what is InterPlay?

 Experiential…education…where horses provide the means…for human students…to learn about human relationships.

 Now, let me explain…

 Experiential…   What’s in an experience?

• Interrupts business as usual; it’s harder to rely on old patterns when faced with 1200 pounds of new possibility.
• Involves all of your senses; visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.
• Provides an opportunity to respond in the “here and now,” which is the only place change can take place.

education…   It’s a school.

• There are both 2 and 4 legged teachers, and students from all backgrounds.
• There are a wide variety of classes and leading edge curriculum.
• There are experiential learning assignments and real-life homework.
• There are opportunities to learn concrete skills that contribute to life-long success.

 where horses provide the means…   Why horses?

Horses have a set of innate characteristics which make them very effective teachers and masters of relationship.

for human students…    This is a school for humans…

…wonderful, diverse, creative, brilliant, imperfect humans. It is for humans who all have one thing in common… other humans.

to learn about human relationships…   A gap in our learning…

• We are raised in a culture that prioritizes and values academics over emotional and relational intelligence. We are not taught emotional and relational skills.
• This skill deficit can often manifest as conflict, isolation, violence, abuse, divorce, addiction, behavior issues, or academic failure.
• Then we punish by saying “you should have known better.”

Why is it so hard to learn about relationships from other humans?

• Humans are conditioned to hide their real feelings and intentions. We are very difficult to read. This makes it hard to receive accurate feedback about how our behavior impacts others.
• Humans (even the most caring and compassionate ones) are conditioned to be judgmental and critical of themselves and others. We instinctively know this and avoid practicing relationships with other humans because we are afraid we will be judged or criticized.

Horses create an emotionally safe learning environment.

• Horses are non-judgmental and make no lasting meaning from individual interactions. This gives students infinite “do-overs” with a learning partner that will never hold a grudge or criticize a mistake.
• Learning with horses provides an environment that is less vulnerable than it would be with other humans. This gives students the opportunity to relax and take more risks. They have time and space to build the necessary confidence to then transfer new skills to their human relationships.

What makes a horse a good teacher?    7 innate characteristics…

 1.     The relationship Gap

In their natural environment, horses are prey animals (hunted by predators).  Their job is to outsmart predators so they can escape them and survive.

In their natural environment, humans are predators (they hunt prey animals). Their job is to outsmart their prey so they can eat them and survive. 

Therefore, a relationship between a horse and a human is against the laws of nature. This creates a dynamic that is a lot like the disconnect we feel when we are trying to relate to others and don’t know how.  We feel frightened, vulnerable, and protective of ourselves. If a student can navigate a relationship with an animal that weighs 1200 lbs, doesn’t speak their language, and sees them as fundamentally untrustworthy, they will have the skills to develop a successful relationship with anyone.

 2.    Horses are “congruent…”       What is congruence?

We are congruent when our inside feeling and intention match what we express on the outside. Horses are virtually always congruent. They cannot pretend. What you see is what you get. You can trust a horse to always tell the truth and give you honest feedback, for better or worse. They are trustworthy learning partners.

 3.    Horses are intuitive…

Because predators (humans) are often incongruent, a horse cannot rely on his/her eyes to tell if they are in danger. Instead, they trust their heightened intuition to “feel” a predator’s intentions. A horse will know what you are feeling…even if you don’t!

4.    Horses “mirror” our emotions…

Because horses are so intuitive and congruent, they will embody the unexpressed emotions and relationship patterns of those around them and reflect them back like a mirror. The horse will then act out that feeling or pattern with their behavior toward that student or another horse.  Students watch their emotions and patterns acted out in front of them; a visual experience to learn from.

 5.    Horses communicate non-verbally…

Research has demonstrated that less than 10% of all communication is verbal. This leaves more than 90% to be found in other non-verbal forms of communication.

Horses provide a clear example of communication using body language, emotion, energy, and behavior; not words. These non-verbal forms of communication are found beneath the surface in all of our human interactions as well. Horses help students learn and practice all levels of communication.

 6.    Horses are mindful

Horses live entirely in the present, unburdened by guilt or grudges of the past or fear of the future. They respond authentically to the present moment. Horses model the ability to move beyond any one interaction, experience, or trauma by feeling their emotions fully in the moment, and then allowing them to naturally fade.  Horses show students how to be fully present with themselves, and in their relationships.

 7.    Horses live in herds.

Horses live in herds in which their survival depends on their ability to get along, exercise leadership, follow directions, and work together collaboratively. They are remarkable models for how to effectively run a family, group, organization, or community.

What do you actually do?

• I teach natural horsemanship, a method of developing a language between a person and a horse based on clear communication using the non-verbal and energetic language horses speak with one another.

• This involves simple “games” we play with the horses from the ground. Each one demonstrates, either directly or metaphorically, a relationship concept or skill students need to learn.

• As I teach students how to communicate with the horse, the relationship patterns that surface will accurately mirror the dynamics in the student’s human relationships.  They will recreate the very same dynamics, feelings and challenges they experience with the people in their lives.

• I act as a witness and translator to help students gain awareness and make meaning of what they experience. They then have the opportunity to make the necessary changes, in the moment, while receiving feedback from the horse about what is most effective. Once a student is feeling successful and confident, they can then transfer that learning to their human relationships.

InterPlay Academy core concepts:

• Authenticity – Developing the courage to be who you are and expressing it fully in relationships with others so they can benefit from all you have to offer.
• Awareness – Developing awareness and understanding of unconscious habits provides the freedom to make a different choice. Moment to moment awareness is called mindfulness.
• Curiosity – The secret to building a bridge to connection with others; the state of curiosity is the opposite of fear.
• Communication – These skills allow you to both provide and receive clarity of meaning on a path to mutual understanding.
• “Response-ability” – Developing the ability to respond to your environment with awareness and choice rather than reacting out of fear or habit.
• Leadership – The understanding that the ability to lead has much more to do with the willingness to follow.
• Connection – What we experience when all of the above ingredients are in place. It is a state of fulfillment felt in relationship with yourself and others.
• Inspiration – The literal definition is “in-spirited,” meaning the awareness of your connection to source energy however you understand and celebrate it.
• Play   This is the outward expression of co-creative connection where you are actively engaging with others in joy and harmony and spiritual awareness.
  

What makes the InterPlay approach so effective?

1.    It is collaborative…

We are all in this together, learning skills we all struggle with. We embrace a spirit of teamwork and collaboration between students who support one another no matter where they are in their learning.  Students feel supported rather than singled out. Students learn concepts to practice with the horses and then move to practicing them with each other. As a result, students leave the program with a community of connections and support already in place. We are learning the art of relating and we cannot do it alone.

2.    It is experiential…     Like I said earlier, an experience…

• Interrupts business as usual
• Involves all of your senses
• Lets you learn by “doing”

An experience also sets you up for those life altering “Ah-HA!” moments that you never forget. This is unforgettable learning that lasts a lifetime.

 3.    It is creative…

The beautiful thing about relationships is that everyone is unique and brings their own strengths and gifts to the interaction. At InterPlay, you are encouraged to be fully yourself, find your own style, and find ways to express your own unique and creative solutions to relationship challenges. Change is more sustainable when you have the freedom to make your learning your own.

 4.    It is recreational…

For those of you who have never played with a horse, I’m here to tell you that horsemanship is a blast!  This work is fun! We laugh at ourselves, celebrate our mistakes, make lasting friendships, and learn to communicate with horses in ways that only the top horse people in the world know about.

 5.    It is affordable…

Because the horses are able to zero in on exactly the skills you need, classes are designed to maximize your learning in a short amount of time; often in as little as one workshop or six week class, or as long as it is beneficial for you. If that’s not enough, group classes are roughly half the cost of most counseling sessions.