergeticconnectionsbetween
ourselvesandahorse.Itisabeginningtodemonstratequantitativelywhatthispaper
hasqualitativelysuggestedthatthistypeofleadershipdevelopmentcanbestress
reducing,andcontributetomoreauthenticandeffectiveleadership.
Conclusion
Thereisverylittlepublishedresearchregardingthisemergingfieldoftrainingand
coachinginpartnershipwithhorses(KayeGehrke,2008).Mostoftheliteratureis
directedatpsychotherapeuticinterventionswhicharemuchdifferentthanthework
describedinthispaper.(EFMHAsummaryofresearch,2006)Horsesarepowerful
archetypesandtheyevokeintenseemotionsamongtrainingparticipants.However,in
leadershiptrainingthefacilitatorsdonotengageinpsychologicalanalysis.The
guidanceisbasedonprinciplesaboutworkinginthepresentmoment,andbecoming
awareoftheimpactofone'senergyonanotherbeinginthiscaseahorsewho
provideshonestfeedback.Thehorsesprovetobeeffectivelivingbiofeedbackbeings!
Unlikeothertrainingprogramswhereaparticipantmayneedtogoawaytoworkon
thingstheylearnedaboutthemselves,horsesallowpeopletomakeimmediateand
lastingchanges.Thisalignswiththeemergingneuropathwayresearchsuggestingthat
presentmomentexperiencescanleadtopermanentcognitiveandemotionalchanges
inthehuman.(Church,2007)Asnaturalhorsemanshiptrainershaveknownforalong
time,horsesarenotjudgmental.(Rashid,2005)Ifapersonisangry,fearfulorunaware
oftheirimpactonothersthentheycanlearn,withthehelpofhorses,tomastertoolsor
resourcestochangetheirneurologicalandenergeticstate.Whenthishappenshorses
immediatelyrespondtothehumanchangeinapositivemannerwithoutjudgingthat
thehumanwasdifferentafewminutesagoorlastweek.Thisabilitytomakeapositive
changeandrewireoranchoramorepositiveemotionalstateastheeventoccursisthe
primaryreasonwhythisworkwithhorsesissopowerfulforhelpingtoimprove
individualleadershipability,groupand/ororganizationaleffectiveness.(Hunt,1987)
Plus,itisfunandmemorable.Horsesenjoythecompanionshipofhumansand
respondwithloveandappreciationtohonesty,sincerityandcare.Theywilltryto
pleaseahumanwhoofferspositiveconsistentheartfeltleadership.Offeringleadership
trainingwithhorsesthatinvolvescarefullydesignedactivities,welltrainedhorses,an
openworkingenvironmentandateamofskilledandeducatedfacilitatorsthenthistype
ofleadershiptrainingsupportsthehypothesisthathorsescanserveashonest
biofeedbackbeingsforimprovingleadershipandrelationshipsinorganizations.
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AbouttheAuthor:
EllenKayeGehrkePh.D
Professor,NationalUniversity
SchoolofHealthandHumanServices
DepartmentofCommunityHealth
ekayegehrke@nu.edu
Majorresearchinterests:Thehumananimalbond,healthbenefitsofreconnecting
peopletonatureandanimals,energymedicine,organizationalleadership,crosscultural
healthcaremanagement,