Experiential Learning with Horses
and Nature
• LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE
• TEAM PERFORMANCE
• ORGANIZATIONAL SPIRIT
• PERSONAL DISCOVERY
See our Video Page
- HorseDream training at Spirit of Leadership
- Live Like a Horse: Innovation Inspired by Nature TEDxAkron
- Nature in Leadership
- Spirit of Leadership Overview
- Spirit of Leadership Slideshow
Our Horse Partners
Uncommon Heroes
for the Common Good
Be
Be is an elegant black Clydesdale mare. She is a wise being who makes clear and decisive decisions on behalf of her herd. She teaches us to stand proud for what matters and to step up to Be who we are.
Be is a leaders that has earned the respect of the herd for her consistently wise decisions, ability to challenge and manage conflict, consistent behavior and her willingness to take the lead. She teaches us that leadership belongs to all and is expected of everyone - horses and humans.
Be’s strong forward moving hoofbeats echo the Earth's heartbeat and helps us to discover what has heart and passion for us. Be reminds to engage in life fully and to respect ourselves, each other and all life
Holly
Holly is a Zebra...she is much more than a pony with stripes
She arrived fall of 2009 as a four month old in need of a home and herd.
In the time she has been with us she has found her place in the hearts of the herd and all of us. She is of the wild sensitively in tune with the environment around her. She is of the horse family but her instincts and perrsonality is quite different. She will approach us or the other horses when it is completely her idea and she feels no threat or agenda from us.
She listens to her ancestral wisdom and knows that her survival and well being is dependent upon belonging and being accepted as a member of a collective.
She is a great example of the best of diversity and inclusion. She is recognized by the horses as different and they have taken her in the herd not only for what they have to offer her but what she has to offer them. It might be evident what the herd of seven horses can offer her- protection, companionship, a place in the herd.
I have been interested in understanding what Holly as the minority member offers the majority. It seems that she awakens more of their primitive instinct and life skills. She offers the herd the opportunity to be more than they could be without her presence. Holly’s ability to be herself with courage, determination and playful persistence strengthened the herds capacity to be resilient, adaptable, empathetic and generous. How might the world be a better place for us all if we all could learn to be more inclusive.
Read the story about Holly in the Plain Dealer!
Lily
Lilly is a very big black shire mare whose heart is incredibly even larger than her body. She traveled from Montana to make Cleveland her retirement home after many years of being a brood mare and having many babies..Her gentle motherly nature is extended to horse and human alike. In her quiet, graceful and warm hearted way she mothers us all.
Lily is a willing team member and puts her heart and soul into helping a team or family learn about working together, moving in a common direction and looking out for one another. She offers us the expertise and confidence that she learned by leading a six horse carriage team. Lily teaches that when we all pull together no burden is too heavy and that forward progress is possible.
Most of all Lily shows us that non violent communication is possible, that goodness and kindness is a leadership capacity that engages and inspires the best of ourselves and the best in others.
Raven
Raven is an extraordinarily large, regal, magical and magnificent black horse from the lineage of horses who carried the Templar knights in the 13th century. He is a faithful, intelligent and highly relational partner who like his ancestors can be counted on to stand by you and support you when needed.
Raven is our “teenage” horse who is just learning to make good decisions in order to grow into his full abilities. He loves to “joust” and play fight with his “older brother” herd member. Raven is enormously social within the herd and with people. He has a range of motional engagement is not afraid of conflict and enjoys the energy of lively competition and is capable of tender moments of connection.
Raven awakens the magic and majesty within each of us and reminds us about the importance of true friendship, loyalty and passion for our cause and to have the courage to champion justice for all.
Rojo
Rojo is a chestnut mare elder well over 40 years old. She is the feisty “grandmother” of the herd and commands respect in her quiet but determined way. She is a good teacher of going after what you want with style and grace.
Once the lead mare of the herd Rojo followed an essential succession plan and graciously transferred the lead mare position and responsibility to the mare best suited to take on the leadership role for the herd. She now functions as “chairman of the board and respected elder of the herd. Rojo is a brilliant reminder of the beauty, wisdom and power of aging and life’s transitions.
Though Rojo no longer can see or hear very well her keen intuitive senses guide her through her world. She is the guardian angel the young and vulnerable in the herd. In her presence we remember to use all of who we are and that challenges are opportunity to be know our world in amazing ways.
Spirit
Spirit a old black and white paint mare with a “wild west” mustang spirit. She lives up to her name in her liveliness, love of freedom and playful nature. She is very joyful, affectionate and mischievous and encourages us to remember to play.
Spirit is very clear in her relationship about space and communication, She teaches us to be direct and speak for what we want and do not want. She reminds us that Yes and No are both complete and valuable sentences.
Spirit likes to be pampered and brushed..she would rather go to a spa than to the gym to sweat. When it’s her idea to run she is really fast but has no interest in moving to a rhythm that is not her own. Spirit teaches us that when we move to our own rhythm we can reach our goal..no sweat.
ThunderHeart
ThunderHeart is a big white magical horse with a generous presence, empathetic heart and sweet nature. He is easy to fall in love with and he has many best friends.
Thunder pulled a wagon to Cleveland from the commune The Farm in Tennessee many years ago. He has been featured in magazines for his talent as a horse who can paint and has several signed works.
Thunder loves storytelling and enjoys listening to stories of courage, healing and even leadership and organizational dilemmas. Thunder as a “hippie Horse”, storyteller and artist views the world with curiosity, optimism innocence and appreciation. He reminds us that the world is a beautiful place if we look from the lens of amazement, gratitude and beauty.
"He reassured me that it was okay to open up the dangerous experiences from childhood. ThunderHeart would neigh the fear away." —Jan
Toby
Toby, a Gypsy horse, is a seasoned traveler who journeyed from the United Kingdom to Arizona to Montana to Cleveland. He traveled here with his best friend Lily and is her best friend and protector. Toby lived with a Roma family in UK for four years where he learned to pull a gypsy wagon and be a friend and guardian of the children In the family. Toby’s gypsy ancestry comes alive when he gallops across the field with his long black and white
mane and tail flying wildly in all directions and dances with the spirit of the wind.
Toby while smaller in size than the other horses he is the King of the herd and carries a royally majestic and ruling presence. Toby reminds us that we each have unique gifts of brilliance that no one else can offer and are essential to the success of all the kingdom of life.
Jetset (Jet'Adore)
1969-2005
Jetset lived up to her name in her shiny black coat and love for speed. Her greatest joy was running with the wind and with a love of adventure jumping obstacles in her way. Jet could open most any gate and let herself out at will. Fortunately her commitment to us and the herd kept her close to home. She reminds us to let our spirits be free, not to fence ourselves in and to believe that anything is possible.
She was the first horse to teach us about how horses can partner with us to help us be better humans and our first partner in our work with horses. Her compassionate unconditional loving presence endeared her to all and revealed to us our best human self. We changed her name to Jet’Adore in her later years when speed was less important to her than matters of the heart and freedom was about loving.
Jet died peacefully in the spring of 2005, gracefully yielding to the earth. In her death she taught us about loving life. Her spirit watches over us and teaches us in our dreams.
"Know in your heart that all things are possible. We couldn't conceive of a miracle if none had ever happened."
~ Libbie Fudim