Jennifer Garland, Owner/Program Director for The Mane Intent Inc., will be the featured speaker at the Niagara Federation of University Women’s Public Meeting in March. “Experiential Learning with Horses: Finding Connection in a Wired World” is the topic of her presentation which will highlight how modern life is impacting the health of young people and adults alike. Garland will share her experience working with horses as natural coaches and highlight the benefits of experiential learning with horses in supporting our overall health and wellness. The event is being hosted from 7 – 9 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 in the Rosberg Room, Victoria Branch, Niagara Falls Public Library. Guests are welcomed.
Horses are wonderful natural coaches because their non-verbal and non-judgemental feedback provides people with an opportunity to discover and alter their own patterns of emotions and interpersonal styles. Interacting with such large and powerful animals in a facilitated experience also offers participants with an opportunity to overcome fears and develop greater self-confidence, assertiveness and self-esteem. Experiential learning with horses is also emerging as a complementary treatment option for individuals with post-traumatic histories being supported by talk and other therapies.
The Mane Intent offers Health and Wellness Workshops, Individual and Team Effectiveness Coaching and Leadership Development. Garland’s intent is to bring horses and humans together to find greater meaning in every day life by affirming our inner leadership qualities to explore new possibilities and invite transformation both in ourselves and our communities. Her first horse, Sunny with a Chance of Tornado, found her seven years ago when she and her husband purchased a century farm just outside of Peterborough, Ontario. Today the farm boasts 11 horses, a donkey, goats, dogs and cats. She launched The Mane Intent in 2014 and in 2017 the company was recognized with a Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award in the Wellness Category.
Jennifer has over 25 years of leadership experience in communications, cause-related marketing and change management. As a strategist, facilitator and effectiveness coach, Jennifer has provided counsel and support to senior leaders from all walks of life to build productive relationships, facilitate learning and to embrace change. Early in her career, she served as the Public Relations Director for Canadian Tire Corporation, launching and growing the company’s Child Protection Foundation. In this role, she was recognized for being only the second woman and only the second Canadian, to win the International Fire Protection Person of the Year Award. She was presented the award by the U.S.-based Society of Fire Protection Engineers for her work in forging a partnership with the U.S.-based National Fire Protection Association to bring the Learning Not to Burn Curriculum Program to schools across Canada. She is a proud mother of two young women who are also changing the world in their own unique way.
Niagara Federation of University Women is a voluntary, self-funded, non-profit organization. Its mandate is to promote education and life-long learning, to encourage the participation of members in their communities and to enhance the status of women and girls. Its main concerns include high quality education, universal health care, a clean, safe environment and the prevention of physical and psychological violence against women.
