Experiential leadership
Influence without force.
An experiential leadership programme with horses as honest feedback partners, in the Hawkesbury, north west of Sydney.
Why horses
Nature's most honest leadership mirror.
Horses expose gaps in self-awareness faster than any boardroom workshop. They do not respond to titles, charisma or clever words. They respond to congruence, clarity, presence and intention.
Through carefully designed, ground-based interactions, leaders experience first hand how their presence, energy, communication and boundaries land on others. No slides, no scripts and no riding. No prior experience with horses is needed.
Half a day
for leaders, in small private groups
4 to 10
people in the full-day team experience
No riding
ground-based, and no horse experience needed
In the paddock
Real horses. Real feedback.
Maraylya, in the Hawkesbury. Ground-based work, no riding, and horses that tell you the truth.
Two ways in
One programme. A day for leaders, and a day for teams.
Both run on the same ground and the same principle: horses respond only to clarity, congruence and connection, so what you get back is the truth.
The Equine Leadership Experience
Half a day, small private groups and leadership teams
Leadership presence, self-awareness and influence, revealed one leader at a time.
- Leadership presence and self-awareness
- Emotional regulation under pressure
- Influence without force or control
- Clear communication in the face of uncertainty
The Equine Team Alignment Experience
A full day: three hours with the horses, then two to three hours of team debrief. Four to ten participants
Connection, clarity and collective leadership. How your team truly works together, made visible.
- Alignment before action
- Presence over position
- Trust through consistency
- Connection as the foundation of performance
How it works
Guided work on the ground, then reflection that lands back at work.
- Leading with presence and intention
- Developing connection and awareness
- Influencing without force
- Setting and holding clear boundaries
- Navigating uncertainty and trust
- Facilitated reflection after every exercise, drawing direct parallels from the paddock to workplace leadership and team dynamics
What leaders learn
How their leadership feels to others.
You do not learn this leadership from a book. You discover it.
- Leadership presence and self-awareness
- Emotional regulation under pressure
- Influence without force or control
- Trust, boundaries, connection and consistency
- Clear communication in the face of uncertainty
- Practical actions they can apply at work straight away
The team day
Not a typical team-building day.
No trust falls, no personality labels and no scripted exercises. Your team steps into a real environment where communication, alignment, presence and trust are immediately visible.
How the day runs
- 01Welcome and safety briefing
- 02Team intention setting
- 03Guided equine team exercises
- 04Real-time behavioural insight
- 05Facilitated team reflection
- 06Team commitments and integration
Shared awareness
How the team shows up under pressure, and where misalignment or confusion sits.
Stronger communication
Clearer, more direct and respectful interaction. Less assumption, more intention.
Trust and psychological safety
Deeper connection and empathy across roles, and more openness to feedback.
Collective ownership
Less dependency on hierarchy, and more shared responsibility for outcomes.
Practical commitments
Two or three behavioural agreements the team takes back to work.
Who it is for
Leaders who are done with theory and ready for truth.
- Executive and senior leaders
- Emerging or developing leaders
- Leadership teams navigating change or complexity
- Leaders seeking deeper self-awareness or greater impact
Where
In the paddock, an hour from the city.
Now taking expressions of interest for small, private groups and leadership teams.
The place
Maraylya, in the Hawkesbury region of NSW
Ten minutes from Windsor, fifteen from Rouse Hill. An outdoor, ground-based equine facility.
Enquiries and bookings
Cynthia Stanton
Strategic Partner, Ignite Purpose Australia
Take it with you
Both experiences, on one page each.
In Australia
Christina Foxwell
Founder and Global CEO
Let us introduce ourselves properly.
If any of this resonates, we would value a short conversation to understand your people priorities and show you where we could help. No pitch, and no obligation.
In Australia you will hear from Christina Foxwell and the Sydney team.