Solutions
Courses with Horses

Dion Leadership Partners with Course with Horses
Looking for leadership development and team development activities that will provide deep connection and engagement? Want a memorable out-of-office experience? Customized equine-assisted experiential learning workshops, expertly paired with our leadership and team development programs, create lasting impact.
What Can Horses Teach Us
About Leadership and Teamwork?
Leadership Skill Development
1. Immediate Feedback Loop: Horses respond directly to nonverbal cues, offering real-time feedback on leadership presence, communication, and emotional regulation.
2. Building Trust and Confidence: Leading a horse requires trust, clear communication, and confidence—essential skills for effective leadership.
3. Empathy in Leadership: Interacting with horses fosters an understanding of how emotional intelligence and nonverbal communication impact relationships.

Team Building and Collaboration
4. Strengthening Communication: Horses rely on body language, requiring participants to be clear, intentional, and consistent in their communication—skills transferable to team dynamics.
5. Enhancing Team Cohesion: Working together to solve challenges involving horses builds camaraderie, mutual respect, and a shared sense of accomplishment.
6. Breaking Down Barriers: Engaging in an unconventional activity like horse-based learning can help team members connect on a personal level, fostering open communication and reducing workplace silos.
Personal Growth and Self-Awareness
7. Stress Management and Resilience: Being in a natural setting with horses encourages mindfulness and helps participants manage stress while staying focused under pressure.
8. Identifying Blind Spots: Horses mirror human emotions and behaviors, helping participants recognize and address unconscious habits or patterns that may hinder personal and professional growth.
9. Overcoming Fear and Building Courage: For some, interacting with a large animal is outside their comfort zone, which can foster a sense of accomplishment and resilience.
Break the Routine with
Open Air Experiential Learning
Out-of-the-office experiential learning, especially with activities involving horses, provides cognitive and emotional thought disruption, leading to new ways of thinking and richer ways of interacting with colleagues. Immersing participants in a hands-on, natural environment engages their senses and fosters a sense of adventure. This refreshing change boosts energy levels, sparks curiosity, and creates a positive mindset that’s ideal for learning. By stepping outside the usual routine, participants are more open to new ideas, better able to connect with one another, and more likely to retain and apply the lessons learned.
Typical Applications
- Stand-alone event to teach leadership, management, or interpersonal skills to any audience
- Stand-alone event for team building for any audience
- Forming session as part of a multi-session leadership development program
- Capstone session as part of a multi-session leadership development program
- Offsite event as part of a multi-session team development program
- Offsite event as part of a management meeting/retreat

Skills Learned and Reinforced
- Self-Awareness
- Emotional Intelligence
- Leadership
- Listening
- Communication
- Self-Confidence
- Teamwork
- Mindfulness

Typical Outcomes
- Increases productivity and engagement
- Provides a safe and inclusive environment to explore team challenges
- Facilitates organizational transformation and behavior change
- Creates a shared experience and language
- Increases trust and removes communication barriers
- Examines individual and group bias
- Promotes self-awareness and emotional intelligence
- Strengthens relationships and increases collaboration
- Encourages creative problem-solving
- Bolsters self-confidence
- Reduces stress and improves well-being

The Process

Lasting Results
These fun, memorable, and unique experiences foster authentic team connections, reinforces key learning program takeaways, and leave participants feeling refreshed and inspired for the next day. Ready to talk about how we can shape a custom program for your leaders or team?
