Using horses with forms of therapeutic care is something that several of us have already heard about. Now, there is a new form of work for which horses can be great: to help create better teamwork and to learn how to manage a group of employees. “Horses and coaching” is a method that uses non-verbal communication in order to learn how to be authoritative and is becoming increasingly popular in France.

The employees that you wish to train meet in a stable. Their teacher is an equestrian coach and he will work on learning how to communicate with other employees. The purpose of working with horses is that they do not obey as well if you try to overpower them. Therefore, what you need to focus on is how to convey the fact that there is a hierarchy to respect, all the while maintaining a relationship that is based on equality and respect.

To start, the horses need to be approached carefully. They are a mirror image of our own behaviour – a point that is important to remember. The one in the ring with the horse in question needs to find a way to appeal to it by treating it as an equal, but by also letting it know that it is not the one to take any of the decisions.

When trying to tell a horse what to do, the task must be clearly defined. Those who take part in this exercise also notice that being firm is vital. And, when you succeed in making the horse understand what your task is without frightening it, you will notice that it is relaxed. A horse that has understood that it must obey will lower its head a bit so that the neck is lined up with the back. It will also blink often.

In the end of the exercise, some people end up wanting lessons. Not surprising, since these animals are such a great form of therapy!

Photo credit: flickr.com