What a powerful experience! Two days of working with people who have existing practices of equine learning and development and taking it to the next level of refinement! This is the next step in the field of Equine Facilitated Learning and Coaching.
At their winter barn in Wellington, Florida, Equine Alchemy hosted people from the UK, Canada and all over the US in a journey of going deeper into themselves and their way of offering the value of working with horses. There were new exercises, new perspectives on familiar ones, as well as entirely new approaches.
Kathleen, co-founder of the apprentice program of the Epona Approach, http://sacredplaceofpossibility brought her many years of experience as a psychotherapist and mentor to the group. This workshop also served as part of the Continuing Education component for Epona graduates. She has worked with people, along with their herds, from all over the world and gave us insight into the common challenges and misinterpretations of this powerful learning modality. She reminds us of the central role of relationship that often gets lost in the work for so many and of our responsibility to continue to develop this crucial component within ourselves, with our horses and our clients.
Lisa brought her expertise as an approved Advanced Epona instructor and an International Coach Federation (ICF, PCC) coach as a way for the participants to become better coaches of the equine work. She focused on using foundational techniques of coaching to become more fully present, focus on the client and allow what Kathleen calls the 'sacred space of possibility'. This isn't always easy as it requires what Lisa calls one of the 2 skills for leadership in the 21st century:
- Being able to act without a full set of information
- Being willing to not have the answer(s)
This approach gives room for the real masters, the horses, to do their work without it being interrupted by the 'facilitators' &mdash No matter what our good intentions are!
Johanna, a former manager at IBM and horse expert extraordinaire, brought a new dimension of refinement and elegance to working with horses. The Equine Alchemy herd is a result of her training and teaching and they are all magnificent horses that compete at high levels in dressage and jumping. Because Johanna was a leader in the corporate world, she knows how to work with people and horses. The refinement she brings to the horses as teachers requires us as facilitators and coaches to aspire to that level of refinement as well.
As the field and popularity of Equine Facilitated Learning continues to grow, it is becoming clear that discernment in the differences of how it is being practiced is needed. It is no longer 'just working with horses'. There are significant differences in approaches, methodologies and outcomes. That's what this workshop was all about, exploring, alignment and refinement and the work was met with great enthusiasm.
We feel this is just the beginning! In response to this need, Equine Alchemy and Kathleen Barry Ingram are developing a series of these workshops to help refine your equine learning practice. We look forward to bringing you news about the dates of 'Refining your Equine Facilitated Learning Practice' series soon!
We would appreciate hearing your comments and needs about your practice. It is an opportunity to develop the Equine Facilitated Learning community.
Kathleen Barry Ingram, Lisa Murrell, Sylvain Poirier and Helene Bernier
Ruth Le Cocq with Pinot Noir
