CIRCLES
FOR
SUCCESS
Equine Assisted
Leadership
Experience

THE POWER OF THE EQUINE:

This equine assisted leadership experience was created to be inviting for people from all walks of life, in all types of environments, from in the home to small businesses, franchises and large corporations. Throughout my career, I have found the power of the horse to be incomparable, not just in the riding aspect, but more importantly, in what horses have to offer to a person that is willing to "listen". The "power" of the horse is in its ability to help people "listen," simply by allowing participants to be in a non-threatening and peaceful environment. Sometimes participants find themselves confronting issues that all of a sudden have come to light because they are mirrored by a horse's actions. Without prompting, a correlation of human self-reflection often occurs. Who are these people supposed to be "listen"-ing to? Hopefully, themselves, their personal inner voices, guiding them to "listen" to their gut instincts, trust in their own skills, trust in their abilities to work with and "listen" to colleagues and leadership teams. Participants often find that simply being in the presence of horses allows a sense of well-being, a peacefulness that allows for learning and "listen"-ing to come more naturally.

LEARNING TO "LISTEN":

In this 4 hour (non-riding) program, participants will learn to "listen" by being immersed in the world of the horse and then learning to be a part of how the horse herd interacts. Participants arrive at the ranch, surrounded by breathtaking mountains and beautiful horses living in a quiet, peaceful, natural horse herd environment. Explanations of horse herd life, hierarchy and leadership roles are explained through demonstrations with horses, all while engaging the audience to try to explain what they see and why. We discuss the dominance of verbal communication in our society versus non-verbal communication and how so much can be said without speaking a word. Live demonstrations with horses provide clear visuals of how horses use non-verbal communication to create a respectful hierarchy within the herd and what we, as humans, can learn from them.

TEAM WORK THROUGH "LEARNING TO LEAD":

We move on to group exercises where no experience with horses is necessary, and my team does provide training on safe handling practices. Once teams are created, participants are tasked with the ability to problem solve, putting them in situations with horses, (on the ground), and with their peers, learning to lead by overcoming obstacles such as the unknown. Tackling the unknown also can expose vulnerability, a trait that all great leaders must learn to allow to be shown, even in stressful environments. The teams problem solve through open discussions and learn to work with their horses, all while working towards a common goal, a peaceful and safe outcome within a time frame. Participants are provided a journal to use throughout the day so that should they feel inclined to document some of this information, to take with them for the home and workplace, they can feel the freedom to use this journal as a safe and private place to do so. The journals are one way of encouraging participants to find a way to remind themselves of the importance of "listen"-ing to their own written words, and hopefully finding the purpose of accountability.

THE GOAL OF CIRCLES FOR SUCCESS:

We want our participants to enjoy a new way of viewing and working towards leadership. Horses are an amazing vessel for learning about leadership, and through learning about the horse, participants learn about "listen"-ing, the center of our circle for success. A valuable leader in the horse herd "listen"s with their ears and more importantly, with their eyes, leading to gut instincts to make decisions for the herd, with the help of other herd leaders, sending them on to the next circle in their life, another place, another experience. Horses have a natural instinct for survival being a prey animal, they use all of their senses, their eyes being imperative, to watch the body language of other animals in their environment, to know whether to send a signal to the rest of the herd to flee a situation or remain calm and stay. Teaching people to use their sense of sight to better understand body language is our description of how all humans can "listen" with our eyes as much as with our ears. We encourage and show our participants how having "listen"-ing in the center of their circle, leads to many more pathways and options in the journey of life.

INFO ON BOOKING:

The equine assisted leadership experience has few limitations on the type of person that can participate. As long as the person is considered an "able-bodied participant," they can work in teams with horses on the ground. Unfortunately, our building and work area is not wheelchair accessible therefore, the staff, facility and business is not permitted nor licensed for any persons other than the "able-bodied participants." We appreciate your understanding that exceptions cannot be made due to insurance parameters.

Please reach out via email to book this experience, it is not available online.

naturalconnectionprogram@gmail.com

Amenities The Natural Connection INC. has to offer at the Trail Barn: (See Gallery Pictures)

- Ms. Jean, her knowledgeable staff and ALL of her horses can be available to you and your group exclusively for multiple day retreats.

- Conference room for meetings at the Trail Barn

- Back porch with picnic tables for outdoor meals and meetings

- Up to 15 horses available for working with people both on the ground or under-saddle, trail riding will require 10 people per group so we may have to split you up in groups based on your numbers.

- Convenient learning environment, the round pen is directly accessible to the back porch so that the audience can sit at the picnic tables, in the shade, while learning and watching a demonstration in the round pen.

Amenities the Marriott Ranch has to offer at Fairfield Farm:

- Accommodations at the Fairfield Farm Bed and Breakfast and Farmhouse

- Pavilion Center for large group activities

- Western Town, a small façade of a western town located in the middle of the ranch, a great remote location for getting your group to focus on the task at hand, accessible via hay ride or vehicle.

- Marriott Ranch Caterers for breakfast, lunch or dinner meals

- Hay Rides for the relaxing tours of the property

REVIEWS FROM LEADERSHIP RETREATS:

"I thought Ms. Jean was brilliant with the horses and with guiding the small groups through the work. She really let us try to figure it out on our own and was positive in her feedback."

"Ms. Jean is a force of nature! Her sharing of her vast knowledge of horses was a learning experience for me."

"She was so interesting and definitely caught all our attention and focus. A vibrant and engaging person who is doing a great job."

For accommodations and setting up a retreat, please call 540-364-2627. Please ask for our Special Events Coordinator Kelley Moss @ kmoss@marriottranch.com

For a 1 day retreat that does not involve accommodations, please contact Ms. Jean at 540-364-3741 or best to contact via email @ naturalconnectionprogram@gmail.com

**Note, there is a local Marriott Hotel located in Front Royal, VA and there are other local B&B's available as well, such as Glen Gordon Manor.**