E3A – Equine Experiential Education

Overcoming Global Challenges:

How Horses Teach Us About Co-operation and Trust

The challenges of recent times have led to people becoming more divided, fractured, disconnected. This is evident in all aspects of our lives – from our day-to-day interactions through to the global political landscape.

Born to co-operate not compete

Yet, according to a recent article in Nature Human Behaviour, humans are a social species and co-operation rather than competition lies at the heart of our lives and social structures. The researchers cite examples of hunter-gatherer societies sharing out meat as a way of strengthening reciprocal bonds and distributing the burden of future scarcity. This culture of trust in collective action and the sharing of risk is noticeable absent in much of human society today.

Communication is key

The article points to a lack of communication as being one of the primary barriers to co-operation. It quotes a study by Fotouhi et al. which indicates that promoting even the most limited interconnections between societies that were previously segregated can support global cooperation. Maybe that explains the popularity of the Heineken Worlds Apart advertisement which created the conditions for people with opposing views to talk together over a beer. While many of the conflicts in our world can seem insurmountable (between nations, political, religious and ethnic groups and people with different belief systems), research indicates that learning to communicate more effectively is the key to building greater co-operation.

The transformative power of horses

It may not be immediately apparent to many people that horses can assist in this process of co-operation, communication and shared purpose, but as therapists and equine-assisted learning facilitators, we know better. Within organizations, horses offer feedback about leadership – specifically, what it takes to be a good leader. A herd is run as a matriarchy, with the traditionally ‘female’ quality of care taking precedence over domination and control. Horses know how to set boundaries and they respond to authenticity. While it may be possible to bamboozle people in the boardroom, the arena is an entirely different space and horses will move away from anyone who is not completely aligned with their core values.

Non-verbal communication

As humans, we tend to regard ‘communication’ as being what we say, but in reality this only makes up a small fraction of our communication. The numbers vary – and we need to be careful not to oversimplify, as this article in Psychology Today warns – but typically we might regard around 55% of communication as body language, 38% as tone of voice and only around 7% as the words we speak. Horses are a great mirror, reflecting our non-verbal communications back to us. They show us the impact we are having when we walk into a space, irrespective of what we might say or how we might try to appear.

Healing division in a fractured world

Our forthcoming conference – The Next Frontier – will explore, from many different perspectives, the crucial role that horses can play in helping to heal divisions in our fractured world.

From October 14-16, our speakers will share their passion and insights and, in their different ways, each one will offer delegates a greater understanding of themselves, their horses and their clients. We have selected topics that are underpinned by research and evidence-based studies and that bring together the latest understanding about neuroscience, and human health and wellbeing, as well as horse welfare. Delegates can attend in person at our Arizona ranch or online, allowing facilitators from all over the world to participate.

Keynote speakers

Among this year’s keynote speakers are:

Jackie Stevenson, whose presentation ‘Entering the Culture of Horse and Herd as Humble Guests’ discusses how we can enter the herd in a respectful and trustworthy way and the benefits of co-creating a human-horse partnership.

Patty Beach and Lissa Pohl, whose Alignment Model will show how a new approach to organizational development can be incorporated into EAL workshops with corporate groups and individuals.

Stuart Morse, who will explore growth opportunities for the future of the E3A community and identify actions to foster a community of collective leadership and strategic stewardship.

Lissa Pohl, who co-authored a paper in 2020 describing the various types of Equine-assisted Services, will close this year’s conference by talking about the future of EAL.

For more information about these and other talks at the E3A 2021 conference and to book your place in person or virtually, visit: https://e3assoc.org/conference-2021/

Jackie Stevenson

Jackie Stevenson, whose presentation ‘Entering the Culture of Horse and Herd as Humble Guests’ discusses how we can enter the herd in a respectful and trustworthy way and the benefits of co-creating a human-horse partnership.

Patty Beach

Patty Beach and Lissa Pohl, whose Alignment Model will show how a new approach to organizational development can be incorporated into EAL workshops with corporate groups and individuals.

Patty Beach
Stuart Morse

Stuart Morse, who will explore growth opportunities for the future of the E3A community and identify actions to foster a community of collective leadership and strategic stewardship.

Patty Beach

Lissa Pohl, who co-authored a paper in 2020 describing the various types of Equine-assisted Services, will close this year’s conference by talking about the future of EAL.

For more information about these and other talks at the E3A 2021 conference and to book your place in person or virtually, visit:

https://e3assoc.org/conference-2021/

Why Horses Are Superior in Helping Leaders Grow and Develop Themselves and their Organizations

Why Horses Are Superior in Helping Leaders Grow and Develop Themselves and their Organizations

Have you ever sat down after a long day of leadership training and wondered what exactly you did or spent all your money and time on? You aren’t the only one — especially if the training isn’t out-of-the-box enough. Contrary to popular belief, more than 90% of human communication is non-verbal, which explains why many of us find it challenging to...

read more
Horses Model Leadership and Strong Teamwork

Horses Model Leadership and Strong Teamwork

Today's business world demands a particular set of leadership and team competencies that look different from how they used to 'back in the day.' Business leaders must find new approaches to interacting with and influencing their teams even as employees ask for more meaning, purpose, skills, and room to advance – all while dealing with significant...

read more
Coaches, consultants and mental health professionals stand out in the personal and professional development arena with equine assisted learning

Coaches, consultants and mental health professionals stand out in the personal and professional development arena with equine assisted learning

Every coach is passionate about providing the best care to their clients, which is why it’s important to adapt in order to support them. Partnering with horses through equine assisted learning helps you upgrade your coaching method so you can stand out from the crowd. Not only are equine assisted modalities beneficial for you - by improving your...

read more
What Can Horses Teach Us about Connection and Community?

What Can Horses Teach Us about Connection and Community?

Horses are prey and herd animals. Not unlike humans, they find safety in staying connected with their family and community. And like humans, they also need to live in an environment that allows for growth, mutual care and communication. So, what does this mean in the wild, and what can we learn about leadership, connection and community? What...

read more
When Life Throws You a Curve Ball, Lean on Your Strengths

When Life Throws You a Curve Ball, Lean on Your Strengths

By Lissa Pohl, MA E3A Master Trainer The Engagement Quotient Lexington, KY USA An international client recently hired me to do two equine-assisted leadership development workshops. After months of scheduling challenges my co-facilitator and I were finally able to book our tickets three days before our departure. My ADAPTABILITY and RESPONSIBILITY...

read more
Step into your power as an exceptional EAL facilitator

Step into your power as an exceptional EAL facilitator

It starts with your connection with YOU. Curious how you can go from being an “OK” facilitator to becoming an exceptional facilitator? Take a few moments to read this and decide if you are ready to learn from the Horse Masters of Interdependence. I train E3A members how to become equine-assisted learning (EAL) facilitators. In this work, I...

read more
Are you on the fence?

Are you on the fence?

By Nicole Schanen So was I. NOW I know that becoming an E3A Certified Practitioner is the best decision I ever made. If you’re reading this blog, you and I may have a few things in common. You love horses You have personally experienced their healing, transformational presence You want to help other people have that same experience You want to...

read more
What We Can Learn from a Horse’s Innate Way of Being

What We Can Learn from a Horse’s Innate Way of Being

For hundreds of years, humans have believed in their supremacy over horses and worked hard to train them to do our bidding using domination and fear-based control techniques. What horses teach us In recent decades, however, the equine assisted learning movement has turned this belief on its head by showing us just how much we can learn from a...

read more
Why Self-Awareness is the Number 1 Skill for Coaches

Why Self-Awareness is the Number 1 Skill for Coaches

As coaches and equine-assisted learning (EAL) facilitators we teach our clients the importance of self-awareness. It is a core principle of effective leadership and self-improvement. But do we ever stop to examine our own self-awareness? We set out to ‘make a difference’ in the world but the onus is on us to ‘be the difference’ by becoming more...

read more
A different way of being is emerging

A different way of being is emerging

We’re living in a time of unprecedented chaos, disruption, and widely differing opinions on causes and solutions. A global pandemic, political discord, economic uncertainty, digital transformation and climate concerns. But amidst all that chaos and disruption, people are seeking sources of self-improvement, at levels never known, to not only...

read more
 E3A 2021 International Conference

 E3A 2021 International Conference

 E3A 2021 International Conference LEARNING FROM THE MASTERS: THE NEXT FRONTIER October 14-16th at the White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, AZKeynote Speaker: Dr. Steve Peters, Psy.D, ABN Equine Neuroscientist Author: Evidence-Based Horsemanship E3A is excited to offer you two options to participate in this year’s conference: On-site or Virtual.We...

read more
 E3A 2021 International Conference

 E3A 2021 International Conference

Join Us in Tucson! The 2021 E3A International Conference is kickin’ up some serious dust as it rises to new heights. An in-person and virtual presentation of “Learning from the Masters: The Next Frontier” October 14th - 16th  On-Location at the White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, AZ (OR) Live Stream via Zoom REGISTER NOW Reflections from an attendee...

read more
Conference 2021 – Your Attendance Requested

Conference 2021 – Your Attendance Requested

Interested in Attending the 2021 E3A Conference? Join our Stable of World-Class Presenters Virtually or In-Person LEARN MORE October 14th - 16th  On-Location at the White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, AZ (OR) Live Stream via Zoom LEARNING FROM THE MASTERS: THE NEXT FRONTIER REGISTRATION is now OPEN for the upcoming conference. We have secured the...

read more