“The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and freedom. ” — Sharon Ralls Lemon
Horses do not judge
and cannot lie
…but they continually assess. Horses provide instant, honest feedback when we connect with them. Learning to communicate with horses is a completely unique experience that can help us discover things about ourselves that spur personal change.
As social animals within a herd and as prey animals in nature, horses are finely tuned to subtle changes of body language, emotions and their environment.
A horse can sense the increased heart rate of an intended attacker more than seventy-five yards away.
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.
Why Equine Assisted Learning?
By engaging in specially designed exercises with horses, we find ourselves experiencing a new style of interaction that often lead to profound moments of self-discovery. When we learn how to communicate, lead and work effectively with horses, we learn more about ourselves and many valuable skills that can apply to our human relationships.
It isn’t really about the horse; it’s about having an honest, natural and raw interactive experience that helps us unveil things about ourselves, giving us the opportunity to learn and grow.
Why Equine Discovery?
The horses are the teachers at Equine Discovery. Through experiential learning with horses, our programs empower people to grow as individuals and develop a wide range of life and leadership skills.
Fully certified, our facilitators and horses are ready with exercises that are safe, fun, challenging, and memorable.
Hosted at one of Metro Vancouver’s premiere equestrian facilities you will enjoy outdoor and wide-open indoor spaces for comfort, convenience and professionalism.
Facilitation using the BuildingBlock (TM) curriculum.
Each program includes a series of weekly sessions selected from the BuildingBlock curriculum.
Each session targets a specific skill and is arranged in a building block format to meet the objective of the overall program. Each session includes specific objective-based exercises designed to focus on a particular skill and produce consistent and predictable outcomes.
Many Canadian organizations have embraced Equine Assisted Learning, using the BuildingBlock curriculum, as part of their investment in team building, leadership training, and wellness.
