This is Annie and I. She is my wise coaching partner and friend.

When I left my role as a CHRO, coaching, let alone, coaching in partnership with a horse, was far from my mind. Little did I know how much my life would change as I listened to their call.

Sounds kind of weird, doesn’t it? And this from someone who had a pretty good ‘gut’ and was working too much from her head.

Strategy. Financial statements. Data. Contracts. And the list goes on.

As a senior leader, these are all important.

So are our emotions and learning to lead from the heart.

Something most of us in North America, do not do well.

We tend to ‘think through’ most things. And as a result, we miss the information that our unconscious brain stores in our body. Data that can help us be mentally and emotionally well.

When we listen to our bodies, we make better decisions, life tends to flow more easily and we feel more fulfilled and at peace.

*One of the rounds pens at Red Chair Ranch where many of the coaching sessions happen.*

So how do horses help us?

As prey animals, horses are sentient beings. They sense energy 24/7 to keep safe.

When we are with them, they sense our energy.

They know if we are incongruent - that is, if what’s going on inside of us does not match what others’ see on the outside. They are not a fan of that because they don’t know if they can be safe with us.

They know if we are “in our head” or if we are aware of what we are feeling. They know if we are distracted, hesitant, or scared. They know if we are clear on our intentions or if we are muddling along.

Really?

YES!

Emotions are Energy

We have language to describe our energy. They are called our emotions - anger, grief, sadness, happiness, joy, peace, etc. Depending upon our conditioning, the experiences we have had, the families we have grown up in, the trauma we have experienced, the workplaces we have been in, we have certain perceptions of different emotions, labeling them good or bad.

Horses do not have language. They pick up on the energy from the emotion we are feeling when we are with them and they respond without judgement. And because of this, they provide a safe space for us to go inside of ourselves, explore what’s going on and make conscious choices to create change.

Pretty cool?

It is. I have experienced it myself and seen it happen.

So how do horses help humans?

By helping us understand what we are feeling.

By helping us uncover beliefs we have that may be keeping us stuck.

By not judging.

By giving us queues.

By showing us that a healthy way to live is to recognize what we are feeling, using the information that emotion is giving us, processing it and then ‘go back to grazing’.

Horses can help us live a healthier, more fulfilled life.

COVID will come to an end and I believe that the horses are waiting to help us humans with our re-entry. I believe that all of us, leaders and teams, desire to be emotionally healthy. And that this past year+ has been hard.

If you are curious and want to learn more about how coaching with horses at Red Chair Ranch can help you, send me a note. My herd and I are waiting to partner with you. shannon@redchaircoaching.com.