Gerhard Jes Krebs
Our Journey to HorseDream & EAHAE
Karin and I had been self-employed in the IT industry since 1983. We worked around the clock, building our company with dedication and intensity.
In 1989, we decided to take a riding holiday. I was nearly 40 years old when I sat on a horse for the first time — and from that moment on, something changed. I never looked back.
Three months later, we bought our first horse. Soon after, the second followed.
A Turning Point
We initially went through the traditional German riding education system. After one year, we left. The treatment of the horses did not align with our values.
Instead, we continued learning on our own — guided by books, experience, and above all, by the horses themselves.
Gradually, our priorities shifted.
Our IT clients became curious about this new passion. Instead of inviting them to dinner, we invited them to the horses.
Something meaningful was happening.
The First Corporate Experience
At the end of 1995, one of our employees suffered from severe stress symptoms and wanted to leave the company.
We offered her a six-month sabbatical — under one condition:
She would join us once a week at the horses.
There was no structured concept at that time. We simply worked together with the horses.
Three months later, she felt ready to return to her position in the IT business.
This experience became the foundation of what would later become HorseDream — a structured horse-assisted program for corporate development.
From Experiment to Educational Concept
We began offering test seminars with business friends and their families.
In early 1998, we entered the open market.
From the very beginning, we developed nearly everything ourselves — supported by extensive reading, practical experimentation, and the constant guidance of the horses.
The name HorseDream reflects two essential dimensions of leadership and personal development:
The Horse — Reality
The horse is fully present.
It lives in the here and now.
Working with horses teaches:
- 100% presence
- responsibility
- clarity
- self-confidence
- awareness
- authentic leadership
Horses respond immediately and honestly to human behavior. They mirror incongruence. They reward clarity.
The Dream — Vision
The horse also carries a historical, cultural, and almost mythical symbolism.
It represents:
- expansion of perspective
- breaking limiting belief systems
- courage to step beyond comfort zones
- inner strength
HorseDream unites both dimensions:
Reality and Vision.
Presence and Possibility.
Grounded leadership and inspired growth.
Today, together with our international partners, we continue to live this dream:
To establish Horse Assisted Education as a recognized and respected format of professional and personal development worldwide.
The Foundation of EAHAE
In August 2004, we founded the EAHAE — the European Association for Horse Assisted Education.
The vision was clear:
To develop Horse Assisted Education (HAE) as a professional format for:
- enterprises
- organizations
- institutions
- educational settings
- personal development
In the early years, the focus was connection.
We brought together trainers across Europe who were working with horses in educational formats — without initially applying strict quality standards.
The mission was to:
- connect practitioners
- publish activities on a shared platform
- organize an annual conference
- build visibility for the field
Membership was open to practitioners in Europe (Full Members) and to interested professionals outside Europe or those preparing to enter the field (Associated Members).
A New Phase: From Network to Quality Standard
A decisive step occurred during the 4th Annual Conference (November 2008, Sielanka Farm near Warsaw, Poland).
The organization entered a new phase:
From open network to structured quality framework.
Since 2009, new Full Members must first complete an EAHAE-authorized Train the Trainer Seminar.
Before attending this qualification, applicants are listed as “Friends.”
This marked the beginning of EAHAE as a professional quality association.
The EAHAE Train the Trainer Qualification
During the certification seminar, participants experience five categories of hands-on exercises:
- Watching
- Leading
- Communication (distance & nearness)
- Goal orientation
- Teamwork
They also learn three fundamental transfer models:
- Leadership positions
- Team atmosphere & company culture
- Personal development
Participants receive ready-to-use one-day and two-day seminar concepts, including participant handouts.
Certified EAHAE Members are authorized to use these concepts and adapt them according to:
- number of horses
- number of participants
- facility conditions
- cultural context
This ensures both methodological consistency and individual flexibility.
Today
What began as a personal discovery in 1989 has evolved into:
- An international educational concept
- A global network of qualified facilitators
- A recognized quality framework
- A yearly international conference
- A shared professional community
HorseDream is the methodical core.
EAHAE is the international quality network.
Together, they stand for:
Clarity. Presence. Responsibility. Vision.
Contact
Name: Gerhard Jes Krebs and Karin Krebs
EAHAE and HorseDream Founders
Country: Germany
Address:
Fabrikweg 4
D-07619 Schkölen
Phone: +49 170 327 8181
E-mail: gjk@gerhardjeskrebs.com
Websites:
www.eahae.online
www.horsedream.com
www.gerhardjeskrebs.com
www.paddocktrail-schkoelen.de