Equine-assisted learning and therapy

Nina Leijerstam at Track Clinic explains how horses ease corporate burnout and activate team flow

 

A growing number of forward-thinking companies are turning to an unconventional resource to bring out the best in their employees and enhance productivity - horses.

 

Through equine-assisted learning programs, organisations like Google, Microsoft, and Deloitte are using horse-human interactions to nurture and cultivate higher-performing teams.

 

Burnout and stagnation hampers success

Work related burnout is at an international crisis and can no longer be associated with the pandemic. Reports suggest it is here to stay for the long term, and experts say that employers and workers need to look at strategies to manage workplace stress to try and prevent it leading to burnout. 

 

A World Health Organisation study emphasises that unmanaged workplace stress leads to burnout syndrome characterised by exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced efficacy. This results in absenteeism, high turnover, and billions in losses annually.

 

On the flipside, limited time spent in productive "flow states" also restricts output. Though studies show top executives are 500% more productive in flow, most workers spend less than 5% of time in this optimal zone.

 

Activating flow states with the herd

Equine therapy enhances wellbeing and reboots productivity. Programmes leverage horses’ sensitivity and herd dynamics to reveal patterns of behaviour, unspoken barriers, and potential for restoring interpersonal functioning and flow states.

 

The approach provides a metaphor-rich learning forum outside traditional office walls. Teams gain fresh perspective through equine interactions and on-the-ground experiments tailored to company needs and goals.

 

The science

Equine Assisted learning is a proven form of experiential learning established by the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association which leads to immediate and sustained emotional and behavioural change.

 

Participants enter a state beyond the reactive, analytical mind, where alpha and theta brain waves coalesce, said to be the space where the flow state is activated and where intuition and emotional intelligence resides. New neural pathways in the brain are created via this unique form of experiential learning.

 

The intuitive power of horses

Horses are profoundly intuitive herd animals that can sense fear in another horse from a distance of several miles and tell if a predator is hungry or already has a belly full.  As creatures of prey with 55 million years of evolution behind them, they are experts at working as a highly effective collective.

 

With their ability to read intention, mirror emotions and respond to subtle cues, equines provide the perfect teammates for developing a deeper understanding of ourselves and of our impact on others.

 

When horses interact instinctively with people, free from restriction, they communicate authentically in a way humans can understand - no horse experience required. Equine Assisted Learning taps this intuitive connection. Without riding or horsemanship, horse and human meet honestly, enabling organic feedback.

 

Unlike a conference room, horses bring unfiltered, real-time feedback by responding to even subtle changes in behaviours and emotions. This hands-on experience builds self and collective awareness. It shakes up conventional thinking and provides concrete strategies to prevent burnout and activate flow when back at the office.

 

Herd therapy in practice

Track Clinic programmes are broken down into two modules. The first module focuses on engaging the flow state of each individual team member, whilst witnessed by the members of the team. After integration of these learnings by each team member, the second module starts to address flow from a team perspective. 

 

In one notable session with entrepreneur and professional coach, Ashmeet Kapoor, a horse mirrored Ashmeet’s transformation from self-doubt to agency. Initially grazing for some time, the horse eventually stood alongside Ashmeet shoulder-to-shoulder after the doubt dissipated.

 

Ashmeet described this breakthrough in clarity an experience of his first equine assisted coaching session: "I was able to draw out some important insights that have stayed with me since. I have returned for more sessions, and every time I have been left with greater clarity on what is important to me, leading to higher self-acceptance and inspiration to take action.”

 

According to Helen Marton, CEO at Focus Counselling, her team experienced ’an extraordinary sense of emotional connection in ways that were surprising’. In this session horses and people moved with grace and calm around each other until the horses lay down on the ground as if to put a newly formed team at greater ease.

 

The process of equine-assisted highlighted the importance of emotional safety for the wellbeing of her team.

 

During a session with Aleksandra Filipovic, Head of Oncology at PureTech, a horse gently nudged Aleks, encouraging her to move across the field. This reminded Aleks of a time when she had not expressed her needs clearly. Recognising this pattern, Aleks changed her intention. Sensing the shift, the horse retreated, still keeping an eye on Aleks with newfound respect.

 

Five months on Aleks confirmed the self-discovery breakthrough has continued to have an impact on her well-being and her interaction in her workplace. 

 

Many liken the work alongside horses to embodiment of shadow work, cellular clearing, ancestral healing, and family constellations. The labels are unimportant. What’s indisputable is the power of honest, real-time feedback from a herd of social experts in front of whom nothing can be hidden.

 

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Nina Leijerstam is Founder and Programme Director of Track Clinic, bringing over 25 years experience working with horses as well as a background in business consulting. For more information about Track Clinic’s Rest and Restore Away days and Team Flow Programmes visit www.trackclinic.co.uk or contact nina@trackclinic.co.uk