Equest Ltd
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • A Love Story
    • Our Team
    • The Equest Approach Library
    • Our Location
    • Who we work with >
      • Case studies
  • Why Horses
    • Horses Lead us to the Truth
    • Equine Assisted Learning
    • Beyond Words
  • What we do
    • Equine Assisted Leadership Development
    • Fast Track Learning
    • Leadership Development Courses
    • Leadership Coaching
    • Team Development
    • Mindful Leadership
  • Why it works
  • Testimonials
  • FAQs
  • News
    • Events
    • Horse Wisdom
    • Newsletters
  • Contact

Mindfulness with Horses - date tbc 2021

16/12/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
If you feel frayed or burnt out after the winter, need a new perspective on challenges you are facing, or want to explore mindfulness in the outdoors at this experiential workshop, read on.

Read More
0 Comments

Something to look forward to

15/12/2020

0 Comments

 

December blog and end of year wishes

Picture
The year has been and very almost gone, with the bruise of Covid leaving a mark on our lives, its hue ever-changing but never quite disappearing completely. There have been black days, blue days and then days when just the faintest tinge showed. Many days too when the kindness of people and the magnificence of nature brought great happiness. Hopeful optimism, adaptability, perseverance and creativity have come to the fore, too. And perhaps now we appreciate much which, previously, we may have taken for granted.

A phrase which seems to have punctuated many of the conversations I’ve been involved in is ‘… something to look forward to…’ Whether at moments when someone is sharing the bleakness of losing social contact: ‘I feel as if I have nothing to look forward to …’ Or when mustering positivity for the future, a return to doing what we love doing: ‘…that will be something to look forward to … ’ This fluctuation between feeling emptiness and hopefulness, has been one of the emotional signatures for the year.

What does this ‘something to look forward to’ mean to each of us? A rest? A reward? A goal? A holiday? A buzz of adrenaline? A change? Human contact? A family get-together? An achievement? It can be many things, varying for different people at different times. But whatever it is which we gladly anticipate, the implication is that it is better than what we are experiencing right now. And expecting it makes the ‘right now’ more palatable. The future desire brings us hope, strength, excitement, resilience, perseverance. 

Awareness of this reliance on looking forward to events made me reflect, too, on those in the world for whom existence is about survival and there is no place for pleasure. A deepening sense of gratitude has developed over the year for what I have, even without being able to enjoy, right now, many of the things I cherish: seeing my family including a new great-nephew, carrying out my usual work, even sitting at a local cafe with friends watching the world go by. The suspension of planning the many ‘somethings’ which, ordinarily, I would have been looking forward to has made room for a more profound savouring of the moment, a rootedness in the right now, an acceptance of changing priorities and a need for self care and the care of others.
​ 

So, as we approach the holidays, whether you are able to enjoy what you usually might have done or not, I wish you peaceful, joyful moments in which you can immerse yourself, whatever the future might hold and however the year has affected you. May the New Year too bring a newness which refreshes and finds you restored.


Pam Billinge 
0 Comments

Events 2021

15/12/2020

0 Comments

 

we will be happy to see you next year! 

Picture
Equest has, for obvious reasons, not been able to offer our usual programmes during 2020. We have very much missed working with you. We have put together a number of events and opportunities for next year, which will be safe and we hope possible, depending on the pervading needs for protecting the health of all. Reconnecting and restorative development we believe, will be important for us all, and we will be offering a number of possibilities to support with this, news of which will be released in January.
0 Comments

How Do You Say Hello?

28/8/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Written by Stephen Parker
​Chief Human Resources Officer at A.T. Kearney

​You can learn a lot from a horse. I experienced this firsthand through an exercise we have built into A.T. Kearney’s Expanding Horizons leadership development program.


In the wild, horses were prey rather than predator, and so for eons before humans domesticated them 5000 years ago, hyper alertness and exceptional non-verbal communication were essential to this herd animal’s survival. By virtue of evolution, horses are remarkably good at reading the energy of any creature that might approach them.
To tap into this powerful innate ability, our program in London includes a train ride a few hours east into the Berkshire countryside, to a horse farm run by Pam Billinge and Equest. There our Partners have the chance to interact with horses under the skilled guidance of facilitators trained in Equine Assisted Learning.

Say Hello
I recall viscerally my own experience of this as if it were yesterday. The most basic equine exercise is to connect with an untethered horse in a paddock. An Equest facilitator explained that the proper way to say hello to a horse is by gently extending your closed hand. The horse returns the greeting by touching your hand with its muzzle. Simple enough.

One of my colleagues went first. I watched as he approached the horse, moving slowly while speaking to the carefully observant animal in a soft, reassuring tone. He then unhurriedly extended a closed hand, just as he was instructed. The horse turned away, refusing his greeting. I was puzzled. My colleague had done nothing wrong that I could see. Why had the horse not returned his hello?
​
My turn. As I slowly crossed the paddock toward the same horse, I was still wondering why she had turned away before…. Then it hit me! This horse was a bit on the small side, while my colleague and I are both tall men. Our height intimidates her. I consciously tried to lower my center of gravity, thinking this would help her welcome my approach. As I got closer, it seemed to work and the connection seemed imminent. I was thrilled. And I was wrong. The horse quietly turned and walked away from my extended hand.

Presence Is Key
Having since observed a range of equine encounters, I now understand that my height had nothing to do with the horse declining my hello. Rather, it was because my focus was on myself. My brain was busy adjusting my posture and congratulating myself for my cleverness at figuring out why my colleague had failed and how I would succeed. Rubbish. The key to saying hello to a horse is presence. You must be there for the animal, with all your energy focused on making the connection you seek, freeing your mind from other considerations and motives. This is the kind of connection horses offer each other. So as you approach a horse, if your mind is even a bit clouded, they may instinctively sense you as foreign and refuse your hello.

Why does that matter? Non-verbal communication matters far more than most of us realize. The Equest people like to point out that humans — a highly social animal — are actually very good at non-verbal communication. But not as good as horses. That is why horses can teach us how to develop and pay more attention to this vitally important, yet often neglected, aspect of everyday communication.

“We achieve a great many things by thinking, but thinking actually gets in the way of connecting with a horse,” observes Herve Collignon, a Paris-based A.T. Kearney partner who has visited the Equest farm. “You can only establish trust through deeply honest conviction — by truly being yourself. Of course, in the world of management consulting, establishing trust is essential. So interacting with horses proved a surprisingly relevant learning experience.”
​
Connection, Communication, Relationships
Here’s what horses have taught me: First, our state of mind impacts the quality of our connections and communications far more than we typically acknowledge. Second, the quality of our connections and communications shape all the human relationships we form as professionals, leaders, family members and friends. Third, it all starts with hello.
​
Ask yourself:
  • Are your hellos perfunctory, or a serious attempt to connect?
  • Do you connect in ways that cause people to lean closer?
  • How much of your attention is focused on yourself as you greet people each day?
  • As a leader, do you set a clear example by being present in all your interactions?
​​
​First published 23 March 2016

​Stephen Parker is the first Chief Learning Officer and Global Head of Talent Management with the consulting firm A.T. Kearney where he applies his deep experience as a leadership consultant and executive coach to help his colleagues worldwide discover and apply the very best of themselves. Stephen, recently profiled in Chief Learning Officer, has advised CEOs across many industries including pharmaceuticals, technology, and consumer goods, and has designed and led multi-year leadership and culture projects for global corporations. He previously served as President of a boutique leadership consulting firm in Washington, DC and founded the Global Consulting Group for BlessingWhite, an international leadership development firm. Stephen is based in New York City and lives in Princeton, NJ.
follow Stephen on linked-in
0 Comments

A lesson in belonging from the newest member of the herd

12/7/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Reflecting on this delicate process of ‘belonging’ within the herd, I was reminded how long it takes to build up real trust between two creatures or for that matter two people. That it grows organically with the seasons.

Read More
0 Comments

When you've lost your Mojo

24/1/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
If you are doing a job which you used to love with a passion, but now leaves you uninspired and performing less well than you are used to, you might be feeling as if you have ‘lost your mojo.’
​
But where on earth do you start to turn things round?

Read More
0 Comments

The Fear of Success

20/9/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Writing a book, never mind publishing one, was beyond my wildest dreams a few years ago. When someone suggested that I should do so, to tell the story of how I came to do what I do for a living, I laughed with a self deprecating tone. ‘Yeah, sure!’

Read More
0 Comments

Mindful Leadership - Can it work?

4/9/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Working experientially with horses you are on the fast track to mindfulness without even knowing it.

Read More
0 Comments

Suddene Park - home to Equest and other wildlife

22/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
As Spring yields into summer, Suddene Park continues to be a hive of activity, not just for us but also for the wildlife we share the farm. We see the hares playing and boxing in the pastures and have a myriad of birdlife on the garden feeders, including goldfinches, chaffinches and a cadre of noisy sparrows...

Read More
0 Comments

Mindful Leadership - Open Day Friday 29th September 2017

22/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Our Autumn Open Day will have the theme of mindful leadership, and how learning experientially with horses, the Equest way, can support individuals, teams and organisations to achieve exceptional change.

Read More
0 Comments

What horses can teach us about bereavement and being who we are : THE herd's tribute to Ellie

17/5/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Ellie was old and died of heart failure which is not unusual in itself. What was rare was that she did so when I was with her, just a few feet away. Thus I was able to share both her final moments and those immediately following...

Read More
0 Comments

The Spell of the Horse

11/4/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
We are excited to announce that The Spell of the Horse, debut book from Pam Billinge founder and Director of Equest, will be published by Blackbird Books on 17th September 2017.

Read More
0 Comments

Spring Open Day - Thursday 27 April 2017

28/2/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Whether you are simply curious about our approach or would like to reconnect with the magic of a previous learning experience with us, you will be most welcome at our Spring Open Day on Thursday 27 April.

Read More
0 Comments

A tribute to Ellie

27/2/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
The impact of this small pony on the children who worked and played with her was something really special.For adults her presence could be equally life-changing…

Read More
0 Comments

Can your team say what needs to be said?

12/5/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
The first member of the team stepped out into the paddock to meet the horses he and his colleagues would be working with for the next two days. He had bravely volunteered to be the first, in spite of feeling nervous and knowing nothing about horses. I walked with him as he approached the first of the horses who was quietly grazing nearby.

Read More
0 Comments

Presence - it's child's play!

6/4/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Over the Easter holiday a good friend of mine came to visit me with her 9 year old daughter. Molly has just started riding lessons and was keen to meet my two horses and two miniature Shetland ponies for the first time. It turned out to be a magical day and, surprisingly for me, one filled with important lessons for not only leadership but adulthood in general.

Read More
0 Comments

Why Not Me? Three words to change a life

24/11/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Knowing that you want to change something, or reach for your dream is one thing. Getting on and doing it is another. One of my most inspiring lessons which helped was the gift of a young equestrian paralympian called Lauren Barwick seven years ago.

Read More
0 Comments

Love your Inner Critic

23/9/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
The advice I hear most in relation to that thing most of us are cursed with is “Silence the Inner Critic!”. But our inner critics have been on board a long time and it is easier said than done.

Read More
0 Comments

The Power of Noticing for Team Understanding

14/7/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Do you ever feel like your team-mates are from another planet? Or perhaps that you are?

Read More
0 Comments

Sarah Wearing achieves 3* Parelli status

17/12/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Equest team would like to congratulate senior horse specialist Sarah Wearing on achieving 3* status as a Parelli Natural Horsemanship Instructor in September 2013.

Read More
0 Comments
    Picture

    News

    Welcome to our news page. This is where we keep all the interesting stuff as and when it happens. We hope you find it interesting, inspiring and informative.

    Categories

    All
    Achievements
    Blog
    Books
    Events
    Fear Of Success
    Horse Stories
    Horse Wisdom


    latest events



    Loading...

    NEWS Archive

    December 2020
    August 2020
    July 2018
    January 2018
    September 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    May 2016
    April 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    December 2013

    RSS Feed

    sign up to newsletters
Picture
HOME
​ABOUT 
WHY HORSES
WHAT WE DO
​WHY IT WORKS
TESTIMONIALS
​CASE STUDIES
FAQS
NEWS
CONTACT US
Tel: +44 (0) 1672 500105
Tel: +44 (0) 7900 830402

Email: pam@equestlimited.co.uk
LOCATION: Suddene Park Farm, Wolfhall Road, Burbage, Marlborough, Wiltshire
Registered address for correspondence only: Equest Limited, 126 High St, Marlborough SN8 1LZ, United Kingdom  |  Company registration number: 07713922

© 2014-2020 Equest Limited. All rights reserved | Photos by Emily Corcoran Photography | PRIVACY AND COOKIES POLICY  |   Website design by Bright Blue C
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • A Love Story
    • Our Team
    • The Equest Approach Library
    • Our Location
    • Who we work with >
      • Case studies
  • Why Horses
    • Horses Lead us to the Truth
    • Equine Assisted Learning
    • Beyond Words
  • What we do
    • Equine Assisted Leadership Development
    • Fast Track Learning
    • Leadership Development Courses
    • Leadership Coaching
    • Team Development
    • Mindful Leadership
  • Why it works
  • Testimonials
  • FAQs
  • News
    • Events
    • Horse Wisdom
    • Newsletters
  • Contact