About Ariana
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"I really appreciate the extremely respectful atmosphere Ariana creates in her programs. I also like her honesty and how the classes are more about what the horses reveal than about what Ariana knows. The classes aren't about Ariana's ego, and I like that. About Ariana herself: I like her strength, her heart, her dedication to a life with animals, her intelligence, her work ethic, her healthiness, her care for the environment and the land, her care for family and community, etc. All those qualities come through in her teaching."
Kendall Roper
Ariana Strozzi - Biography
I grew up on the back of a horse on coastal hills of Northern California. I enjoy sharing my love of animals, land and nature with anyone who crosses my path. My mission is to re-connect people to the natural world for the sake of saving the Great Mother Earth and all of her creations. I believe that time is of the essence. We need to take the reins in our own hands, form herds of like-minded people, share our dreams and stand tall in the face of adversity. We need to awaken our spiritual longing and inter-connectedness to all life and encourage possibility and hope in a time of uncertainty.
I am a pioneer in the field of incorporating horses into human education and learning, coining the term Equine Guided Education (EGE) in 1999. I began pioneering this work in the 70's training horse and rider in a variety of disciplines (winning champion awards in dressage, jumping, eventing, gymkana, reining, and working cowhorse) when I realized horses were listening to subtle forms of energy, intention and imagery. I expanded my studies of animal behavior at UC Davis where I graduated with a degree in Zoology in 1984.
I spent several years working with birds of prey and other wildlife at the UC Davis Veterinary School and managed several animal and equine facilities. The birds and wildlife taught me many of the same lessons that the horses had and I began to feel a need to bring the magic of animal communication into the world of people, so I began studying human dynamics--aikido, leadership and somatics-and became a Master Somatic Coach in 1996. The seemingly separate worlds of horsemanship and self-mastery began to blend together and ultimately shifted my orientation from traditional horsemanship (in which we control the horse's behavior through a system of cues and orders), to seeing the horse as a sentient being who can actually guide us into a deeper connection with ourselves and our whole lives. So I started bringing people out to work with the horses, not to learn how to work or ride the horse, but to practice energy awareness and centering. It was then that I realized that the horses gave each person a truly unique experience that directly related to every other area of their life. And so began Leadership & Horses™ in 1990.
I have been very fortunate to put theory into action and have coached over 5000 individuals in EGE over the last 17 years. My clients come from all walks of life including students, mothers, coaches, therapists, managers, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and corporate executives. My corporate clients include Visa Credit Card, Wells Fargo Bank, Proctor & Gamble, Hewlett-Packard, Agilent, Cisco, Institute for Women's Leadership, Apple Inc, Leadership USA, PSI Seminars, Enterprise Performance and various women's groups.
I am the author of the book, "Horse Sense for the Leader Within," and the DVD, "Intuitive Horsemanship™", as well as essays in the books, "Being Human at Work", and "Horse Crazy." I am currently working on 2 more books. I co-founded of Strozzi Institute in 1994 and the Equine Guided Education Association in 2003 with the intention of furthering the human potential movement. I am adjunct faculty of Institute for Women's Leadership, a Board of Director of Sonoma County Farm Trails and 4H horse leader for Tomales youth.
In addition to my love of horses, I am an avid rancher, winemaker and artist, and mother of 3. I make wool products (yarn, pillows and comforters) from my sheep flock and a fabulous Cabernet/Merlot wine.
As far as my art, I love to work in a variety of mediums including, scratchboard, sumi painting, oils, acrylics, beadwork, watercolor, and most recently photography. I learned sumi painting from my father as a girl and find it to be one of the most meditative forms of art. Because each stroke is unique and you cannot go back and fix a line, you have to be totally immersed in the mood of the story you are trying to tell. For the most part I am a self- taught artist. I love to illustrate animals in particular, because they have so much spirit, they are so present and communicate so well without words.