Press Releases

Horses Help Build Business Relationships

Sherry Greenleaf, President of Cleveland Coach Federation, was surprised when emotions and behaviors came forward in the circle of members. Doing exercises with the horses was going to be a fun day away from the office. But when Sue Thomas, President of L-E-A-D, an organizational development and human resources consulting firm, brought the coaches to the farm, she had business and personal development in mind.

“It’s critical for a leader to understand themselves,” said Thomas “and the horses are the mirror that show how a person’s actions, emotions and behaviors affect other people.” Thomas stated that horses have been used for therapeutic purposes since the mid 40’s, but only recently have the benefits been recognized for leadership development.

Thomas uses standards appropriated by EAGALA, Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association, an officiating organization for the use of horses in therapy and learning purposes. She said, “Business leadership requires a different approach then therapy. It requires a focus on the skills needed to be successful in the business world. The horses are the perfect teacher for developing self-awareness, compassion for others, teambuilding, communication, and out-of-the-box problem solving skills.”

The Coach Federation members participated in an activity of catching and haltering a horse, which was used to describe how they approach a prospective client and start developing the relationship. A member, Jim Smith said “My nervousness disappeared once I got into the moment, but it reinforced how much others can read my emotions even when I think I’m calm”.

Thomas stated that horses read your body language and mirror your emotions and actions back to you. Discussing the activity, the participants noted “If you go head first into a relationship with a horse, they tend to distrust you and move away from you, which is not much different than with a prospective client.” The miniature donkeys, which are also used in this process, exhibited this when participants approached to halter them.

Smith reflected, “There was no relationship built with the donkeys and they fled when trying to halter them. It reminded me to slow down or even walk away if necessary, from a client who is not ready to do business.” When left alone, and the halters laid aside, the little equines approached their potential captors nudging them for stroking and petting. Before long trust developed, a relationship bloomed and it became easy to slide the halter over their nose and accomplish the task.

After unsuccessfully lifting the hoof of Clyde, an 1800 lb. Clydesdale, Greenleaf volunteered to learn more about building trust with this gentle giant in order for him to willingly lift his hoof for her. Carolyn Lane, Executive Director of Edge of Freedom Farms and the horse professional in the learning team, coached Greenleaf in how to move the horse in the round pen.

As Sherry became more proficient and confident in her approach, Clyde tuned in to her and began following her around the arena. Greenleaf was then able to easily lift Clyde’s hoof, showing his trust in his new friend.

Ms. Thomas pointed out that horses are not much different than prospective clients. “They need to be comfortable and trust that you know what you’re doing in order to respect you and be willing to work with you.” She stated, “Working with the horses is a strong indicator of how a person will interact with other people, making them the perfect partner to teach people about themselves.” To learn more about leadership using horses contact Thomas at 330-274-2693.