Frequently Asked Questions

The most important thing to wear is closed toe shoes. Ideally, participants wear boots because of the extra protection provided, but tennis shoes are ok too. Please bring whatever else will keep you comfortable given the expected weather of the day. This could include a hat and sunglasses, water bottle or a rain jacket. We like to wear jeans in the cooler months and lightweight outdoors pants and tops in the warmer months to protect from the sun. 

This is normal! In every group we have worked with there have been one or more participants that are uncomfortable around horses. This can range from just a little bit nervous, not wanting to get too close, to being downright fearful and needing a physical barrier between participant and horse. We respect each participant’s boundaries and can make the experience fun and meaningful no matter how close they want to be. 

We regularly have participants meditate just outside the fence, have a facilitator participate between them and the horse, or have participants become part of the facilitation team by observing and analyzing the activity. These participants experience the activity in a different way, but it is equally valuable in their personal and professional development. 

Our goal is to have each participant leave with a deeper understanding of themselves, those they came with, and the horses, and this can be accomplished at a comfortable distance or with additional safety aids in place.

We begin each day with signing of waivers (unless done in advance) and discussion on the expectations of the group and facilitators. Safety is our #1 priority for our participants and our horses. So next, we provide a safety demonstration which includes what parts of the horse to be aware of, equine communication, how to move around the horse safely and how to move a horse from place to place safely. 

Then we begin the day’s horse activities. Most activities involve the entire group, although for groups that don’t work together regularly, we have other activities that are more individual and introspective in nature. The facilitated activity usually takes 10-20 minutes to complete. Facilitators observe the group’s interactions and engagement with the activity and then we gather to discuss what happened. This is where the learning really happens. We focus on areas of improvement and success. We allow participants to discover ways they want to change in order to get better outcomes, and we celebrate successes and find new ways to apply those strengths. Then, we go out with the horses again and do another activity! 

Activities vary in challenge so that teams have the opportunity to struggle and problem solve, as well as laugh, have fun and win! The day’s itinerary can be customized to focus more on teamwork, bonding, interpersonal skills development, mindfulness, leadership skills and more. We can incorporate more archery or more horses depending on your group’s preference and we always have some rainy day exercises we can do in covered areas if the weather does not work in our favor. We provide complimentary, remote consultations to learn more about your team, your goals for the day and determine which of our activities will best accomplish your objectives for the experience.