Red Horse – Center for Collaborative Leadership

Mission

Red Horse Center for Collaborative Leadership is dedicated to strengthening collaborations for the greater good. We work with humans and horses, through mindful experiential learning and considerate leadership models to discover and empower positive change in the world.

Principles

The values we hold ourselves to and draw inspiration from to do our best work.
Choice, Respect, Trust, Non-violence, Mutual Benefit, Herd Dynamics, Softness

You’re invited to watch our introductory video which shares a bit of our history and mission. You can watch it here or click through to our Youtube channel, where we will update with more interesting videos from time to time.

Download

Click the button above to view or download a PDF of our introductory brochure, which describes our services and the groups of people we are most likely to help.

Our Team

Fred Bueltmann

is our herd manager, and an author and independent consultant on company culture, the ideals of the craft marketplace and the connected lifestyle. He has more than two decades of experience as an executive in the beverage industry including service at New Holland Brewing Companies and Bell’s Brewing Companies. Bueltmann is past president of the Michigan Brewers Guild and recipient of their prestigious Tom Burns Award, recognizing the pioneering spirit of the “Great Beer State.” In 2019 he authored a collaborative book, “A Rising Tide – Stories from the Michigan Brewers Guild.” Fred’s first book, The Beervangelist’s Guide to the Galaxy, was recognized as an Indie Book Award finalist. Fred shared his perspective in a TedX talk, “The Community of Collaboration” and regularly shares interviews and conversations on cultural shifts through his This Craft Nation project and podcast, and Michigan’s Great Beer State Podcast, which he produces. Fred is a musician, as well as an instructor in Schoolcraft College’s Brewing and Distilling program. Fred was first Eagala Certified in 2001 and specializes in equine-assisted Organizational Development.

Ulla Frederiksen MA., LLP

Ulla is a psychologist, group facilitator, teacher and artist. Her private practice, The Sundance Center, specializes in client centered, solution- oriented & trauma-informed therapy for Highly Sensitive People. She strives to create a safe, fun and non-judgmental space for insight and healing to take place. Ulla was Eagala certified in 2001 and advanced certified in 2010, when she began serving internationally as an Eagala trainer.

Jenny Atlee

Jenny has worked in Central America since 1984 in the areas of human rights, trauma and recovery and international policy with Witness for Peace, the Guatemalan Church in Exile, Nicaraguan Ministry of Social Welfare, AFSC and the Quixote Center. She is the author of Red Thread; A Spiritual Journal of Accompaniment, Trauma and Healing which chronicles her experiences in the war zones of Nicaragua during the U.S. sponsored contra war. She has worked with the herd at Sundance Center and Red Horse Ranch as equine specialist and has been Eagala Certified since 2017.

Our Herd

is currently made up of eight horses. They are big and little, young and old, and different breeds and colors, each with unique backgrounds and distinct personalities. We work together with them to keep a balanced herd, who feel supported through their work, and can intuitively offer different choices and experiences depending on what our clients need. They are definitely specialists in their fields, connecting to, inspiring and supporting people for many years. If you’d like to see more pictures of our herd and site, check out our gallery by hitting the button below.

Gallery

HORSES, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING & ARENAS for CHANGE

Horses are highly sensitive, natural communicators. They have an intuitive sense of herd dynamics, a combination of language and hierarchy which, as prey animals, is ingrained into their genetics as an essential structure for safety and well-being.

Horses and humans have a centuries-long history of working together; a collaboration often valued for the relational aspects of connection, communication and trust. In the last thirty years, more specific approaches to partnering with horses have been developed to help people therapeutically, experientially and metaphorically. Their innate sensitivities and expression naturally engage people deeply; wordlessly inviting them to explore ideas, themes and patterns with fresh perspective and meaningful metaphors.

The Red Horse team has been certified facilitators and leaders in this field since 2001. In 2020, Ulla and Fred joined a team of experienced facilitators and educators to create Arenas for Change (ARCH), a worldwide gathering place for learning and community for mental health, organizational development, and personal growth through horses and animals. We are honored to serve this community as leaders and facilitators, while our programs at Sundance Center and Red Horse will also shape our best practices according to the framework of ARCH’s professional designations.

People participating in individual sessions and organizational workshops are invited to explore their objectives in a uniquely shared space. There is no horse experience required and both horses and humans have choices in terms of how close or how far they are to one another and how the experience unfolds. What people observe, feel and reflect on during this guided interaction, is where the story and the strength of this work unfolds. Horses’ innate ability to bring us all into the moment creates an indescribable relevance and metaphorical strength to the discoveries uncovered and explored during these remarkable experiences. These powerful insights are the catalyst for people taking action towards intentional and positive change in their lives and organizations.

COLLABORATIVE NETWORK | Our collection of partner organizations working together for horses and humans.

RED HORSE CENTER FOR COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP (RHCCL)

RHCCL advocates, teaches and mentors humans and horses; together or separate, through a considerate leadership model for the betterment of the world. RHCCL conducts Eagala Model workshops for team/organizational development, teaches our Horse and Human Collaboration skill- sets either to work with horses, or to draw leadership lessons from the experience.

RED HORSE RANCH

Our twenty acre horse farm in Fennville, Michigan, home of Red Horse Center for Collaborative Leadership & The Sundance Center. Red Horse Ranch also
facilitates space rental for groups looking for a peaceful and grounded space for people to come together.

THE SUNDANCE CENTER

offers client centered, solution-oriented & trauma-informed Eagala Model therapy for Highly Sensitive People. It is owned and operated by Ulla Frederiksen MA, LLP, who offers individual therapy, as well as groups and workshops such as AHA! | Art & Horse Assisted Healing and Empowerment and Eagala Model Herd Mediations.

TREEHOUSE PRODUCTIONS

produces content and provides multi-media services such as writing, music, speaking and podcasting. It operates from Red Horse Ranch and is a frequent collaborator on various education series and branding and marketing efforts. Treehouse production projects include This Craft Nation & Michigan’s Great Beer State Podcast, The Strapping Owls and Great Lakes Brass.

This course provides a number of important facets of working with those who have
experienced loss and provide open conversations to help learn how to better understand
the process and how you can help…but also how you may be part of the hurt if not
addressing/approaching things well.

Trauma Informed Care Workshop participant at RHCCL

There was much to appreciate! The facilitators were excellent, bringing themselves, their gifts and
sharing from the personal and professional lives. I also appreciated the interaction with the other
participants, all of whom taught me something valuable.

I would recommend the Trauma Informed Care Workshop for any and all therapists, working and in training. Any business culture that wants to be respectful of employees. Law enforcement and 1st responders as well,
even policy makers.

Ruth (Teji) Dilley, Trauma Informed Care Workshop participant at RHCCL

I took this class and would highly recommend it for all sorts of professionals and individuals. I especially think this is a great resource for parents who are triggered by their own childhood while trying to parent- or have a child who has experienced loss or is easily frustrated. For the cost of one session of traditional therapy, you can learn to approach hard things differently- to get different results! This is a super affordable zoom class, so you can join in wherever you are- and no time is lost commuting!

Trauma Informed Care Workshop participant at RHCCL

Ulla, Fred and Jenny over delivered on my expectations of what I would receive out of
this Trauma Informed Care workshop! Well worth the funds and time invested! I
immediately was able to put into practice what I learned and have found it so valuable
in my understanding of trauma and how to use the principles we learned, not only with
my clients, but with anyone I deal with in general! Who hasn’t experienced trauma to
some degree, right? Sign up today!

You won’t be disappointed. I hope to be able to sign up for future offerings to expand my knowledge.

Michele Bolinger, Trauma Informed Care Workshop participant at RHCCL

The Red Horse Center for Collaborative Leadership is uniquely positioned to offer
experiential therapy well beyond discovery and into the holy grail of getting unstuck and
moving forward in hopefulness.

David Shelby, Trauma Informed Care Workshop participant at RHCCL

“Fred, Ulla and Jenny provide effective and life-altering experiences through horses, utilizing the Eagala Model in a way that brings deep insights, learning and application. They create a peaceful, empowering environment. I highly respect and trust this team, even in the most vulnerable situations, and am grateful for the learning and impact they have had on me and my organization.”

Lynn Thomas, LCSW, Founder/CEO, Eagala

“Fred’s immense experience with organizations brings invaluable perspective. He imparts and models a values-based, collaborative approach to leadership and relationships. He has an incredible gift with words and working together to organize complex situations into positive strategies. He brings his grounded nature into any experience and holds space for growth and learning to occur and innovative ideas to surface.”

Lynn Thomas, LCSW, Founder/CEO, Eagala

“I have counted Fred as a business associate, mentor, collaborator and friend for more than 20 years. Fred’s visionary leadership and seemingly endless creative energy have helped to propel the development of the Michigan beer industry for decades and we continue to work together to promote Michigan beer. I have worked on countless projects with Fred that were successful due to his vision, creativity and leadership and his ability to inspire others. I am confident that Fred’s dedication and passion for his work will yield positive and meaningful results at the Red Horse Center for Collaborative Leadership.”

Scott Graham, Executive Director - Michigan Brewers Guild

“It is an important time for people to take responsibility for our healing work and to come together to make positive change. My dear friends at the Red Horse Center for Collaborative Leadership are weaving their dynamic skills and tools together to provide transformative experiences for individuals and groups. Eagala Model Equine assisted therapy has grown and been celebrated worldwide. I have always been a champion of Michigan and have noticed as Michigan has created innovative models that have been successfully replicated celebrated across the country and the world. In that spirit, I’m excited to see what emerges with the Red Horse Center for Collaborative Leadership and am personally eager to participate in programs and refer friends and colleagues to this wonderful haven here in the Mitten state.”

Seth Bernard, Founder and Co-Executive Director of Title Track, working for clean water, racial equity and youth empowerment. Founder of Earthwork Music, encouraging community healing through collective musicianship, and the Earthwork Harvest Gathering, a celebrated annual cultural event that takes place on the family farm.

“Working with Fred, Ulla, Jenny and the horses was an amazing experience! They created a safe, warm, compassionate caring environment that allowed us to get to core issues and have a concise theme we wanted to explore. The horses mirrored what was most important by showing us what they were drawn too or not drawn too as well as how they worked as a team. Because of our work together along with the horses we discovered the changes that were most important to us and actions we believed were needed for meaningful change. We were in need of connecting as a group and designing a shared vision to help direct our way over this next year. We left with our theme we wanted to continue to work with, the way we wanted to experience our day with one another, the changes we wanted to see happen, as well as the actions we are going to take both personally and professionally to support our change. Most importantly we each enjoyed our time with one another, learning about each other and having meaningful dialog that continues to keep us connected in a more deep and supportive way.”

Suzanne Huffman, Suzanne’s Organics Salon, Kalamazoo, MI