Ballater & crathie Community magazine - Ballater Community

26 A day at a HorseBack to the corporate sphere. I imagine that if you are abusiness person, and someone mentions the words‘leadership course’, or ‘team-building weekend’, yourheart might sink into your shiny boots. I know littleof this, but in my mind, for some obscure reason, italmost always involves paint-balling. At HorseBackthey have no paintballs; they have ex-militaryinstructors, and horses. It was this that I went to see.The soldiers are the most explicable part. Ifsomeone who has led a platoon through the perilousterrain of Afghanistan is talking to you of leadership,you are going to pay very close attention.(‘We called that the valley of death,’ one of themsaid, matter-of-factly, about one of his areas ofdeployment.) What I had not quite anticipatedis how philosophical some of the ideas were. It’snot just left right, left right, turn, quick march; it’snot about drilling and orders and hierarchy. Theythink of leadership as an art; at moments, there wasalmost poetry in the way they spoke of it. Theyuse words like humanity, humility, unselfishness.In their lists of attributes that make a great leaderLeadership course -Release the Beastby Tania KindersleyIf you told me that I should spend a Thursdayafternoon watching five determined executivesattempt to herd a fast, equally determined, blackShetland pony round an obstacle course in a widegreen field, I might have expressed some surprise.In the event, after a day immersed in the ethos ofHorseBack UK, it felt oddly natural. Oh, and inthis particular exercise, the pony was radioactive.You know how business people often speakof ‘thinking outside the box’? It’s an expressionworn thin with use, that now invites derision. Let’srun something up the flagpole at the same time,and see who salutes. At HorseBack, they rip upthe box, and fling its scattered pieces to the wind.As I watched them metaphorically flutter away, Ithought: yes, radioactive ponies, of course.HorseBack’s new venture is to take the principlesthey use with returning veterans, and apply themVegetables,Herbs & FruitFresh DailyWholefoods & SpicesPickles & ChutneysHomemade Jams& MarmaladeSaucesCakesSmoked SalmonTry our veg boxes - Free weekly deliveryHomemade in store:Quiches, Tarts, Salads,Soups, SandwichesMonday - Saturday47 Bridge Street, Ballater. 013397 55741FabulousFresh FlowersBunches to BouquetsHandcooked CrispsCheeses & BiscuitsOlivesAntipastoCharcuteriePicnic HampersBuffets catered for