What Modality Of Facilitation Is Right For Your Business?

A little bit o’ Biz Wiz…

What Modality Of Facilitation Is Right For Your Business?

I love the multitude of facilitation modalities evolving in our industry! If you’re trying to decide the right path of equine inspired training or expansion for your business, it’s important to know who you serve, the outcome they are seeking and the style of learning that will best support their growth and learning.

Recently I had the opportunity to immerse myself in two very different modalities of facilitation. I did the week-long certification with Equine Connection outside of Calgary, AB who primarily serves youth at risk, people in addiction recovery, and corporate teams. Then I traveled to the mountains above Kamloops, BC to co-facilitate a workshop with Hillary Schneider and the Epona Rise herd with 6 courageous women stepping into the next highest version of their personal and professional potential! Both important and valid forms of creating a sacred space for humans to learn from our wise and wonderful horses.

What is paramount, regardless of the modality of facilitation you incorporate is the well-being of the horse. Of course, we are vigilant about the safety of our clients. And we must also be vigilant for the horse. Beyond physical safety, our horses can absorb the emotional fears, and pain of the humans they serve just like we can. With those major considerations in place, most any modality of facilitation is valid. It’s all good!

Expert facilitation requires a keen understanding of the messages our horses send us during their time with the client. If they are not at liberty to ‘walk away’, they are dependent on us to help deliver their teaching in a timely manner so as not to prolong their suffering or entirely miss the message for the client. 

Just because you have a wonderful, social horse that you feel might be good for this work doesn’t mean you have the facilitation skills to create the learning space necessary for the horse to share what is needed for the humans you wish to serve. 

The space you create for your clients will depend on numerous factors:

• Client needs
• Number of horses and Horse-analities
• Environment 
• Your personal super-power and heart for this work

Client Needs:
The container for learning will depend on the needs of the clients you serve. For instance…

A group of middle school boys will do better with a modality that includes multiple activities with the horses within a structure where they can also be creative and learn to share their space and resources.

A middle-aged woman finding her own path after a recent divorce may be better served by a more intimate, reflective experience with your horse(s), where she feels safe enough to share the pains of her broken heart.

Number of Horses and their Horse-analities:
If you only have 2 horses available to work with, you won’t be providing services for groups of more than 4 people. Even that can be a little challenging if you have a horse that doesn’t want to work that day. 

Each member of your herd also has their own individual super-power. Hillary Schneider refers to it as their ‘medicine’. Take the time to get to know your horses' individual strengths. The Equine Connection herd has a ‘grounding’ horse named Jordy. A beautiful big Curly horse that will often lay down before a group arrives and stay laying down the whole time. He seems to know ahead of time that there is a person who needs him to present his groundedness through the vulnerability of laying down. The facilitation team never asks him to get up and do the ‘activities’. When and if the participant is ready, he will get up on his own. They understand it’s not about the participant completing the activity. It’s about them getting to the learning that the horse presents them with that day.

Environment:
If you’ve read my book, “The Business of Coaching with Horses”, you know I’m adamant about ‘Just Do The Work!’ Start where you are with the horses and environment you have access to today. You may have a grand vision for a beautiful retreat center or a big covered arena with a heated and air-conditioned viewing area for classroom work. I started with one horse as a boarding facility and access to a round pen no one was using. (The boarders thought I was a total weirdo!) I did one-to-one private sessions. Now I work out of a beautiful facility with an indoor arena, outdoor round pen, and 7 magnificent equine coaches! My business has grown and evolved dramatically in the past 10 years and the most important step I ever took (after my training) was to ‘just do the work’ regardless of the limitations of the environmental circumstances.

Your Personal Super-Power and Heart for this Work:
I know we believe our horses hold all the magic for our work, but the truth is… it’s your unique ‘super-power’ and ‘special sauce’ that makes the difference in the success of your programs and service. We are the client attractor factor. Our heart for helping others find relief from their pains and struggles is the best marketing tool there is!

Claim your super-power, infuse it with LOVE for your clients, and create the container for the horses to administer their special ‘medicine’. The horses need your heart and expertise to help them do their work!

If you are interested in certification as an equine facilitator/coach or expanding your skillset and wondering which modality is best for you at this time, I’m happy to jump on a call and discuss it with you. Book a free 30-min consultation here: https://my.timetrade.com/book/R6J8S

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A Spiritual Money Minute… (Energy goes wherever you focus your attention. Abundance or Lack, you choose). 

Cost vs. Investment - if you view your spending as ‘cost’, you infuse it with the energy of scarcity. When you view your spending as an investment, you infuse it with the energy of abundance and expansion. 

Our money is a tool. A tool is an extension of our intention and the energy with which we infuse that intention. 

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You are Welcome to Join me for a one-time complimentary Business Clarity session.

You will come away with…

• A Crystal Clear Vision for your next steps.
• Clarity around some (hidden) blocks that may be holding you back.
• Inspiration and renewed energy with regards to what is possible for your unique business! 

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Click --> HERE <-- to schedule a time that works for you and say, “Yes” to yourself and your herd! 

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To Your Horse & Soul Success,

~author of, “The Business of Coaching with Horses. How to Reach More Clients, Feed Your Horses, and Change the World!”

My mission is to empower and educate equine inspired practitioners in the art of profitable program design and marketing. My dream-come-true is to see equine-assisted personal and professional development be recognized and celebrated for the unique transformational modality that it is, and to become as popular as yoga and Starbucks!