Corporate Team Building Events
Sure, paintball is a good time, but where is the application? How is your corporate event benefiting YOUR
organization
long term?
Equine assisted learning is a unique experience outside of the office, that will show results in the board room. Herds to horses are like teams to people - we all work together. Our unique skills development program allows for the development of trust, interpersonal communication, collaboration, and more. Truly not 'just another' team building activity - get authentic results! Afraid of horses? No worries - to retain new learning, one must get out of their comfort zone!
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Corporate Team Building Events are offered in full-day events. Full-day events offer 2-3 experiential learning programs to maximize the success of your team (plus a custom lunch). Customize an event for you and your team - we can help you hit the objectives that YOUR team needs for success!
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Why Choose Experiential Learning for Your Team's Training?
Experiential training ensures that the skills development is both fun and memorable. Experiential learning is "learning by doing" - and is the oldest form of learning. Your team will have the opportunity to work hands-on in an environment where all learning styles and senses are stimulated, to allow for the transfer of learning. The learning experience does not end with the session, as the facilitators parallel these lessons back to the office (and every day life).
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What your team learns is important - but what they remember is priceless. By creating memories that last, our unique program allows for your team to fully engage themselves in their own learning, and be able to retain the lessons learned from their horses. Experiential learning allows participants to learn their way, and as a team, at the same time.
It's a win win!
Herds to Horses are Like Teams to Humans
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Herds to horses are like teams to humans. Just as in human teams, horse herds have leaders. Horses seek leadership - and if they do not receive strong leadership, they will take the leader role. However, leadership is not by dominance, and that has been studied in both human and herd life. Working as a team for horses is essential for their survival. As prey animals, horses are always aware of their surroundings and are quick to react to the stimuli around them - including the stimulus we bring into their environment through our state of mind and our intentions (they can even hear our heartbeat!). In a horse's world, teamwork is expected and it is respected. Every team member has a job to do for the common goal of the team.
So many team events these days are competitive. When we are developing skills such as teamwork, we want our teams to be collaborative, not competitive. We all have a common goal in a team, whether that be a project, a quota, or in the horse's terms, the continued safety of the herd. Collaborating to work towards this common goal is the most certain way for success. Our unique horse/human interaction experience is effective in team and leadership development - and working with a horse is a powerful metaphor for the corporate environment.
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The Horse and the Limbic System
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During close human to horse interaction, horses interact with our Limbic System. The limbic system is responsible for our emotions, motivation, memory, and learning. Horses have limbic systems that are very similar to humans and they have been studied to have interactions among each other that are of similar social patterns to humans. For survival alone, horses must be able to engage their limbic system and interact with others' limbic systems in order to maintain herd safety. The similarity with our limbic systems, allows a horse and human to connect on a deeper level of understanding.
Knowledge, Experience, and Skills​
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There are three main attributes that contribute to a successful team member: knowledge, experience, and skills. Knowledge is learned. Experience is gained over time. However, skills are the foundation of being able to utilize the knowledge learned and the experience gained. Our skills development program is designed to facilitate positive team problem solving. Skills, at their most basic form, are interpersonal communication skills - something that is often lacking in the corporate environment. Even if you have a team who has worked together for a long time, until the horse tells you so, skills can always be built upon to enhance team work, motivation, and morale.
"Other companies do team building that is competitive and I think the activities that are collaborative are so much better for bringing people together and strengthening a team."
- HR Executive (Oil and Gas Sector)
NO riding and NO horse experience necessary. We work at eye level with our horse teacher - so on the ground work only. Closed-toed shoes required for safety purposes.
Leadership
Development Workshop
Leadership is the key component to effective team development - how effective are YOUR leaders?
Investing in Your Leaders for Profit Gain and Team Development
Why invest in leadership development for your organization? Studies have shown that most leaders have been put in the position because they excel at the work they do. However, many have not been trained on how to lead a team effectively. Our unique experiential program gets your leaders out of the boardroom and into a learning environment that is stimulating and fun - this ultimately leads to unforgettable learning and irrefutable results that will be applicable in the office. The more senses that are engaged and stimulated, the greater the chance of retaining what was learned. Allow your employees to develop the skills and training they need to grow for the team and for themselves - even if your team has been working together for years! Fine-tune your leaders to increase productivity and to take your organization to another level.
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Corporate Leadership Development Workshops are offered as a full-day event, which offers two 2-3 experiential learning programs to maximize the success of your team (plus a custom lunch). Customize an event for you and your team - we can help you hit the objectives that YOUR team needs for success!
Leadership with Horses
Herds to horses are like teams to people. Just as in human teams, horse herds require a leader. Horses must work as a team for continued safety of the herd - as prey animals, safety is their top priority. Horses seek leadership - and if strong leadership is not given, they will take the leader role. Leadership is extremely important in a horse's world. However, leadership is not by force or dominance - this has been researched in both human and herd life. A true, effective leader, is a person who encourages each team member to do their job to the best of their capabilities, to reach the common team goal. Without clear intention, proper communication, and focus, the horse will not trust their leader. Horses require a leader who they respect and trust - something we would all like in the corporate environment.
The skills that are developed during the program are paralleled back to the workplace to ensure that retention is obtained and the skills are utilized, even after they have left the arena. Working as a team to complete activities, your leaders get a sense of what skills they may be under developed or lacking. On their most basic level, skills are interpersonal communication skills. Our program facilitates positive team work and leadership. Horses respond to fair, focused, and confident leaders - who are looking to effectively lead a team to success. Our unique horse/human interaction experience is effective in team and leadership development - and working with a horse is a powerful metaphor for the corporate environment.
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The Horse and the Limbic System
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During close human to horse interaction, horses interact with our Limbic System. The limbic system is responsible for our emotions, motivation, memory, and learning. Horses have limbic systems that are very similar to humans and they have been studied to have interactions among each other that are of similar social patterns to humans. For survival alone, horses must be able to engage their limbic system and interact with others' limbic systems in order to maintain herd safety. The similarity with our limbic systems, allows a horse and human to connect on a deeper level of understanding.
Applicable Skills (including but not limited to)
1. Participants build flexibility into their leadership style - this allows for improvement
in team performance and the success of reaching your team's goals.
2. Develop effective communication skills to lead and manage diverse teams.
3. Develop skills that build team engagement and morale - leading to an improvement in team productivity.
4. Participants will develop their understanding of interpersonal behavioural dynamics and the role it plays in effective leadership.
The Future Is Coming - Future Forecasting
The Future Is Coming (With Added Horse Power) - Business Forecasting In Uncertain Times
Forecasting For The Future ​
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Our unique Future Forecasting Workshop, The Future Is Coming (With Added Horse Power), was designed by Ken Cameron and our own EAL colleague and facilitator, Russell Stratton. Our workshop has been successfully delivered by them at the Banff Centre in Alberta, and to business leaders across Canada via our EAL Network (The Equine Connection - The Academy of Equine Assisted Learning, Inc.) and fellow facilitators. This workshop is a great option to combine with our Leadership Development Workshop OR Team Building Event that will also focus on the development of forecasting skills and enhance creative problem solving skills. This modular workshop has been designed to be completed in a variety of different times, depending on the goals and objectives of your team. Future Forecasting Workshop can be a run as Half-Day (~3-hours) or Full-Day (up to 7-hours).
Why Develop Forecasting Skills?​
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One of the difficulties of future forecasting is that, many of us expect the future to be a lot like the present. But if the opening decades of the twenty-first century have taught us anything, it is that even the short-term future is going to be radically different than anything we have experienced thus far. Yet, most people do not even think about, much less prepare for, any future they cannot or will not imagine. This blindness to potential emerging futures is costing us billions, as it harms our reputation and erodes lives, businesses, communities, and the environment.
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In this workshop, a custom-designed card deck randomly generates potential future states that allow participants to tackle real-world challenges specific to their business. The workshop is a great opportunity to brainstorm ideas to maintain a competitive edge in difficult economic times. Participants are encouraged to apply the exercise to their division, department, or business, and are encouraged to look for challenges to their business that they may not have yet considered. As a result, the workshop has a practical and immediate application.
Key Learning Outcomes ​& Benefits
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The workshop also develops an essential core competency for today's leaders: innovation and creativity in the face of the unknown. A key learning outcome is an experiential understanding that we are NOT moving along a path towards a single predictable future. This common, but mistaken, paradigm creates the illusion that we can control what kind of future we are moving towards and when we will get there. This is a dangerous frame of mind for businesses and leaves them unprepared to deal with today's economy. A much more valuable model, is to consider that the future is a train coming inexorably towards us. We can neither control the shape of the train nor the speed of which it is coming, nor when it will arrive. The only thing we CAN do, is prepare for its eventual arrival and what cargo it may contain. Throughout the workshop, as new cards are dealt, participants must quickly adapt to volatile circumstances and find innovative solutions. Their comfort level with these changing parameter increases, they develop more confidence in themselves, and even begin to eagerly embrace the excitement of the unknown.
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While no one can ever foresee and encompass the full range of potential futures, we can help participants ensure that their business is better prepared for uncertain times. But there is another, more significant purpose behind our The Future Is Coming workshop. By repeatedly addressing the uncertain, participants will stretch their imagination and begin to develop personal, organizational, and societal capacities, to see and shape futures the embody their highest aspirations. And finally, perhaps most significant of all, they will become increasingly comfortable with uncertainty. Through our The Future Is Coming (With Added Horse Power) workshop, participants can all learn that change is not going to destroy their business; rather it is fear of change that holds the potential to be destructive to their business.
Who Would Benefit?
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Anyone who is looking a competitive edge in today's economy and who is looking for ways to prepare for the future, such as;
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- Business owners of small businesses and their team
- Corporate management teams
-Managers or business owners and their teams
- Non-profit organization or community group
What Does The Workshop Include?
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The Future Is Coming (With Added Horse Power) workshop is added to our team building and/or leadership development experiential learning program. The workshop is customizable in objectives, time, and content to reach your team's goal. All following times are approximate, as the workshop length depends on team size and discussion.
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Half-Day Workshop
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The Future Is Coming (With Added Horse Power): 3-hours
- One (1) Future Forecasting Module: 90-minutes
- One (1) Equine Assisted Experiential Learning Program (Customizable Objective/Goal): 90-minutes
- Refreshments throughout the workshop (coffee, tea, water, snacks)
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Full-Day Workshops
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1. Extra Horse Power:
The Future Is Coming (With Added Horse Power): 4.5 hours (Include a customizable country lunch: 5.5-hours)
- One (1) Future Forecasting Module: 90-minutes
- Two (2) Equine Assisted Learning Programs (Customizable Objectives/Goals): 3-hours
- Refreshments throughout the day (coffee, tea, water, snacks)
- Optional addition of a customizable country lunch - Add 1-hour
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2. Extra Future Forecasting:
The Future Is Coming (With Added Horse Power): 4.5-hours (Include a customizable country lunch: 5.5-hours)
- Two (2) Future Forecasting Modules: 3-hours
- One (1) Equine Assisted Experiential Learning Program (Customizable Objective/.Goal): 90-minutes
- Refreshments throughout the day (coffee, tea, water, snacks)
- Optional addition of a customizable country lunch - Add 1-hour
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3. Double Double:
The Future Is Coming (With Added Horse Power): 7-hours (Includes Customizable Country Lunch)
- Two (2) Future Forecasting Modules: 3-hours
- Two (2) Equine Assisted Experiential Learning Programs (Customizable Objectives/Goals): 3-hours
- Customizable Country Lunch: 1-hour
- Refreshments throughout the day (coffee, tea, water, snacks)
NO riding and NO horse experience necessary. We work at eye level with our horse teacher - so on the ground work only. Closed-toed shoes required for safety purposes.
Corporate Retreats
Do you want the ultimate team building or leadership development event that will be sure to hit all the objectives YOUR team needs for SUCCESS - all during a fun, interactive retreat?
Corporate retreats are a unique way for your team to bond and learn together. During 2 days (and 1 night), your team will be engaged in a stimulating learning environment developing skills that meet your organization's needs to reach success or to take your business to another level. Each day will bring 2 objectively-driven arena sessions with our teachers. A custom, country lunch will be provided both days.
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Our retreats are completely customizable. Let us create a unique retreat that will hit all your objectives - focusing on the development of communication, trust, articulation, creative thinking, problem solving, and more. Is your team lacking in more than a couple of areas? Are you noticing a decline in your organization's performance and staff morale? Our Corporate Retreat will allow your team to experience a unique program and rejuvenate in the scenic countryside.
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What To Expect
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Gully's Learning Ranch can provide information and recommendations for accommodations within the Chatham-Kent region (motels, hotels, inns, and B&B's). We are located in Ridgetown, known as the "Friendliest Town". Small but quant, Ridgetown has its roots planted in the Southwestern Ontario landscape. Incorporated as a village in 1875, Ridgetown has a rich history with many historic homes and buildings. Ridgetown is located in the Chatham-Kent region of Southwestern Ontario - a mainly rural collection of villages and towns. Chatham is the largest town in the region and offers all amenities. Chatham-Kent is located approximately half way between London and Windsor. We are in the most southern region of Ontario - not located in the snow belt often associated with London.
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What Other Activities are Available?
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Gully's Learning Ranch is certainly not the only activity in the region to enjoy during your corporate retreat. Whether your team is interested in the historical significance of the area or the beautiful natural wonders it has to offer, here are a few of the top must-sees:
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With history dating back to the 1790's, Chatham has the beautiful Thames River running through it. Due the historical significance of the region during the War of 1812 (Battle of the Thames, etc.), the landscape is speckled with monuments, re-enactments, and historic sites to visit.
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Chatham-Kent is a part of the Black-Canadian Heritage Tour as the region played a pivotal role in the Underground Railroad. Visit Uncle Tom's Cabin, a settlement that housed refugees from the slave trade, and other historical sites.
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The Ridge House Museum offers the experience of Ridgetown during the late 1800's. Located mere minutes from the ranch, this small living museum offers a glimpse into middle class Victorian Canada.
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We are located 10 minutes off the shores of Lake Erie, where you can enjoy may water activities such as swimming, fishing, and boating. The warm and clean waters provide a beautiful swimming experience which also boast commercial fishing - eat locally caught pike, perch, smelt, and more.
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Located 15 minutes from Gully's Learning Ranch, Rondeau Provincial Park offers hiking, biking, water sports, and swimming opportunities. Rondeau is a perfect spot to birdwatch during the "Festival of Flight" - a large migration of birds during the Spring. This migration is known around the world and Rondeau's 300+ species of birds have people "flocking" from all around North America, to see them.
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Other nature hotspots include Point Peele National Park and the most southernly point of Canada, Peele Island.
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Chatham-Kent offers many fantastic restaurants, eateries and breweries.
