HOW DO WE GET THERE?
Transport to and from our facilities must be organised by your organisation.
MATAKANA? WHERES THAT?
We are located in Matakana, approximately 1-hour North of Auckland City.
EQUIPMENT?
We provide all equipment needed for all of our courses. All that we ask of you is to wear comfy clothing that can get a little dirty and close toed shoes as we are working with horses.
CHAPERONE?
We do ask that schools/organisations meet their staff:student ratio. A minimum of 2 staff members/chaperone would suffice.
ARE WE RIDING?
While we do work with horses, all interaction with the horses will be on the ground. The horses will be part of your team, not one of your tools. This allows the horses to show their true personalities rather than to be ‘working’. This creates the opportunity for participants to experience the true nature of the horses and their personalities in their natural state; this allows for the most personalised and beneficial learning.
GROUP SIZES?
We work with groups as small as 2 people, and as large as 12 people. If you would like to have a larger group please contact us and we can find a solution.
DO I NEED EXPERIENCE WITH HORSES?
Not at all. As riding horses is not part of our curriculum, prior experience is not necessary. Upon arrival the group will be taken through an in depth safety briefing to ensure the students, staff and horses safety. Safety is our number one priority and we will always accommodate our courses for everyone’s comfort levels.
WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE OR AM SCARED OF HORSES?
Pushing the boundaries and stepping out of the comfort zone is the only way to overcome fears and preconceived notions. We believe that the best learning always occurs in situations that challenge us!
DO I NEED SPECIFIC CLOTHING?
Please wear closed toed shoes! Our horses are very heavy and closed toed shoes offer more protection when working with our horses. We advise you wear clothing that is comfortable and able to get a bit dirty. A full list of safety measures will be provided.
WHY HORSES?
The intuitive nature and innate sensitivity of horses’ can teach our students about their own personality. Horses are prey animals and are very sensitive to the stimulus of each group member. They will react to body language, tone of voice, and attitude. Participants must manipulate their behaviour in some cases to work successfully with the horses. It is through this that they are able to learn about their own personality.
What can a horse teach us that humans can’t?
- The constant assertiveness of horses alongside their empathy and kindness teach our participants the importance of being a good leader.
- A horse has no other way of communicating with us other than to react to the situation, their natural instincts and instant reactions are honest and provide an insight into the true group dynamics.
- Due to their natural ‘herd behaviour’ horses require trust, respect and teamwork from every team member. They will react honestly to confusion and frustration as these do not provide the potential solution for the challenge, and would put the herd at risk.
- Horses have the ability to lead while providing reassurance, not brute force.
- The individual personalities of each horse offer different methods of teaching, this means that each horse can create different experiences for our participants that will enhance and broaden their learning experiences here at Connecting Teams.
WHAT MAKES US REMEMBER?
The component of interactivity that is highly utilized in our courses here at Connecting Teams provides a huge bonus over traditional learning in the classroom as it enables a wide range of learning, allowing us to learn, remember and apply knowledge from our experiences.
The relationships we build with our horses gives our courses true power that create lasting learning for our participants.