12d • Lessons from the Herd
Five Reasons That Horses Are Incredible Coaching Co-Facilitators
1. Masters of Non-Verbal Feedback
Horses rely almost entirely on non-verbal communication in order to survive, to socialise and to maintain harmony in the herd. Research shows that horses read human body language, intention and emotional states with extraordinary sensitivity.
When a person (coach or client) interacts with a horse:
- Incongruence is reflected instantly.
- Presence and groundedness create trust.
- Clear energetic boundaries support safety for both species.
This parallels findings from medical and leadership training where horses have been shown to improve learners' non-verbal communication and empathy.
2. Horses Reveal Leadership and Coaching Patterns
Equine-assisted learning (EAL) research shows strong outcomes in leadership behaviour, emotional intelligence and relational awareness.
Through the Horses Connect Model, we understand horses as:
- Indicators of relational health
- Mirrors of emotional congruence
- Partners in co-regulation
Common coaching patterns show up clearly in equine sessions:
- Directive or forceful → horse resists or disengages
- Unclear or hesitant → horse looks confused or wanders
- Grounded and relational → horse aligns, connects and follows
This supports the Five Golden Rules taught in all Horses Connect programmes:1. Know Yourself, 2. Know Your Horses, 3. Stay in Your Lane, 4. Go with the Flow, 5. Trust the Process.
Horses simply show you when you’re not living these rules.
Leadership-focused EA programmes have reported increases in confidence, empathy, collaborative problem-solving and communication effectiveness.
3. Embodied Learning and Not Just Theory
The Horses Connect Method prioritises experiential learning, grounded in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle and supported by emerging neuroscience.
Research confirms that equine-assisted activities promote:
- Greater self-awareness
- Emotional regulation
- Behavioural change
- Increased HRV and physiological synchrony between horse and human
In Horses Connect coaching sessions, the horse becomes a live biofeedback system:
- If your breath is shallow, the horse may become unsettled.
- If you regulate, the horse often relaxes with you.
- If you set inconsistent boundaries, the horse will test them.
This is why the TIMES Coaching Model (Therapeutic, Individual and Inclusive, Measurable, Engaging and Enjoyable, Safe/Supportive) is central to the Horses Connect approach—coaching must be embodied, relational and grounded in clear, measurable shifts.
4. Training Empathy and Emotional Intelligence
Empathy is a core coaching competency, and also a cornerstone of the Horses Connect philosophy. Horses require us to develop:
- Emotional clarity
- Boundary sensitivity
- Awareness of subtle shifts
- Responsiveness without reactivity
Studies show improvements in social awareness, interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence through equine-assisted learning.
The Horses Connect Model frames this through:
- Connection before task
- Presence before performance
- Communication before control
These principles shape coaches who listen better, feel more, and react less.
5. Radical Honesty and Psychological Safety
Horses offer immediate, unbiased feedback. They don’t judge, but they don’t pretend either. Their honesty builds psychological safety and participants often report being more able to be authentic with a horse than with any human.
Modern studies show that horses remember humans, form perceptions of them and interact based on the quality of the relationship.
For coaches, this cultivates:
- Humility
- Patience
- Accountability
- Compassion
These are not coaching ‘skills’. They are coaching qualities.
In short…
When viewed through the Horses Connect Model, the research becomes clear: horses provide real-time, accurate, emotionally safe feedback that strengthens the core competencies of effective coaching. Their influence enhances emotional intelligence, embodied communication, ethical leadership and reflective practice.
But perhaps the most transformative gift horses offer is the invitation - and sometimes the demand - for humility from us as coaches.
Horses do not respond to ego, performance or pretence. They don’t care about credentials, titles or polished coaching language. They only care about congruence, presence and relational honesty.
If we turn up to our EA coaching sessions with defensiveness, certainty or superiority, the horse will simply disengage. It is only when we soften, let go of the need to be right, and meet the horse with openness that true connection, learning, and transformation become possible.
This willingness to drop the ego is not optional in equine-assisted coaching; it is foundational. This is what allows the horse to become a genuine partner rather than a prop. It allows the coach to receive feedback rather than resist it. And it allows the work to shape us as coaches into more grounded, relational, compassionate humans.
By partnering with horses, EA coaches develop not just new techniques, but new ways of being that are more humble, more congruent and more attuned.
And from that place, the transformational coaching that EA can provide naturally follows.
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Five Reasons That Horses Are Incredible Coaching Co-Facilitators
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