Last weekend I participated in an equine-assisted coaching experience at Ridge Equus. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was curious to find out what the animals I had loved as a young girl could teach me. What I found was that it is a very humbling experience being in a pen with a 1000 lb animal. It is also a profoundly moving experience to learn from them.
Horses are prey animals and are highly attuned to their surroundings. They can sense the intent and the energy of the animals or humans around them. Whether this awareness is delivered through body language, emotion or other verbal or non-verbal action, the horse responds accordingly.
On a beautiful ranch that rescues and provides sanctuary for a variety of unwanted horses, I had the opportunity to work with two of these powerful and gentle animals. I had two very different experiences with these two horses. With the first horse I felt confident and solid. With the second, I was scared. Ultimately, I saw the powerful way in which these two emotions impacted the horses with which I worked.
It was clear from my experience that confidence and positivity breeds the same in those around me. Conversely, when I am afraid or lacking confidence, others may literally turn away or, at the least, not have confidence in me. “No duh,” you may be saying to yourself. I get it; however, the full meaning of this was brought home to me in a much more visceral way last weekend.
In the first case, I worked with a 35-year old horse named Baby. After just a few moments and with not a word spoken, she began to follow me around the pen. This follow-the-leader exercise was exactly the intent I had for her. She sensed my confident intent and compassion for her and she did what I had non-verbally communicated.
In the second case, I worked with the magnificent (and very big) Lucerro. Frankly, I was afraid of her, although she had done nothing to cause that. I tried to communicate positive and confident thoughts. Instead, the horse sensed my fear and responded to that. She stood there, completely ignoring me and munching grass at my feet. (Does this remind you of any of your team members?) My real emotions spoke much more loudly than my intent, and that horse would have very little to do with me.
Are your deepest emotions, prejudices, fears, or inner conflicts communicating themselves more loudly than what you say? Is the result you are getting from your team (or your family) not in alignment with your words? If so, check in with yourself to understand why. You might try an exercise like the “7 Why’s.” This literally means asking yourself “why” seven times. It might sound something like this: “Why am I not getting the response I desire?” “Well, why is that?” “And why is that?” until you have answered this question seven times. This exercise is much like digging a well. You dig until you get to the drinkable water or, in this case, the core emotion or reason causing the misalignment. You may find, like I did, that a strong emotion is speaking much more loudly than your actions or your words.
As a leader of a team, how might this awareness impact the way you lead and the results you get?
To find out more about equine-assisted coaching or the programs at Ridge Equus, please contact laurel@ridgeequus.com
0
1
0
1