The Equine Assisted Intensive For Coaches

Would you like to:

• Work with horses to help your coaching clients achieve breakthroughs in their lives?
  
• Find a way to incorporate your love of horses in your business?
• Learn how to work with horses carefully, mindfully, and safely as co-facilitators in intense and powerful coaching work?
• Enhance your coaching skills in active listening, careful boundary setting, and non-judgmental feedback?
  

If you answered, “Yes”, to these questions, read on! Leadership Outfitter’s program, The Equine Assisted Intensive for Coaches, may be just what you are looking for.  This Intensive is a uniquely structured program that provides a rigorous developmental learning experience for experienced coaches based on group and individual work, incorporating emotional intelligence and the art of using horses as teachers.

The Equine Assisted Intensive for Coaches features three four-day sessions, held quarterly.  It is one of the only programs in the United States offering experienced coaches an emphasis on leadership development using horses as teachers.

Why we are offering this Program 

Creating Community

At Leadership Outfitters, one of our core philosophies is that all work is done inside of a relationship. We have designed the Equine Assisted Intensive for Coaches so that the participants will create relationships and bonds with each other that become
significant structures of their learning now and for years to come.  This community of development will be the basis for all the experiential learning.  During the course of the Equine Assisted Intensive for Coaches, this learning and development community will focus on three competency areas:
       o    Equine assisted learning and horsemanship
       o    Set-up for an Equine Assisted Business
       o    Ethics

In between each session you will have homework assignments to complete, giving you a chance to apply and reinforce what you are learning.  This will include exercises with working with horses, reading books, practicing coaching, and completing a business plan. Our intention is that we provide you with the development and planning that will enable you to build on your own business.

What you'll get

You will be able to use horses in your coaching work through one-on-one sessions, group meetings, or off-site retreats when you graduate.  Throughout the Equine Assisted Intensive for Coaches, each participant will receive many components to help them plan and develop their own coaching approaches, including paper and electronic versions of: 

    o  Support staff responsibilities
    o  Wrangler checklists and equipment and packing lists

• Instruction from two practicing and experienced coaches who have used equine assisted learning with clients for the past eight years, since 2002
• 12 days of in-residence instruction
• 9 group coaching conference calls
• 3 individual coaching sessions
• 3 peer-to-peer coaching calls
• Practice in equine assisted coaching
  
• Brochures and expertise to use immediately
  

Pre-requisite:

It is a pre-requisite that you attend our Power of Choice retreat prior to starting the Equine Assisted Intensive for Coaches.  We want you to experience first-hand what a participant goes through in equine assisted learning so you will know what makes this approach to coaching so unique, special, and life-altering.  It’s the foundation of what you will learn.

Learn from the best!

Joe Esparza, and Ris Higgins will be your faculty for this premier equine-assisted learning program for experienced coaches.   

Joe Esparza and Ris Higgins

Joe and Ris, the owners of Leadership Outfitters, are a husband and wife team who offer more than 57 years of experience working with leaders, their teams, and their companies.  Leadership Outfitters is a Bozeman, Montana based coaching and experiential learning company that equips high achieving people and their teams to move beyond any limitation.  Their distinctive leadership and personal development comp

any specializes in working with clients when they are seeking to achieve breakthroughs in their business and personal lives.

Joe and Ris offer equine assisted coaching for individuals and teams as well as their unique leadership retreats using horses as teachers on spectacular ranches in Montana and Arizona. They also provide one-on-one, team and group coaching services. Their client list includes Heineken U.S.A. and the Caribbean, Capital One, Albertsons, Kraft Foods, FINRA, Chevron Texaco, Miller Brewing Company, and federal, state, and local government agencies. 

Competencies

During the Equine Assisted Intensive for Coaches, we will instruct you in building the following competencies in three focus areas:

1. Equine Assisted Learning and Horsemanship

Components

• Demonstrate proficiency and ease working with horses as teachers.
• Practice “feel” in working with horses and relating with horses.
• Utilize safe practices for clients and horses, with helpful liability waivers.
• Demonstrate mastery in reflective and active round pen exercises.
• Demonstrate mastery in individual equine assisted coaching sessions.

2. Set up for an Equine Assisted Business

Components

• Set up support staff and horse handling guidelines.
• Use the equipment list to plan purchases and capital outlay.
• Determine a break-even spread sheet using horses in your work.
• Determine what equine insurance a practitioner will need 
  

3. Somatics

Components

• Read the horse’s feedback and interpret equine insights for the client.

Who should apply?

Successful candidates:

1. Desire to enhance their established coaching business.
2. Have completed the Power of Choice leadership retreat.
3. Own their own horse where they are the primary caretaker.
4. Are able to handle intense personal growth and development, and are willing to explore and discover more about their emotional intelligence. 
   
5. Are able to receive both positive and developmental feedback.
6. Will provide current proof of health insurance.

We ask Each participant to commit to:

1. Attend all sessions of the Equine Assisted Intensive for Coaches.
2. Participate in monthly conference calls.
3. Have one coaching conversation with Ris or Joe between each session.
4. Meet via phone with other participants at least once a month to discuss and reflect on your learning.
5. Complete all homework assignments.
6. Complete 4 active round pen sessions and 4 reflective round pen sessions outside the Intensive sessions before you complete the program.
   
7. Be physically fit and in good health. Working with horses in these types of activities is physically demanding and requires that we are able to keep our horses, clients, and ourselves safe.
   

The activities that we have designed for your learning in the program have been carefully reflected upon and selected.
"Mastery" does not come without practice and rigor.

Dates and Location

All three sessions of the Equine Assisted Intensive for Coaches will be held at our Fort Ellis Ranch in Bozeman, Montana.  We will be happy to supply you with lists of hotels and bed-and-breakfasts in the surrounding area.  If you will be flying in for each session, the airport for Bozeman, Montana—Gallatin Field—is your destination airport.

The dates for the Equine Assisted Intensive for Coaches sessions are as follows, starting on Mondays at 8:00 a.m. and finishing on Thursdays at 3:00 p.m.:

• July 20-23, 2009

• September 7-10, 2009

• November 9-12, 2009

APPLICATION

The cost of the Equine Assisted Intensive for Coaches is your investment in enhancing your coaching business. At the conclusion of the program, you will have the tools you need to start generating revenue in this new area.

The Equine Assisted Intensive for Coaches is limited to six participants.  Once we receive your application, we will contact you to set up a phone interview with Joe Esparza and Ris Higgins.  If you are accepted for participation in the Equine Assisted Intensive for Coaches, we will send you a confirmation letter outlining the schedule of sessions, the terms of the payment, as well as our cancellation and postponement policies.  

Please remember that participation in the Power of Choice retreat is a pre-requisite for participation in the Equine Assisted Intensive for Coaches.    

INTENSIVE FEE

Program  Fee - $9,000
After your interview and acceptance into Equine Assisted Intensive for Coaches, your initial payment of $5,000 will be due within 10 days of your acceptance letter.  The remaining balance of $4,000 will be due by September 7, 2009.

Here's what you get:

Here is what is included in your tuition. Each participant will receive:

• Instruction from two professionals who have eight years of equine assisted learning work, as well as a combined 30 years of coaching experience
  
• Exercises, models, and tools to use in leadership development and equine assisted learning

              o    17 exercises
              o    9 models
              o    13 tools

• 12 days of in-residence instruction
• 9 group coaching conference calls
• 3 individual coaching sessions
• 3 peer-to-peer coaching calls
• Practice in working with horses as co-facilitators in a variety of coaching approaches with local volunteers
  
• All lunches and snacks
  

Application

• Download an application from our website or give us a call at 406-586-5504 and we’ll send one out to you. 
  
• Please return your application via either e-mail or the postal service.
        o      As an e-mail document, send to jackie@leadership-outfitters.com
        o      1299 Fort Ellis Road, Bozeman, MT 59715
• We will also send you an e-mail confirming we have received your application.