Doctor in education learners gained "horse sense" during a session of their July residency. One cohort participated in an introduction to Equine Guided Education at Hawk's Ridge Ranch in Hudson, Wis., on July 21. By doing individual and group activities, the learners got a taste of the keen abilities horses have to sense our nonverbal communication. Through guided activities, the horses helped the learners discover their own leadership capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses. 

The session was led by Lynn Baskfield and Ann Romberg of Wisdom Horse Coaching, LLC. They believe in the experiential learning that occurs through getting out of the classroom and into the arena, they say. "The horses reveal a lot about ourselves if we pay attention to what they do. Horses are not as kind as we are, and they don't lie," Baskfield said. "The horses serve as metaphors for the challenges we are facing."

Jeffrey Lemke volunteered to bridle one of the horses for an assignment. It did not respond to him initially, so he began "talking to the horse in my head," he said. At one point in the encounter, he had an "energetic shift," when he felt he could approach the horse and was able to bridle it easily after that.

John Gruepner, adjunct instructor for the Ed.D. and co-host of the event along with Duke Fuehrer, believes it was an important experience for the doctoral learners. "Horses have a unique relationship with humans as both a wild and domesticated animal. This relationship allows us to experience around horses both the independence and dependence of working with others--a key step in building teams and sharing common goals," he said. "As educators and learners, the Equine Guided Education experience provided a creative way to meet the world around us and help others learn from our experiences."