Introducing something most people have never heard of can be challenging business. Asking them to invest money in experiencing it, without really understanding it, is even more challenging. So we’ve developed a way to make that introduction and create some understanding for free.
LeadQuine will host its first “Taster Event” sessions on Friday, April 20, 2018. There will be two sessions to choose from that day—one in the morning from 9:30-11:30 am, and one in the afternoon from 1:00-3:00 pm. Both will be held at the Parks Farm in Oxford, just a mile off of M-24 and Oakwood Rd.
These sessions have been designed to give you the opportunity to experience a little of the workshops, and see how/if it would be a good fit to benefit your own team.
Equine guided learning is all ground work with the horses. There is no riding involved (or even allowed). We are partnering with the horses to experience their reactions and immediate feedback on our own behavior. Through a series of activities designed to specifically address a team’s challenges or goals, we see how our leadership, communication, conflict management, and approach impacts not only our team members, but the horses. Unlike people, horses are incapable of “faking” their feedback. They operate 100% on instinct, and they will react according to what they sense.
Both sessions will begin with some introductions and a safety demonstration. It’s very important that everyone understand how to approach and touch the horses in a way that we all stay safe. While the horses we work with are well-behaved and have good ground manners, they are still animals, and we want to make sure everyone knows some basics for respecting their space.
While every workshop is custom-designed to meet the participants’ goals, there are a couple of common activities we use in just about every one. In order to give you a sense of what the experience can be, we would like to lead you through one of those activities.
We will divide the group up and pair smaller groups with horses, as people feel comfortable. The small groups will then go through one of our hallmark activities, with every person having the opportunity to experience it. After the activity is complete, we will leave the horses in the arena and go have a seat in a separate area in order to debrief the activity. This is where the connections are made between what we’ve experienced with the horses, what we’ve noticed both as participants and facilitators, and how those experiences link back to our everyday working life. In a full workshop, this process is repeated with each activity.
Once we’ve debriefed, the facilitators will give a brief overview of how the full workshops work, in addition to what has been experienced. There will be plenty of time for asking questions and giving feedback, as well as time to interact once more with the horses before closing the session. We will start and end on time, in order to respect everyone’s schedules, including our host facility.
For those unsure of the horses, or a little afraid to be in their space, we will have a way for you to still observe and participate without being in the midst of the horses. We understand the fear and will not push anyone to do anything that makes them too uncomfortable.
For more information or questions, please reach out! You can leave a comment here, send us an email at info@leadquine.com or give us a call at 810-356-3093. And here’s the link to register if you are able to join us!
