I'm Helen Philip, founder and lead facilitator at Impact Coaching, where I deliver equine-assisted experiential coaching, leadership development, team building and sales coaching. I work with individuals, sales teams and leadership groups across the UK (Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Northamptonshire) to help them develop:
My background blends over 20 years in senior consultative sales roles (startups, agencies, blue-chip firms) with a lifelong relationship to horses. I believe the way you show up, your energy, clarity, conviction, matters more than any pitch or script. Horses, being highly perceptive to nonverbal communication, serve as a powerful mirror: they don't respond to words, only to presence, intention and emotional alignment.
From childhood riding, through professional equestrian training and competition, horses have been part of my life. In 2013 I won a UK National Dressage Championship. Professional sales taught me about persuasion, listening, resilience, but I felt there was something genuinely missing in development: the inner wiring, emotional attunement, authenticity.
In 2017 I encountered a LEAP equine workshop. The experience struck me: I felt deeply seen, released, seen without pretence. That moment convinced me horses had a place in helping people:
I trained with The Herd Institute (USA) under LEAP, and studied with Learning to Listen in the UK, and hold accreditations from the Association for Coaching. My practice also draws on transformational coaching, NLP, transactional analysis and the True North and Clearer model.
Core programmes and approaches:
Leadership and sales team workshops: Combining horse interaction, reflective tasks and facilitated debriefs to deepen self-awareness, influence and relational presence.
One-to-one coaching with horses: Clients interact with horses (on the ground, no riding) in structured tasks. The horse's responses reflect how the client is showing up: presence, clarity, boundaries.
Transformational coaching: Integrating insight from the equine work into:
Team building and group retreats: Organisations bring sales, leadership or cross-functional teams to equine facilitation days to enhance trust, communication and cohesion.
Life coaching and personal development: For professionals who want to align purpose, presence and performance.
Participants engage in ground-level tasks with horses, no riding needed. The horses respond only to the client's energy, body language and emotional coherence. Through:
Clients learn how subtle shifts in presence or intention influence relationships, both with animals and with people.
We then bridge those lessons into business life: meetings, sales conversations, leadership presence, performance under pressure. Many clients report breakthroughs in confidence, clarity, boundaries, empathy, influence and mindset.
Presence matters more than technique, as you can have the perfect script, but if your energy is off, the impact is lost. Being willing to feel is essential, since transformation often starts when we allow vulnerability rather than a posture of strength. It's important to trust the mirror, as the horse's feedback is pure and they respond as you are, not as you wish to be. Integrating insight with action is crucial, because a breakthrough without follow-through becomes undone. Finally, expect resistance, as some people are skeptical of equine work, and anchoring in rationale, structure, and safety helps ease the leap.
If I were starting Impact Coaching afresh, I'd produce more content earlier, including case stories, short videos, and client reflections, as this demystifies equine work. I'd systematise onboarding, follow-up, and digital integration sooner so clients can embed insights between sessions. Additionally, I might partner earlier with sales training or leadership firms to co-deliver hybrid programs.
Plans for expansion include offering hybrid and virtual preparation or debrief modules for clients who can't attend in person, as well as developing more leadership and sales programs combining equine coaching with digital elements. Future initiatives involve publishing guides, articles, or videos explaining how equine insight maps to business outcomes, and deepening partnerships with HR, leadership consultancies, and organizational development firms. If you're a sales leader, manager, or professional who wants to align presence, influence, and performance, and is open to transformational learning, I'd be delighted to explore how this work could support you.
It is an experiential form of coaching where you interact with horses on the ground. Horses are incredibly perceptive and act as a mirror, responding to your energy, intention, and nonverbal cues. This interaction helps you develop powerful self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and authentic presence, which are vital in business.
Not at all. You do not need any prior horse experience. All the coaching activities are conducted on the ground, and there is no riding involved. The focus is on observation and interaction in a safe, facilitated environment.
Horses respond to your presence and emotional alignment, not just your words. This gives you immediate, honest feedback on how you show up, your clarity, and your influence. By learning to adjust your approach to connect with the horse, you gain insights that directly translate to improving your communication and presence in meetings, sales conversations, and leadership situations.
Clients often experience significant breakthroughs in their confidence, clarity, and ability to set boundaries. You can expect to improve your empathy, influence, and overall mindset, with insights anchored into practical action plans to ensure the changes are lasting and impactful in your professional life.
This coaching is designed for individuals, sales teams, and leadership groups seeking to enhance their performance. If you are a professional who wants to align your presence with your purpose and are open to a unique, transformational learning experience, this is for you. Finding specialised providers like Impact Coaching through platforms such as Fearless can connect you with new ways to grow.
