Considering booking the Horse Course as a
team-building activity for your company, nonprofit or volunteer team? We’ll design a series of activities that fit your group. You’ll be impressed with how the horses teach communication through their natural responses to you and the other participants.
The Horse Course©
Who is it for?
Any team that wants to increase its productivity and innovation! A recent Google study revealed that the biggest barrier to success for teams is lack of alignment. The Horse Course brings alignment through revealing your communication patterns and habits of behavior.
The course is designed for leaders who want to bring their teams together to learn in a positive, outdoor, and fun environment. Women's groups, sports teams, religious groups, non-profit boards/teams and corporate teams who value partnerships, communicating and accomplishing goals creatively, can benefit from interacting with horses and with each other.
How does it work?
We customize each session for your needs. The horses are the teachers and learning happens rapidly when you are in an unfamiliar environment. Note, there is no riding in this course, and there's no previous experience with horses required.
Diane Dean
Diane Dean is a Master Certified Coach, Trainer and Facilitator with a Masters degree in psychology. She has served as a Management Consultant for more than 20 years. Diane is an experienced horsewoman, and has combined her passions for horses and her love of coaching to create The Horse Course©.
Michelle Hefner
Michelle Hefner is a certified equine assisted life coach through the EponaQuest modality of equine assisted learning and a certified equine professional with the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association. She partners with Diane to facilitate the Horse Course, and is the founder of Zen Horse Life Coaching where her mission is to bring horse wisdom as inspiration for others to live authentic, balanced lives with presence, intention, passion and purpose.
“The day spent at the Horse Course had a lasting impact on our team dynamics in part by challenging our sedimented professional relationships and facilitating re-connection on many levels. It was one of the most memorable team experiences I have had in any setting.”
“I was so surprised to find myself more aware of my effect on my team, and theirs on me as I went through the course. What a wonderful memorable way to grow together!”
What makes horses such powerful teachers?
Like humans, horses are social animals with defined roles among their peers. They have distinct personalities and attitudes, and experience a variety of emotions. However, they also have many qualities that are admired and aspired to by humans, such as perfect honesty, unconditional acceptance, and instant forgiveness. Horses have the ability to mirror exactly what the human body is telling them physically and emotionally through nonverbal communication.
Working with horses during these activities requires both mental and physical engagement. Horses' intimidating size and power give amazing metaphors in learning to deal with challenging and intimidating situations within all working environments. If you can learn to use 'horse sense' in managing your teams, you'll have more successful business relationships and reduced stress and tension in accomplishing your goals.
“Leaders who can’t harness intelligence in body and brain—head, heart and gut aligned— are at a distinct disadvantage in today’s complex and volatile business environment.”
