The O.K. Corral Series is a people organization, and we never could even have been wished into existence without people. And not just a few. Fifteen years ago we had a vision for an equine-assisted organization that would share education, and specifically the philosophy Greg created with the help of hundreds of horses, clients, and colleagues. From countless hours of equine and herd observation, to working with incarcerated, addictions, at-risk and corporate populations, Greg crystallized his experiences into specific principles that can have miraculous results when combined with people and horses.
And to this day, people continue to sign up to learn new ways to help others through equine-assisted work. And we continue to be thankful for each and every person who registers, travels, listens, shares, writes notes, takes photos, volunteers for exercises, and becomes inspired to use their gifts in an equine-assisted way.
We RESPECT.
As an organization, it was never our goal to clone members into thousands of miniature “Gregs.” Or to give them a long list of Don’ts along with a precise script and the never ending threat of sanctions or excommunication. We did not tell O.K. Corral Members that there is one best way to practice equine-assisted work, and we certainly didn’t require them to keep us on their payroll once they had the information they came looking for in the first place. We didn’t ask members to pay us to regulate them. And what this really means is that we have always had a deep RESPECT for the individuals who seek our equine-assisted training. This means that their education and experience have value – even in the equine-assisted modalities. Each practitioner has the opportunity to use their own instincts, values, and talents to help clients – as well as anything they put in their toolkit at one of our seminars. Therapy is an art. And EAP is no exception. There is no room for tight-fitting boxes that don’t allow our membership to be the best they can be.
We SUPPORT.
People are still surprised when they call the OK Corral and Greg may answer the phone. We are front lines. We are back office. We want to talk to you. We want to SUPPORT you. There are plenty of people out there who would like to make you feel insecure if you don’t attach yourself to a big-name organization or walk around wearing a logo that is not your own. We have your back. We are here for members in the shape of consultation, networking, mentorship – without financial strings attached. No one can ever take your education away from you, and applying your education in practice will cultivate your expertise. We want you to pursue as much education as you want or need, but our SUPPORT is not contingent on any payment or allegiance. We never wanted to be about the money – even if it meant our wishlist would have to wait so that we could offer discounts, payment plans, and generous refunds. Because we are about the people. We wanted it to be known that we weren’t about kickbacks or favoritism or offering rank and position to people who said what they thought we wanted to hear. We are real.
We TRUST.
One thing we have learned is that O.K. Corral members are careful, and considerate, and more cautious than we would ever have imagined in their equine-assisted work. They take their practice very seriously, and as a result are both respectable and respected. We TRUST in OK Corral members. In many ways, these trailblazers follow the path of education for the sake of learning and personal betterment – with no carrots or sticks attached! And that is pretty remarkable in this day and age. They are confident and secure in their motivation and abilities. OK Corral members are here for the education, not because of insecurity or peer pressure. They are highly-qualified professionals who understand and cherish the power of horses in our work. O.K. Corral has remained the authentic, grass-roots leader in equine-assisted education for 15 years because of these unique characteristics.
We RESPECT. We SUPPORT. We TRUST, and we are grateful to all of you.
