Seminars for Leadership Skills and
Team Training with Horses

The goal of Cona Horse Assisted Education is to enable those in positions of leadership and teams to pursue change, challenges, partnerships and to maintain a clear overview in the process. Specialist training with horses enables close contact with leadership skills and team-work and can prove to be of lasting value.

The training of leadership skills using horses has been practised for centuries. Horses' social abilities in assuming leadership and, when required, relinquishing it, have been recognized as a means for the efficient leadership of groups of people as well as organizations. Anyone wishing to be recognized in a position of leadership relies upon the authenticity and clarity of his body language.

Communication using language is the principal means of mutual understanding between humans. Subconscious communication occurs by means of body language and a further level of communication takes place on a metaphysical level. Horses respond effortlessly on this level. They are able to reduce aspects of a personality to the most fundamental level in order to decide whether to trust or to follow it. The advanced art of leadership involves tuning in to this level. This is the reason for involving horses as co-trainers.

In both our own and our participants' experience, horses relate to people in such a way, which, without any evaluation of the person, invites reflection on their accepted behavioural patterns. The transfer of skills into professional life and into leadership situations thus is achieved in an honest, integral and gentle way.

Today's work market is highly complex, yet at the same time calls for reduction. Motivating people and leading them through complex and continually changing situations demands all the qualities that horses can offer. The training makes it clear, just what it means to win people over in a responsible manner and to pursue the goals and visions of an organization. Horses are past masters in the art of reflecting on leadership competence. A person in a position of leadership can further develop his own qualities of leadership, as well as being able to reflect honestly on his influence within his immediate circle.

Naomi L.Kucharsky studied operatic singing and piano and appeared on stage. Inspired by Klaus F. Hempfling and the organization "Natural Horsemanship" she switched from the concert hall to the equestrian arena. In 1999 she founded the Etceterra Privat-Stiftung and completed her training as personal coach. In this function she acted as adviser to eminent personalilities in Politics and Society. In the field of horse-assisted management seminars, the trainer collaborators Gerhard and Karin Krebs hold an influencial position. She is Austria's first licenced trainer from HorseDream Partnership from Germany.

Thore C. Dohse studied Politics and Business-studies and has worked since 1991 as business journalist, specialist author for Personal Management as well as communications consultant, among others, in the field of scientifically based procedures in the evaluation and development of leadership skills. As PR advisor, for instance, he accompanied Germany's leading Personel sevice for Financial Services, the HVB Profil in Munich, for several years. At present, he serves a branch of ERSTE BANK in Austria, and works as trainer for employees and in leadership skills.

Feedback from Participants

"The team workshop of Cona was a particularly special experience for us as a team. Besides very personal revelations, the horses opened new perspectives on the strengths of individual team members, without the usual hierarchical roles. The pleasant setting and and the professional assistance helped furthermore to reflect on the feedback of the horses and reconsider the implications in daily life. This whets the appetite for more...!"
(Alexander Hahnefeld, Personel-manager of Microsoft Oesterreich, GmbH)

"In this workshop we all experienced something unique and left with emotions which we will certainly not forget for a long time. Our trainers made a great impression on us, with their unfailing instincts and their reactions to every new challenge we were faced with. The greatest advantage of the seminar is that it addresses emotions and on experiencing leadership. Horses cannot be mislead and we could absolutely rely on their instincts. We could not have expected a more honest feedback."
(Edit Sedon, Marketing Manager brokerjet AG, Vienna)

"Like horses, people are herd-animals. I have ascertained that I am instinctively far more effective in "pushing from behind" rather than in "pulling from the front". It is very likely that my style of leadership in the group has more to do with "pushing" than "pulling". Recognizing this phenomenon opened the possibility for me to work on this."
(Christian Sam, Teamleader Boehringer Ingelheim Austria GmbH)

Questions and Answers

What does Training with horses achieve?
It is basically a matter of recognizing leadership strengths and identifying leadership weaknesses. The leadership which the horse adopts is essentially the clear type of leadership to which humans aspire. The horse acts as mirror and "projection" and, in the shortest time, assists the seminar participants to realisations which can change their perception of leadership in daily life, break down barriers and reveal blind-spots in their outlook.

In what ways do the seminars differ from other training courses?
That depends on the comparison. One important aspect is the fact that through contact with the horse and above all through experiencing bodily contact, new processes are set in motion. There occurs a sort of symbiosis between human and horse, which can be a revelation. The quality and long-term "durability" of such a revelation can, in certain cases, achieve more for the individual than the learning of a theoretical "concept" under guidance.

What specifically is to be learned?
Participants are able to reflect upon and question their own leadership qualities. The encounters and exercises with horses build confidence, enhance both self-respect and respect for others, help recognize and achieve goals as well as conquering barriers and fears. According to remarks of seminar participants, this is just as valuable for everyday professional life as for one's general outlook on life.

What does the Training achieve for Organizations?
In the case of the new generation of leaders, it contributes to a clear widening of social leadership skills. In the case of experienced leaders and managers, a consolidation and strengthening of qualities which contribute to the development of a credible leadership culture within the organisation.

Wherein lies the great success of training with horses?
Decisive is the clear feedback from the horses, which is always coupled with the intuitive elegance and integrity of the horses. In our experience, the participants as humans feel respectfully treated by the horses. Thus it is easier to take the step of critically questioning oneself and adapting one's own experiences into daily aspects of leadership and work.

How do those participants who are afraid of horses cope?
In our experience, participants inform us of this, so we are able to make arrangements if required. It helps if such a person is not the first to take part in the exercises, but rather watches 2 or 3 other participants first. The greatest fears are by then usually allayed. Furthermore, the horses are very kindly disposed towards humans and have themselves no fear.