Team Building
Team building with horses, to foster the development of personal and interpersonal skills for improved performance and satisfaction, inside and outside the workplace
Herds are to horses
As teams are to humans
Horses are herd animals that live in complex hierarchies. They are quick to establish a chain of command for the overall welfare of the herd and to reduce conflict over food and water. In the very strict social order of the herd, status is established through body language such as physical positioning and gestures.
Every herd has one stallion who is like a CEO; his role is protection of the herd and breeding. Second in command is the alpha mare who leads the herd to water and open spaces for grazing. She also keeps the herd under control, settles disputes, and leads retreat while the stallion brings up the rear to defend the herd from attack.
Experiential Learning
Through experiential learning with horses, our programs empower people to grow as individuals and develop a wide range of life and leadership skills.
Strengthening Relationships
The horses are the teachers, while our facilitators are there to guidance individuals and teams through a series of non-mounted exercises; challenging them to observe and engage in new ways, as they work towards a specific goal.
Producing Results
Equine Dynamics provides organizations team-building or team-bonding programs that can spark new insights to team interactions that increase connections and improve team culture. See research.
Horses, like humans, are social animals living and working within a community- a herd. Working with horses requires participants to make a connection, to form relationship based on trust, and to communicate clearly and with understanding, much like working in teams.
Programs include specifically designed non-mounted exercises with horses that focus on effective communication, trust, negotiation, and teamwork.
Learning to interact with horses will enhance:
* No experience necessary
Relationships and connection
Communication skills
Recognizing and enforcing healthy boundaries
Problem solving and conflict resolution
Goal setting
Building trust with peers and colleagues
Build leadership skills and showing confidence
SINGLE DAY - TEAM BUILDING
EACH PROGRAM HAS THREE PARTS
Part 1 - A group briefing where the learning objective for each program is clearly defined.
Part 2 - In the arena with the horses for the hands-on experiential learning exercises. This is approximately 45 minutes and is designed to focus on the specific skills related to the learning objective.
Part 3 - A group de-briefing where the experiences in the arena are discussed and explored within the context of the learning objective and paralleled to the outside world.
Minimum group - 6 participants
SINGLE DAY AGENDA: 9:30am to 2:30pm
Three Programs
1 - Understanding your partner & building relationships - 9:30am to 11:00am
In the first program, participants receive a full orientation about safety and why we work with horses.
Participants learn about herd behaviours and the similarities to human behaviours. Going through a variety of obstacles, the participants learn about leading and stopping their horse.
2 - Pressure & release - 11:00am to 12:15pm
In the second program, participants learn more about horse handling and how to use “pressure and release” to get results. With a light touch, participants will gain the cooperation of these large and powerful animals.
In addition to advancing their horse skills during this session, participants will continue to build upon their relationships with their horse and teammates.
Lunch - 12:30am - 1:15pm
Catered by Memphis Blues BBQ, including vegetarian and vegan options.
3 - Communication - 1:15pm to 2:30pm
In the third program, participants are divided into teams and challenged to work through a variety of obstacles. To find success, the participants need to communicate effectively, discuss different options, and work together.
The goal is to have teams think about what they need to do, as a unit, in order to complete each challenge. This helps participants focus on the objective and encourages teamwork and communication.
Many Canadian organizations have embraced Equine Assisted Learning, using the BuildingBlock curriculum, as part of their investment in team building, leadership training, and wellness.
