Business School in a Barn: The Equine Approach to Emotional Intelligence

Forget traditional classrooms and lengthy corporate training programs. A new adjunct instructor is redefining leadership development, and it has four legs, a mane, and a knack for reading body language better than most people. Welcome to "Business School in a Barn," where horses are transforming the way leaders build social and emotional intelligence (EQ)—in a matter of days rather than semesters.

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Why EQ Matters in Leadership

?After over two decades in the corporate world, I’ve seen a recurring theme: people with solid education and experience often get passed over for leadership roles due to one missing element—emotional intelligence. Those who did make it into management positions sometimes struggled to truly connect with and inspire their teams. The result? Stagnant careers, diminished team productivity, and workplace tension. When managers lack EQ, frustration and drama are often byproducts of ineffective communication, indecisiveness, and unproductive conflicts—symptoms of a team without strong leadership.

?Enter the horse.

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Horses as Teachers: Learning from the Herd

One manager participating in a workshop I was running, struggled to get the horse to stop circling around her despite the guidance she was being given.? She became frustrated, and finally blurted out, “The same thing happens at work.? My employees don’t respect me and I get worked up about it which makes ME go around in circles!”.

Horses, much like humans, are deeply social creatures who thrive within a structured hierarchy. They continually assess their surroundings, silently asking, “Are you in charge, or am I?” This is the same unspoken question that followers seek to answer about their leaders. When we step into a barn, horses immediately begin to size us up, observing whether we exude confidence, consistency, and trustworthiness. They’re acutely sensitive to our body language, intention, and emotional state—qualities that translate directly into human leadership effectiveness. A horse won’t follow a leader who doesn’t inspire confidence, and neither will a team, just like the woman in my workshop.

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What Horses Teach Us About Emotional Intelligence

?In my own work and experiences with horses, I’ve found them to be incredible teachers of the core skills that make up EQ—skills that researchers have shown are more crucial to career success than IQ or academic accolades. The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business highlighted EQ as “career capital,” noting that high EQ managers drive 34% higher profit growth. This research also underscores why over a third of hiring managers prioritize EQ over IQ in their decision-making. Here’s how horses help us tap into this critical asset:

?1. Self-Awareness and Insight: Horses respond to our physical presence and authenticity, providing honest feedback on how we project ourselves. Without bias, they react in real-time, letting us know whether we’re coming across as authentic, anxious, or confident—insights that prompt immediate, impactful adjustments.

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2. Self-Management: ?Horses are sensitive to the energy we project, both physically and emotionally. By engaging with them, we can observe our triggers, understand how others might perceive us, and learn to manage our responses. Horses offer direct, unbiased feedback, holding up a mirror to our emotions and challenging us to regulate them effectively.

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3. Relationship Building:? Known for their deep social bonds, horses help us refine our relationship skills. Their intuitive mirroring of our behaviors reflects the dynamics we often carry into human relationships, both at work and at home. This mirroring helps us recognize areas where we can improve empathy, patience, and understanding with others.

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4. Non-Verbal Communication Skills: ?Research suggests that up to 90% of our communication is non-verbal. Horses, unconcerned with words, focus entirely on body language and energy, teaching us to become conscious of the unspoken messages we send. This skill alone can elevate communication, improving interactions with coworkers, family, and friends alike.

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Building EQ: Why Now is the Time

Today’s work environment demands a level of resilience and emotional intelligence like never before. Employees are navigating longer hours, often feeling "on-call" around the clock. Increased stress and limited downtime can strain relationships and productivity. For businesses, investing in emotional intelligence training offers a competitive edge: enhanced creativity, improved collaboration, increased productivity, and higher employee retention rates.

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For organizations serious about building effective leaders and cohesive teams, the barn may be the perfect classroom. Under certified experiential instruction, horses can help employees access deep insights and apply them quickly, with lessons that will impact their lives far beyond the barn doors.

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So, when you’re ready to build a stronger, more emotionally intelligent team, consider bringing your next business school to the barn. The experience will leave a lasting mark on your organization—faster than any conventional classroom ever could.

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For more information, visit? janiscooper.com

Photo Credit: Guido Klinge (Unsplash)