Corporate America, sustainable leadership, team building and…horses – sound like an interesting combination?  Local horse riding instructor and trainer Kelly Hendricks has been co-facilitating corporate workshops with Christina Haxton, MA, LMFT (www.sustainable-leaders.com), for over eight years.  Marilyn McDermond and I were asked to assist Kelly with the horses for a workshop of managers of a Colorado based bank at the end of this past November.  Five horses were needed for this exceptionally large group of over forty participants. 

Horses are utilized in these leadership training workshops to help illustrate, experience and reflect feedback from an animal whose response is always honest and forthright.  Through activities done on the ground, by people who most likely have little to no horse knowledge, participants learn through experience about leadership, communication, teamwork.  It is truly fascinating to see Christina orchestrate such valid, immediate, cutting edge and important principles in corporate settings while standing in the dirt with horses.   Participants find that the training they receive is not only refreshing, fun and memorable, but it stays with them for years to come in the workplace and in themselves personally. 

The impression that horses make on people in this setting is what keeps Kelly Hendricks coming back to facilitate the horses for Christina.  Kelly states, “Everybody looks at a horse in a different way.  It represents something different to everyone.  For some people it is a vehicle to show or gain respect.  For some people it is a fear to overcome.  Horses symbolize something for people whether they are conscious of that or not.  It is fun to see in the corporate group and then to take that experience back to a kid having their lesson.  It brings me back to the beginning and that is invaluable.” 

As a riding instructor of mainly children, beginners and people getting back into horses, Kelly finds that being in a group of people who are just experiencing horses for the first time helps her to keep her perspective of what it is like to be around horses and what horses and people need to know to understand and communicate with each other.  As someone who has been professionally teaching and training for over fourteen years, Kelly explains, “I can’t possibly know what somebody feels  like as a student the first few times they come to ride unless I keep putting myself back in that situation all of the time.  I appreciate that which is why I keep doing it.  If I ever lose sight of what that feels like – whether it’s excited or happy or scared out of your mind – if I lose that, I have no business teaching beginners.”

This perspective is taken sincerely by Kelly as well as her desire to continually improve her own riding, teaching and communication methods with her students.  In the years she has been a riding instructor; about every two months she has sought out some type of educational experience to improve herself and her teaching. 

Most recently, Kelly has joined the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA).   In May, she will take her Master Trainer Certification tests, practical and written, for English, Western, Trail Riding and Jumping.  She had been looking for an organization that fit her beliefs of good horsemanship and horse care, no matter what tack you use, and found that in CHA.  Not only will it offer her accountability and a standard to hold herself to with other top instructors and trainers, but it will add tremendous value for her students.  Students (and parents of the kids) will have a concrete system to follow as they progress in their riding abilities and they will have set goals to achieve as they move through the levels.

Kelly teaches and trains out of her and husband Jeremy’s Pikes View Ranch at 25778 Richmond Hill Road in Conifer.  They have two boys, Tristan and Laird and a menagerie of animals including sheep, goats and chickens.  She not only teaches children, beginners and those coming back to horses, but she also has several more advanced riders who come for lessons and help with their training.  She offers individual and group lessons and puts on clinics in conjunction with other trainers like Tucker Black. 

On March 18^th and April 1^st, Kelly will be putting on two women’s clinics with Tucker Black. The clinics will be $60 for 2 hours and limited to 6 riders.  You can bring your own horse or for an additional fee, use one of Kelly’s.  Topics include advanced groundwork and a riding video evaluation of the participants to improve their seat.   Reach Horsin’ Around with Kelly Hendricks at 303-918-9570, kellyfay2000@yahoo.com and kellyshorsinaround.com.