Member Spotlight : Ginny Telego - A Journey of Leadership, Horses and Human Transformation
Ginny Telego: A Journey of Leadership, Horses and Human Transformation
Ginny Telego’s path with Equine Experiential Education Association (E3A) began with a lifelong love of horses and a deep desire to help people grow. Certified by E3A in 2010, Ginny earned her Advanced Certification in 2013 and joined the Master Trainer team in 2016. Her career is a blend of passion, leadership, and the unique power of equine-facilitated learning.
Inspired in the mid-1990s by an article in the NARHA (now PATH International) newsletter, Ginny read about a woman partnering with horses to work with youth—a woman she later discovered was Boo Martin, an E3A certified equine assisted learning practitioner and member of the E3A board. That spark of inspiration set Ginny on a path to explore how horses could help people in more profound, transformative ways.
Ginny’s ideal clients are leaders and teams willing to rethink how they lead—not just to reach goals, but to preserve relationships in the process. She particularly enjoys working with skeptics, those unsure of what a horse could possibly teach them about leadership. “They’re the ones who walk away with the biggest ahas,” she says.
One of Ginny’s most memorable experiences came early in her career. Leading a workshop for a community leadership program, she noticed one participant standing with arms crossed, sunglasses on, and a skeptical attitude. When it was his turn to share his goal, he scoffed, “Well, I don’t know what horses can possibly teach me about leadership.” But by the second activity of the day—aptly named "Leadership in a Box"—that same participant approached her and said, “Now I get it.” He not only engaged fully for the rest of the workshop but later became one of her most enthusiastic supporters. To this day, he can still articulate what he learned from her horses.
Ginny attributes much of her success to the comprehensive nature of the E3A certification process. Unlike other programs she attended, E3A offered hands-on practice, in-the-moment coaching, and a clear, consistent model. “I had attended other equine assisted learning trainings with other organizations and while I got bits and pieces of valuable information, after my first E3A certification, I felt 100% prepared to start doing the work—and I did. Just a month later, I had my first paying client for a full-day workshop,” she recalls.
As a Master Trainer, Ginny found joy in mentoring new facilitators entering the equine assisted learning (EAL) field. Watching participants grow, grasp E3A’s 5 question model, and begin to see horses as teachers has been deeply fulfilling. “It’s such a privilege to be part of their journey. Seeing those light bulbs come on fuels my excitement for the future of this work.”
For Ginny Telego, equine-assisted learning is more than a profession—it’s a calling, a continuous journey of connection, insight, and leadership growth through the wisdom of horses.
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By Starr McAlexander Spirit Song Youth Equestrian Academy Greetings! My name is Ella Grace. I am a registered 21 year old Overo Paint Quarter Horse. My lineage goes back to 5 breed foundation horses, one of which was Three Bars! So how did I end up in an Equine-assisted program at Spirit Song?! I have always been a favorite mount of children and youth and have participated in many western play days and gymkhanas, but the day came when my family outgrew the passion for fun and speed. I was donated to Spirit Song's riding program that better suited my needs. My nature is calm and gentle, therefore, I lend confidence to those who want to learn horsemanship like the young lad pictured here.
