Equine Assisted Coaching
Clearly, simply, and honestly, horses are able to show us what is waiting to be seen
The Horse as Mirror
Hello,
If you landed on this page is probably because you love horses and you are interested in increasing your self-awareness.
You will be happy and maybe pleasantly surprised to read that both these passions are combinable.
How? With The Horse as Mirror.
The Horse as Mirror is an Equine Assisted Coaching methodology which offers the opportunity to experience how horses can help you gain insight into yourself.
In contrast with the riding sport where we as human beings try to teach the horses something, in Equine Assisted Coaching we ask the horses what they can teach us.
Horses are prey animals and human beings are predators. Why would such a fragile, yet strong and powerful animal connect with a predator? Would you be able to tell their motivation for doing so?
If the words you have just read resonated with you and you would like to know more, get in touch with me for a commitment free discovery call.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Federica
Practical details:
- Sessions take place in Greater London
- No riding is involved
- No prior experience with horses required.
Why a session with horses?
Horses have been in the world for 65 million years and and they have collaborated with humans in war, sport and working life.
Their prey animal nature makes them extremely sensitive to their surroundings. A mistake in the interpretation of a signal from the environment can cost them their life, putting at risk not only themselves as individuals, but their entire herd too.
This means that horses are able to feel our emotions and intentions, even the most subtle ones, and react to them.
Understanding horses behaviour around humans is therefore very valuable, it tells us a lot about ourselves and it’s a great tool during a coaching session.
In an Equine Assisted Coaching session the horse and the coach are each other’s instrument to help the client understand what behaviour and dynamics are playing a role in their life and their results.
What is it?
The goal of a session with horses is to increase self-awareness and insight. You will be able to experiment new behaviours and beliefs immediately and see what effects they have.
Reflection is a powerful tool to increase self-knowledge. Reflection with horses’ help is very pure. Clearly, simply, and honestly, they are able to show us what is waiting to be seen. Their feedback is totally free from judgment and with no distortions, just like a mirror.
Through this reflection, your awareness of how you deal with results, relationships and making contact with others will increase.
You will also become aware of behavioural patterns and their effects.
Working with horses can also be valuable to a team as the dynamics and effectiveness will become visible. This can open up a constructive dialogue within the team.
With the help of a horse, I will put a mirror in front of you, in order to increase your self-awareness. We will also discuss how to apply the awareness in your daily life in a concrete way. We will work in a clear, refreshing, constructive and respectful manner.
The Horse as Mirror is quick, meaningful and gets straight to the point reaching the essence. This makes it possible to distinguish what is truly important from all the details without falling into dynamics, symptoms or small talk.
The added value of a session with horses is different for everyone. For this reason, I encourage you to try it for yourself and book a session with me.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do these horses follow a special training for this type of work?
The horses we work with are domesticated animals accustomed to humans in several settings.
They are not especially trained for coaching as that would actually go against the principle of a clear and genuine mirror.
They do have a number of important characteristics such as:
- reacting to humans in a stable and trustworthy way
- ability to take on the responsibility
- feeling good in their co-coaching role
- good mental and physical health
- all their natural basic needs are being met in the best possible way in their daily life.
Will I ride during the session?
The purpose of the sessions is to explore the interaction with the horse and the behaviour it provokes. It is therefore necessary to give the animal enough space to take distance, come into contact, connect and explore boundaries.
This is why no riding is involved and the work is done entirely on the ground.
This approach is closest to the horse’s nature and allows it to be a clear mirror.
I have no knowledge of or experience with horses. Will I still get something out of a session?
Absolutely. You as the client are central in this approach and the horse is an instrument leading to awareness and insight. It is not about learning how to manage a horse.
During the session, I will give you some information about horses and their natural behaviour. However, this is not an attempt to make you a horse expert, it is a way of facilitating the interaction with the animal and managing the conversation through my observations.
I am afraid of horses, is this still useful for me?
In every group there is someone who is afraid of horses. This is understandable: they are much bigger, stronger and faster than us.
Coaching is about exploring boundaries and my number one rule is to never do what doesn’t feel right for you. This said, if you are attracted to the idea and would like to give it a try, there are several options we can explore. For example, not getting too close to the horse. Even at a distance, there is a lot we can learn from the interaction.
In any case, the safety of all parties involved – coach, clients and horses – is paramount and we will always work according to the highest standards.
Why horses instead of other animals?
It is definitely possible to work with other animals. Some coaches, for example, work with dogs or cows.
I have chosen horses because this is where my heart and expertise are, and because of a number of characteristics they have.
Horses are suitable as mirrors thanks to the following characteristics:
- they are in the here and now
- their feedback is free from judgment
- their feedback is open and honest
- they are direct and to the point, touching the essence
- by nature, they have a need for clarity
- their antennas are very developed to spot our intentions, beliefs, thoughts and emotions
- by nature, they feel the need to form groups (herds)
- their instinct and nature to seek safety
- gentleness
- vulnerability
Advantages of working with animals in general are:
- they don’t feel social pressure to conform with others
- they don’t work according to socially acceptable standards (people-pleasing)
- they are unable to behave incoherently.
Who is it for?
For Teams
Working with horses can help a team to address the following aspects and answer the following questions:
- Breaking patterns: which problems and team dynamics keep coming back? How can they be addressed?
- Learning with and from horses: what can each team member learn about themselves and others?
- Team insights: how about the collaboration, connection and effectiveness of our team as a whole?
For Yourself
Working with horses can help you to answer the following questions:
- Relationships: what are my expectations when I approach others?
- Communication and boundaries: where do I draw the line and how do I make it clear?
- Perception and assertiveness: how do others see me? Is this what I want?
- Career and life goals: what do I want to achieve in life and how do I make it happen?
Book your discovery call
A story
Angela loves horses and has decided to try an equine-assisted coaching session following her friend’s advice. At the age of 27, she feels that she has reached quite a lot in life but is unsure about the next steps.
She wants to discover her true life goals. She feels like she started a journey a long time ago and in the meantime, has forgotten where she is heading to.
On arrival, Wendy, a beautiful bay mare, is waiting for her. Despite growing up around horses, seeing Wendy makes Angela feel like she has never seen a horse before. “Wendy looks so imposing”, she thinks… Her question for the session is: “What are my expectations and what do I look for in others?”
The coach invites Angela to walk in and choose the place next to the horse where she feels most comfortable. That done, Wendy starts getting in the way between Angela and the coach, as if to protect Angela.
Angela had placed herself like a foal would normally do, awakening Wendy’s protective instinct.
The insight arrived crystal clear. Angela’s instinct was to place herself as the one who needs protection. However, she actually wanted to be the one in charge of her own destiny. The time to “step up” to a new place had come.
Angela gave the following feedback after the session: “The answers were clear and pure. With no words, a horse managed to tell me much more than all the people whom I had met during my personal development journey.
I left the session feeling strong and confident. The transformative process started straight-away with no effort, requiring just acceptance, courage and a lot of strength on my side. At the same time, I am 100% positive that I am going to succeed.”