The world is changing and as equine assisted facilitators, we are being called to change step with it.
How do we serve more people with the horses when so many things are needed in helping humans grow, develop and heal?
I began experiencing this during the pandemic. Before the pandemic my work focused on leadership and mindset dynamics in growth and expansion of business.
The day the US shut down during the pandemic, my focus with the horses took a hard right turn and not out of choice. I was among the group of people thinking the world would open back up after a couple of weeks. (Yes, my denial was palpable.)
Immediately, I began plugging into leaders in the coaching industry that were thinking outside of the box. I began seeking research and reports to identify what was going on psychologically with the business sector. The best information I gathered came from my direct conversations with clients and past clients. What I learned was that the stress was on. The focus shifted from growth and expansion to survival overnight.
I had spent over a decade serving business owners in the capacity as a coach. Therapy was not on my calendar. I knew I had to change step because the issues showing up were different than the coaching work I had been doing.
I dropped back into classes to freshen my skills as a counselor to better help the business owners I serve move through that very difficult time. I needed to feel competent in this new role.
As time went on and the world emerged from the impact of being shut down, my clients began to reflect bigger work needed to get them back into growth and expansion mode. If you haven't read the book, Culture Shock by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter, it is eye opening about the huge mindset shift in the business sector.
As I navigated this shift, I realized that the world, and particularly the business world, had fundamentally changed. The need for deep emotional healing, personal resilience, and cultural transformation became more apparent. Leaders were no longer looking for the next big business strategy—they needed to understand how to foster environments where their teams could thrive amid uncertainty and upheaval. This was where horses, and the wisdom they naturally bring to the table, became even more crucial.
At first, that was daunting because I wanted to help them, but was not competent in that area.
What to do?
Do I get more training and certifications or find another parallel professional that has this skill set of cultural development? I had just completed much training on trauma and EMDR (Eye Movement De-sensitization and Reprocessing) to help business leaders process what had just happened.
The answer was easy and the process had to unfold. Finding the person with the skillset that would flow with the horse work took time and by just trusting the process, it all fell into place.
Partnering with another para-professional enhances your efficacy and overall practice and the same is true for them. Bringing horses into their already powerful work, only amplifies the impact and outcomes. Horses make their work stand out in a crowd.
Equine-assisted work offers a unique, visceral way to address what so many leaders and their teams are craving: connection, presence, and authenticity. Horses, with their keen sensitivity to energy and emotion, cut through the noise of theory and strategy, bringing people face to face with themselves. In working with horses, clients can access deeper parts of themselves that traditional office-bound leadership development often misses.
What’s most powerful about this work is that horses don’t just help with the external skills of leadership, but with the internal processes that underlie them—trust, empathy, self-awareness, and the ability to regulate one’s own nervous system in the face of pressure. These are qualities that leaders need now more than ever as they guide their teams through turbulent times.
This shift in my practice, though unexpected, has allowed me to serve in a far more holistic way. By combining my knowledge of leadership and mindset coaching with therapeutic modalities, and now collaborating with professionals who bring complementary skills to the table, we are able to address the full spectrum of what people need to truly transform. I can stay in my lane and offer more comprehensive solutions to the business sector.
What I’ve learned in this evolution is that the work with horses is adaptable. As the needs of the people we serve change, we are called to change with them, and the horses—just by being themselves—help facilitate that change effortlessly. They bring us back to what is essential, whether it’s in a leadership context, personal healing, or team development.
So, how do we serve more people with horses when the world is demanding so much?
By staying open, adaptable, and collaborative. By knowing when we need to bring in others with different skill sets to complement our own. And by trusting that the horses will continue to guide us—and our clients—toward what is most needed in each moment.
If you are wanting to step into work with the business sector and have zero training or experience - my suggestion is to partner with someone that does and / or get more training. Think about it, you wouldn't just step into serving veterans or trauma without some training.
The world may be changing, but the essence of what we offer—healing, growth, and connection—remains timeless. The horses remind us of that every time we step into the arena with them. And as facilitators, it is our job to listen, adjust, and keep moving forward in step with them.
Are you ready to make a shift in your practice with horses? If so, I'd love to connect with you about it. Drop me a line and let's have a virtual cup of coffee to explore what is possible for you...outside of the box.
CoachLora@HorseBusinessWhisperer.com