Have you ever been to a barn where you could tell everyone was on the same team? You could sense the camaraderie, good vibes and togetherness throughout the facility? When it exists it’s accompanied by an energy that gets people working together in a positive way.

You hear riders saying “Beautiful job!” to each other in a lesson, inviting each other to hack out on Sunday, coming together to get the barn shipshape for a clinician and heading off to a horse show as a united group.

In my work with teams, barns and riders I have seen firsthand what a positive or negative effect the health of your group can have on your personal enjoyment and success. I would bet you know exactly what I mean. It may feel like this sort of togetherness is out of your control or just happens by luck, but actually there are many things you can do to build positive team cohesion at your barn.

Allison Brock: Inspirational Teamwork