{"id":15596,"date":"2013-01-14T10:29:12","date_gmt":"2013-01-14T15:29:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=15596"},"modified":"2013-01-14T11:10:09","modified_gmt":"2013-01-14T16:10:09","slug":"conflict-transformation-leads-alum-to-a-halt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2013\/conflict-transformation-leads-alum-to-a-halt\/","title":{"rendered":"Conflict Transformation Leads Alum to a HALT"},"content":{"rendered":"

On a crisp January morning, Barbara Robbins makes the daily rounds at her Linville farm \u2014 scooping food to the cats, dogs and horses that nicker and shift in the cold.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are aspects about the horse that make it really powerful,\u201d she says. \u201cHow you approach them can either draw them into you, or they\u2019ll retreat from you. It\u2019s the same with people.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Rocky Hill Stables, Robbins relies upon this unique equine-emotional connection through the HALT \u2014 Horse Assisted Leadership Training \u2014 program.<\/p>\n

Living, Breathing Leadership<\/h3>\n

Launched in 2004 as a result of a combination of Robbins\u2019 background in conflict transformation studies<\/a> at Eastern Mennonite University, her consulting work for strategic planning organizations and she and her husband Alan\u2019s passion for the stables, the program aims to serve groups seeking a change from the daily grind.<\/p>\n

Groups of six to 16, such as church communities and camp staff, attend \u201cclinics\u201d spanning from a half-day to two days full of sessions. They participate in exercises in the arena and then in quiet reflection, focusing, with the horse\u2019s help, on individual personalities and strengths.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe horses are equal participants in the process,\u201d says Robbins. \u201cOur goal in working together is to bump up, a few notches, their quality of teamwork.\u201d<\/p>\n

As herd animals, horses not only have instincts about good leadership, but can also \u201cmirror\u201d human emotion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe dynamics are similar to high ropes courses,\u201d says Robbins, \u201cBut, rather than dealing with challenges that are fixed \u2014 like a wall \u2014 this is a living, breathing animal that gives responses back.\u201d Horses offer feedback through body language and nonverbal cues \u201con the spot about what\u2019s going on within you,\u201d she continues, \u201cWhether it\u2019s fear or confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harnessing Skills<\/h3>\n

As groups from varying backgrounds and experience levels participate in HALT, Robbins says she often sees Equine Assisted Learning coax natural strengths and weaknesses to the surface.<\/p>\n

Working through activities, such as blindfolded leading, catching and haltering, helps teammates discover the gentle nurturer or high-morale motivator among them. Who is a big-picture visionary? Who keeps their focus on the tasks at hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt helps teams think differently about how they can maximize their gifts,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The horses also teach when to lead, and when to give a push from alongside: intuitive skills essential to working as a team.<\/p>\n

Robbins recalls an especially profound teaching moment for one of their participants, whose competitive nature left him chasing his horse around the arena long after his teammates had finished.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe finally threw the harness down and just petted her,\u201d she remembers. Robbins said it was about making the connection, not winning the race. \u201cAs soon as you put the halter down and let her know you\u2019re her friend,\u201d she told him, the problem solves itself. \u201cThat so happens in the workplace; we\u2019re always saying \u2018Get this done, get that done,\u2019 that we forget to say, \u2018Hi, how are you doing today?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

For more information, visit rockyhillstables.com or call 540-833-8604.<\/p>\n

Courtesy Daily News Record, Jan. 12, 2013<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On a crisp January morning, Barbara Robbins makes the daily rounds at her Linville farm \u2014 scooping food to the cats, dogs and horses that nicker and shift in the ... read more about Conflict Transformation Leads Alum to a HALT<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4515,266,12503,264],"tags":[13745,14722,14723],"feature":[],"class_list":["post-15596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-academics","category-alumni","category-cjp","category-graduate-programs","tag-conflict-transformation","tag-halt","tag-horse-assisted-leadership-training"],"yoast_head":"\nConflict Transformation Leads Alum to a HALT - EMU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2013\/conflict-transformation-leads-alum-to-a-halt\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Conflict Transformation Leads Alum to a HALT - 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