Publish at November 11 2020 Updated July 03 2024
Do you remember Bucephalus, the horse that legend has it was tamed by Alexander the Great at the age of 12? According to the stories that have come down to us, it was by playing with the sun and preventing Bucephalus from being frightened by its shadow that Alexander managed to mount and then train the fiery steed. Their friendship is said to have lasted over 20 years, with Bucéphale's death traced back to the battle of Hydaspe in 326 BC against the troops of the Indian king Pôros. The city of Bucéphalie was even built in his honor in Pakistan.
Ever since the horse became an asset to warriors, thanks to the domination it allows on the battlefield, it has held a fascination for chiefs and today for managers and leaders. It is used in leadership training. The promise of an encounter with a horse is that of a connection to the depths of oneself.
Horses are extraordinary emotional mirrors: the mere presence of a human in front of them generates specific emotions in both protagonists.
Horses and humans have been in close contact for thousands of years. The horse was domesticated 5000 years ago. While both are fragile and subject to 1,000 predators, more powerful than themselves, the horse is more timid than man, and its main survival strategy is to flee. Their long legs enable them to evade the threat in a matter of strides. Also, when contact is established in a few tenths of a second, the horse captures the energy and movement facing him, which is vital for him. His instincts are heightened and he knows who he's dealing with, whether threatening or caressing. A dialogical relationship develops, during which the emotional systems of both are balanced.
Confrontation teaches trust, assertiveness, conflict management and, of course, leadership. Most equicoaching schools use the same principle. It involves entering a riding arena to meet a horse, with the task of moving it forward at a walk or trot in several directions, all without touching the animal. A chambermaid may be used.
The horse will test the human, sometimes mimicking or probing him to find out what his intentions are. Human behavior - its strength, gentleness, persuasiveness or indecision - is revealed without masks or role-playing. There's no need to list diplomas or years of experience, only attitudes and behaviours, and feedback from group members or the coach helps to improve understanding of attitudes, choices or difficulties.
Equicoaching is also used to see not only how an individual mobilizes his or her subjective and unconscious processes, but also how a team, or an executive committee, complements or neutralizes itself when faced with a horse, whose sensitivity enables it to sense harmony and tension within a group. This type of situation is an opportunity to understand the mechanisms of collaborative learning, by imitation or the conditioning and limits in place.
Equicoaching has become a micro-market within the coaching market. In a country like France, it is estimated to be worth 1 million euros. It's a niche market in terms of the costs involved for a participant (from 600 euros to 1,200 euros or even more, depending on the quality of the sites used).
It is primarily aimed at managers, but may also be of interest to those wishing to learn about themselves in a gripping, unfiltered way. Horses continue to teach us about ourselves, and the therapeutic qualities of their presence have been identified, so why deprive ourselves? When you're feeling too full of numeracy and distance, the horse will restore your energy and emotion.
Sources :
Toutain, O., Ballereau, V. & Blache, J. (2016). Leaders, listen to what the horses whisper to you.... Entreprendre & Innover, 29(2), 49-59. https://doi.org/10.3917/entin.029.0049
Equicoaching - https://www.equicoaching.fr/equicoaching/
Curious stories Bucéphale, the indomitable horse of Alexander the Great
https://www.curieuseshistoires.net/bucephale-cheval-indomptable-dalexandre-grand/
Les Echos - Is equicoaching for real?
https://www.lesechos.fr/idees-debats/leadership-management/lequicoaching-est-ce-bien-serieux-1246310
Futura sciences - The horse was domesticated over 5000 years ago
https://www.futura-sciences.com/planete/actualites/zoologie-cheval-ete-domestique-il-y-plus-cinq-mille-ans-18510/
Dumont de Chassart, H., & Kestemont, M. P. Does equi-coaching have a place in the corporate coaching market? Identification of trends, issues and opportunities in equi-coaching, with a view to proposing strategic recommendations for the future of this new corporate coaching practice.
Equicoaching - The merry-go-round of office life
https://www.equicoaching.fr/academie-equicoaching-le-manege-de-la-vie-de-bureau/
Thot cursus - Horses as therapeutic tools
https://cursus.edu/16185/les-chevaux-comme-outils-therapeutiques
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