"There's something about the outside of a horse,
that's good for the inside of a man (or woman or child)." 
Sir Winston Churchill

Who Should Attend the Horse Course?

YOU!  Anyone who wants to learn in a positive, outdoor, and fun environment!  Women's groups, sports teams, religious groups, and corporate teams who value partnerships, communicating and accomplishing goals creatively can benefit from interacting with horses and with each other.  

The Facilitation Team

Diane Dean is a Master Certified Coach, Trainer, Facilitator with a Master's degree in psychology and a Management Consultant with over 20 years experience.  She is an experienced horsewoman who has combined her passions of horses and coaching in The Horse Course. 

Rhonda Smith is a former corporate Executive.  She is now the owner of Spirit Reins, a non-profit organization that combines the beauty of the Texas Hill Country with the healing power of horses for the purpose of helping at-risk youth.  She is a certified horse professional with the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association and partners with psychotherapists and horses to change lives.

The Horse Course team also includes several horses that have spent years interacting with each other and mastering the art of nonverbal communication.  Growing up with a fear of predators and the instinct for survival, the horses know nothing other than open and honest feedback and provide great analogies for every competitive environment.

How Does it Work?

In an environment that respects the horses and the individuals, participants gain a better understanding of the areas where they have strengths and weaknesses.  Through reflection, participants can apply what is learned and map a creative strategy for being more successful in certain arenas of their lives - professional or personal.

An executive team comes to the ranch not sure what to expect and wondering exactly how a day at a ranch is going to help them become more successful at work.  They are faced with a twelve hundred pound animal, a large arena, and an activity that they must accomplish together.  The only catch is that there are a set of rules and constraints that seem to make their activity impossible.  Together they begin to run around the arena in various directions, and the scene that takes place creates a clear picture of what can take place in the office and shows exactly where the inefficiencies lie.  After floundering for a period of time, the horses start to give some pretty clear messages to the group.  With a few words of advice from the facilitators the team regroups and attempts to accomplish its goal once again.  Whether or not the goal is accomplished, the individuals take home some powerful lessons.  Not only do they learn how to better communicate with one another, how to better organize themselves to accomplish activities, how to utilize creative thinking and problem solving inside the office, they also develop closer friendships and a deeper understanding of how important each of their roles is to accomplishing tasks off the ranch.

Discussions follow each activity, which draw out the "ahas" that individuals share with one another - what did you see, hear or feel that is a metaphor for what happens at work or in your life?  What will you do differently at work as a result of your learning?

The Horse Course is usually held on the beautiful Spirit Reins Ranch, owned by horse professional and facilitator, Rhonda Smith.  It is located in Liberty Hill, Texas.  (Occasionally, we take this "show on the road".)

To have The Horse Course for your group, call Diane Dean at 512-345-7845.  Please leave a message if no one is available to take your call and someone will return your call within twenty-four hours.  Or write diane@thelearnersedge.com.  A consultant will meet with you before the course to tailor the facilitation to the aspects you wish to focus on and the outcomes desired for your team. 

What People Are Saying....

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The Horse Course Introduction

Copyright 2005 The Learner's Edge & Diane Dean