It is my pleasure to introduce TeachingHorse, LLC. We are a leadership development company that offers in-person and virtual experiences to prepare you to lead through uncertainty. Our work is inspired by how horses lead their herds. We believe that the best way to learn what horses teach us about leadership is to go straight to the source. We bring horses and humans together to discover new ways of thinking about leadership that create healthy, sustainable communities.

As a non-traditional entrepreneurial business, the pandemic hit us hard, just like it did so many of you. For some entrepreneurs, “betting the farm” is just an expression. Not for us. We did just that. While letting go of our farm in Johnston County was hard, it has opened some exciting possibilities for us.

We have recently relocated to Leland (about 15 minutes from Wilmington, NC). Double Run Farm, owned by Leland’s native, Monica Watson, is the new home of TeachingHorse. The farm is on several hundred acres of stunning land with a covered arena, places to gather outside in the fresh air, and plenty of spaces to work with horses to practice your leadership skills.
 
Which brings me to, “Why are we here?” For years, the primary business model for TeachingHorse has been to go to where the client is located. We have a network of equestrian facility partners and TeachingHorse associates throughout the United States and in parts of Europe. We are a network model organization. When the client choses their location and sets their objectives, we create a custom design and bring together a specialized team to deliver their experience. Much of this work is done with our strategic partners, The Center for Creative Leadership and UNC Executive Education.

As you can imagine, the pandemic brought this work to a halt. We were faced with the need to reinvent ourselves. We chose two strategic pivots. First, we developed a virtual learning product to bring the wisdom of how horses lead themselves through uncertainty to people around the world using innovative approaches to experiential learning. We are proud of the experience we have created and the impact it has had on helping leaders make sense of and navigate through our current reality.

Second, we have chosen the Greater Wilmington area to build a destination location at Double Run Farm. Beginning in April, we will be offering opportunities for leadership development, team development, and executive coaching with horses. We are excited about working with local business leaders, entrepreneurs, and executive teams to provide development experiences that reconnect you to each other, your purpose, and the possibilities ahead of you.

We live in dangerous times. It is important to recognize that crisis and uncertainty are not the same. Uncertainty is where possibility lives. Our herd is here and ready to support you in learning how to lead through uncertainty in ways that strengthen the health of your community and prepare you to embrace possibility. 


June Gunter, Ed.D., is the Co-Founder and CEO of TeachingHorse, LLC. Established in 2004, TeachingHorse offers a unique approach to leadership development that is inspired by how horses lead their herds. Our mission is to bring horses and people together to discover more effective ways of leading that create healthy communities. TeachingHorse has worked with over 5,000 leaders from around the world to develop skills required for moving confidently through uncertainty. June has worked in the field of leadership and organization development for over 35 years and holds a Doctor of Education degree in the field of Adult Learning from North Carolina State University. She is also the Co-Founder of Go-od Consulting, LLC.