A Magical Encounter

By Razelle Janice Drescher

The Story of Secreto’s Gift

My business, 'Intentional Leaders - Business Coaching and Leadership Programs' is all about empowering businesses to succeed by providing tools and coaching that help a business achieve its goals. That is typical of what a business coach offers. What is not typical is the role that horses play in facilitating business and personal success.

Background

The Equine Assisted Learning work that I offer for teams and individuals, provides an opportunity for the horses to reflect to the participants how the horse is experiencing the person or the team. It's a perfect pairing because horses have the ability to reflect back to the participant(s) whether their presence is inviting. This speaks to leadership in the workplace because the qualities that attract a horse are also inviting to people. As the interactions with the horse unfold, the evidence that follows says a lot about the participant's leadership qualities. 

Horses are the perfect partners in this setting since they need strong leadership to survive and recognize it in people. In these retreats, participants engage with the horses who are free of equipment (on the ground - no riding) in activities with one horse at a time. Leadership qualities like authenticity, trust, clear intention and focus are the qualities that attract a horse's attention. A dash of joy and passion also contribute to a successful interaction. These qualities make up a leadership model that is inviting.

Over the years I have seen many interactions between the participants and the horses who are considered facilitators of this work. The participants have received some amazing reflection from the horses. My role in this setting is to help the participants understand the reflection that the horses have given them. The participants can then shift their behavior in the moment to invite the attention of the horse. This is real-time leadership skill building. When a horse then responds positively to the participant’s invitation, the participant has real-time evidence of success. These skills are transferable to personal and professional relationships.

This year, I will be renewing my Certification as a Certified Equine Interaction Professional. I need CEUs (Continuing Education Credits) to do this. I have been doing a variety of online classes and in-person work with horses to fulfill those requirements. One of those in-person experiences was called "Mindful Meditation with Horses." I would like to share an experience I had with one of the horses at that event. I will never forget it. 

An Unexpected Gift 

There were about 10 of us sitting on chairs in a large, covered arena. About 4 horses were in the arena with us at liberty (no equipment). We were doing a series of 3 meditations.  A couple of the horses came over to our circle and lay down. They loved the feeling of calm that our meditation was generating. Partway through the meditation, a white horse named Secreto came up to me, stood in front of me and put his head in my lap. His head was right up against me as I sat in my chair. He started gently nuzzling me – my arms, my scarf, my hat, my legs, my chest, all over! Along with his presence, a strong vibration began emanating from him. It sounded like a buzzing, a loud humming sound that reverberated through me as he continued to give me what I understood to be a gift of his healing vibration. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I gratefully experienced the magic of his offering to me. I had my hands gently on either side of his face as this was happening. It went on for about 5 minutes or more.

I have had many wonderful experiences with horses because of the equine assisted learning work I do. I have seen their willingness and ability to help us understand ourselves and navigate life with safety and well-being, but this gift from Secreto went beyond what I had experienced before.

How Do You Explain This?

I already knew that the horse’s electromagnetic field is larger than ours and that when we are near them, they pull us into their field. Horses live a lot of the time in a state of ‘coherence,’ a peak performance state that helps them maintain well-being and sense danger so they can survive as prey animals. We also have access to that state of coherence. For us, this peak performance state heightens our sensing ability and allows us to navigate life with the benefit of more information and greater access to our intuition. We experience the good feelings related to that well-being when we are in the horses’ ‘field.’ But this experience with Secreto went further than anything I had experienced before in the presence of a horse.

Secreto chose to come over to me and offer that gift he gave me. No one told him to do that. How did he know to do that? His keen sensing ability and willingness to help certainly played a part. I can’t really explain why he decided to be with me in that way that day. I only know it was exactly what I needed. I have offered equine assisted learning sessions for many years and have witnessed, some amazing interactions between the horses and my students. I guess this time it was my turn to be on the receiving end of the magic they offer us. I will never forget Secreto’s gift of healing.

The Opportunity

I have believed deeply in equine assisted learning from the moment I experienced it. It resulted in having horses in my life now for many years; my dream come true. Along with that came well-being and a depth of connection with my horses that has shown me the gifts they have to give us. Does it make you wonder what the horses might have in store for you or your team?

Call Razelle at 707-326-5681 if you have questions or would like to know more about this opportunity to learn leadership that horses respond to when they are free to choose.