Part III | Myth 9
Myth 9
Equicoaching: learn to lead people by learning to lead a horse “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” William Shakespeare, Richard III, 1594
This phrase has taken on new meaning over the last decade or two. Some people, who probably love horses, have made a business out of ‘equicoaching’ or learning to lead a horse as a way to… become a better leader. The idea is that if you understand how to deal with a horse, you will learn how to better deal with people as a leader, or so says their claim. Key words Horses, coaching, leadership, whinnying, interspecies communication. What is equicoaching? Equicoaching is an alleged coaching technique that supposedly leads to faster problemsolving by the power of the horse. It is very popular in Belgium, Sweden, and the Netherlands, though I have also found proponents in the United States. It is not to be confused with forms of Animal Assisted Therapy, such as riding therapy for disabled children. It doesn’t seek to cure the person dealing with the horse, although some claims lean towards pathological descriptions (“repressive emotions”). Some of its proponents say it can improve your leadership skills and assertiveness and can boost conflict resolution and commercial skills. Moreover, it promotes collaborative leadership in place of autocratic leadership. Dealing with the horse is supposed to help the learner adapt his/her behavior as a leader of his/her employees. One website says: “The horse helps us to test the proposed action immediately and make adjustments where necessary. The horse feels immediately whether the man’s thinking, feeling and doing are on the same line. This confrontation leads us to new insights” (www.qcstables.com). And another says: “Deeply instinctive and authentic, horses are very receptive to repressed emotions, non-verbal communication (which tends to reveal more than it hides), the unsaid, emotional blocks, contradictory behavior, as well as words themselves.” And “In effect, a horse can mirror our emotions, helping us to identify and come to terms with our own disharmony in a non-confrontational or threatening environment. Equally, their sensitivity can inspire and drive us to dig deep and re-discover our innate skills to cope, and to get better. In a nutshell; horses are healers.” (www.equireliance.com) Some call it also “equine assisted coaching” or “equine guided coaching.” Like any form of coaching, equicoaching is of course also accepted by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). The ICF is an organization for which I have absolutely no respect: it seems they are willing to accredit anyone just to make a profit from the subscription fee. What is the training about? You work with a horse under the supervision of a ‘skilled horseman or horsewoman,’ and no prior experience is needed to participate. In one report (Andersen, 2009, p. 78), one can read how it works: A skeptic’s HR Dictionary
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