Coaching is a process in which the development of a person, team or organization is guided in a professional manner. A coach does this by observing, asking questions, confronting and mirroring. A horse is a herd animal and completely dependent on a good leader in the group. This makes a horse’s senses very sensitive and can read the body language of other animals perfectly. The horse flawlessly reflects your behavior and the underlying intentions. Coaching with horses gives people insight into their (unconscious) behavior and offers them the opportunity to develop further.
What is coaching?
Coaching is all about the relationship between the coach and the coachee. The coach facilitates the learning and development process of the coachee. The ultimate goal of coaching is to increase the professionalism of the coachee. Coaching takes place through coaching conversations. The coaching conversation is focused on the coachee’s questions. The coach can contribute to this in various ways:
- Through person-oriented coaching: the coach observes and supports from the perspective of the coachee.
- Through insight-oriented coaching: the coach tries to increase the coachee’s insight into the coachee’s own questions and problems.
- Through problem-oriented coaching: the coach helps the coachee to tackle problems.
- Through solution-oriented coaching: the coach offers the coachee support in finding solutions.
Coaching consists of several steps:
- The intake interview and the conclusion of a contract: this is important to determine whether there is a click between the coach and coachee and whether the coachee’s question suits the coach as a person.
- Preparing for the conversation: it is wise to enter the conversation blank, so that you can fully focus on the coachee. Decide in advance whether you want to take notes,
- Structure of the conversation: determine where the conversation will take place. Choose a position diagonally opposite each other in a quiet room with good chairs and pleasant light.
- During the conversation: start with an open question, so that you give the coachee the opportunity to tell his/her story. Listen carefully, use the coachee’s body language. Use mirroring, summarizing, concretizing and reflecting the coachee’s feelings.
- Conclusion of the coaching contract: setting goals, determining topics, discussing approach and methodologies. Make time agreements and discuss the method of testing or evaluation to monitor the intended effects.
Coaching with horses
Horses are prey animals that live in a herd. To survive in the wild, a horse is completely dependent on the herd. A strong leader is essential for this. Horses see people as predators. They communicate through body language. When a horse comes into contact with people, it seeks leadership to increase its chances of survival. A horse immediately recognizes authentic behavior. He senses perfectly whether your behavior matches your feelings. Horses reflect your qualities and pitfalls without judging.
A coach can use horses to coach people. When the horse comes into contact with the coachee, it immediately indicates his qualities and pitfalls by mirroring the coachee’s behavior. The coach observes the horse and the coachee and thus receives a lot of information about the coachee. The coach can then work on the coachee’s problems in conversations with the coachee.
As a coach, you can take a training course to learn how to use horses for coaching processes. You don’t necessarily have to know much about horses, but it is an advantage. During this training you will learn coaching skills as well as the use of horses for coaching.
Coaching skills from coach to coachee:
- Contact
- Make a diagnosis
- Self-directed learning
- Interventions with the help of horses
- Communication skills
- Translation of horse behavior for the coachees
Skills using horses:
- Observing and interpreting the behavior of the horse in the herd
- Use the horse’s character
- Learning to use the horse’s properties for personal growth of the coachee
- Learning to choose a good coach horse
- Learning to do groundwork with the horse
- Learning to work safely with horses
- Learning to interpret horse behavior in relation to the coachee
The best combination for a horse coach is to be a professional coach and to have horses as a hobby. If you have always been involved with horses as a hobby, it is wonderful to be able to use these impressive animals to coach people . Horses are pure and authentic. They offer a person the opportunity to bring out the best in themselves.