What EQUUS does

EQUUS is a private, founder-led personal and organizational change platform founded in 2016 and headquartered at Buffalo Spirit Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The company operates in the executive coaching, leadership development, and experiential learning market, combining equine-assisted facilitation with neuroscience, attachment theory, systems theory, somatic awareness, and indigenous earth-based wisdom. Its flagship offering, The EQUUS Experience® — a registered trademark — uses a curated herd of horses as non-judgmental mirrors in facilitator-led sessions designed to surface non-verbal leadership behavior and produce measurable, lasting change.

The business is monetized across multiple channels: (1) one-on-one coaching with founder Kelly Wendorf, an ICF Master Certified Coach, on a six-month minimum commitment; (2) EQUUS Academy online courses priced from $385 for short Spotlight Sessions up to $3,997 for the 14-week Assertiveness for Life and Leadership intensive; (3) in-person workshops and custom retreats at Buffalo Spirit Ranch, including Unbridled (Rewilding Feminine Agency) and Emerge; (4) the EQUUS Experience Certification Training, limited to 8 apprentices per year; (5) keynote speaking engagements; and (6) ancillary revenue from the book Flying Lead Change (Sounds True, 2020), branded merchandise, and the TrueGraze Feeder product. Distribution combines direct website sales, remote delivery via Zoom, and onsite sessions at the ranch, supported by a multi-channel marketing stack spanning earned media in NYT, WSJ, Vogue, and Forbes, a podcast circuit, essay content, and active social channels. The customer base spans enterprise buyers (Amazon, Pfizer, Microsoft, Cisco, Shell Oil, Yale, REI, Four Seasons, Tory Burch), individual lifelong learners, couples, and aspiring facilitators.

EQUUS remains privately held, bootstrapped, and founder-anchored, with no disclosed institutional funding. Stephanie Handley joined as Chief Operating Officer, the first formal C-suite operations role, alongside founder & CEO Kelly Wendorf.

Name

EQUUS

Legal name

EQUUS

Website

https://equusinspired.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EQUUS is a founder-led equine-assisted leadership development platform combining coaching, online courses, retreats, and certification training at Buffalo Spirit Ranch in Santa Fe, serving executives, boards, entrepreneurs, and lifelong learners globally through high-touch experiential programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Fe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Coaching Services: One-on-one executive and personal coaching sessions delivered in-person or remotely via phone or Zoom. Requires six-month minimum commitment. Kelly Wendorf holds ICF Master Certification (one of only a handful worldwide).
2. EQUUS Academy Online Courses: Online courses throughout the year on topics including nature-based wisdom, neuroscience, contemplative wisdom, somatic coaching, and leadership. Includes Spotlight Sessions (1.5 hours), How to Lead a Transformative Life (4 hours over 2 Saturdays), Wisdom of Thriving (8-week intensive), and Assertiveness for Life and Leadership (14-week course).
3. The EQUUS Experience® Sessions: Award-winning equine-assisted transformational coaching sessions at Buffalo Spirit Ranch. Offered as standalone 2-hour and 4-hour programs, or embedded within retreats and certification training. Also available as deep dive private retreats (half-day to 3 days).
4. Retreats and Workshops: Custom-designed personal and executive retreats for individuals, professionals, and groups. Includes Unbridled Women's Retreat, Emerge Retreat, and Safari experiences. Workshops fully customized to client needs, delivered onsite at EQUUS or organizational locations.
5. EQUUS Certification Training: Custom-tailored apprenticeship program leading to EQUUS Experience Certified Facilitator designation. Includes mentorship with Kelly Wendorf, equine behavioral sciences training, and ICF-aligned coaching methodology. Limited to 8 apprenticeship spaces per year.
6. Book Sales: Flying Lead Change: 56 Million Years of Wisdom for Leading and Living, published by Sounds True. Available from major booksellers including Amazon, Audible, Barnes & Noble, and indie bookstores. Priced at $20 per copy.
7. Keynote Speaking: Keynote speaking engagements by Kelly Wendorf covering leadership, relationships, power, purpose, spirituality, nature-informed wisdom, presence-based living, courage, intuition, and joy.
8. Merchandise and Products: Online shop selling branded merchandise including leather bracelets ($78), TrueGraze Feeder ($100), gift cards (from $50), totes ($16.95), sachets ($14.95), water bottles ($36.95), and caps ($28.95).
9. The Buffalo House Accommodation: Exclusive one-bedroom adobe accommodation at Buffalo Spirit Ranch for EQUUS program participants. Features kiva fireplace, movie nook, gym/yoga room, and panoramic views. Not offered as standalone accommodation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EQUUS delivers equine-assisted personal and organizational transformation services, including one-on-one and group executive coaching, custom retreats and workshops at Buffalo Spirit Ranch, structured online courses through EQUUS Academy, and a facilitator certification program. The flagship offering, The EQUUS Experience®, uses a curated herd of horses as co-facilitators to surface authentic behaviors and accelerate leadership breakthroughs.

Product overview

EQUUS is a personal and organizational change company offering coaching, experiential learning programs, and online courses. The core flagship offering is The EQUUS Experience®—an equine-assisted leadership development process—supplemented by EQUUS Academy online courses (including How to Lead a Transformative Life, Wisdom of Thriving, and Assertiveness for Life and Leadership), in-person workshops and retreats, one-on-one coaching, certification training, and published products including the book 'Flying Lead Change' and the TrueGraze Feeder™. Services are delivered at Buffalo Spirit Ranch in Santa Fe, NM, and online globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The EQUUS Experience®

Quantifiable outcome

• Clients report meaningful, sustained, and measurable change in personal and professional contexts
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Four Seasons at Thunderbird RidgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred accommodation partner adjacent to Buffalo Spirit Ranch. Located a 2-minute drive or 7-minute walk from the EQUUS campus via Camino Encantado Trail. Recommended for clients attending EQUUS programs who prefer resort accommodation over The Buffalo House on-site option.
• Pueblo EncantadominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred accommodation partner for EQUUS clients. Located within walking distance of Buffalo Spirit Ranch via Camino Encantado Trail. Provides lodging option for program participants.
• Mobius LeadershipminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProud coaching partner of EQUUS. Collaborative coaching relationship supporting leadership development and culture transformation services.
• Thunder Bear YatescoreOthersCultural educator for EQUUS, member of nearby Tesuque and Namble Pueblos. Facilitates Native American Horse Herd Encounters and cultural education programs. Represents indigenous wisdom component of EQUUS methodology.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Eponaquest: Founded by Linda Kohanov, Eponaquest is the pioneering equine-assisted experiential learning organization, offering workshops, facilitator training, and leadership programs that closely parallel EQUUS's methodology and target market.
• Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching: World-renowned executive coaching brand and methodology targeting C-suite leaders and senior executives for behavior change. Comparable premium positioning and senior-executive buyer base, though delivered without equine-assisted or experiential components.
• The Leadership Circle: Leadership development firm offering assessments, coaching certifications, and practitioner training to senior leaders and consultants. Comparable premium positioning and certification-driven practitioner network model that mirrors EQUUS's facilitator apprenticeship design.

Broad incumbents

• BetterUp: Enterprise coaching and leadership development platform serving Fortune 500 buyers with on-demand 1:1 coaching. Comparable because EQUUS also sells leadership development into large enterprises, but BetterUp competes on scale, software delivery, and integrations rather than experiential methodology.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a large leadership development and executive coaching practice serving enterprise clients across industries. Overlaps with EQUUS on C-suite coaching and culture transformation but operates as a broad portfolio firm rather than a niche experiential provider.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Research-backed leadership development organization offering executive education programs, coaching, and assessments. Comparable buyer base (senior leaders, organizations) and similar emphasis on behavior change, but delivered through traditional programs rather than equine-assisted experiential formats.
• FranklinCovey: Global leadership and organizational performance company offering enterprise training programs (e.g., The 7 Habits) and coaching. Serves many of the same Fortune 500 buyers as EQUUS but with a content-led, scalable training model.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Executive search and leadership advisory firm offering leadership assessment, coaching, and culture services to global enterprises. Overlaps with EQUUS on executive development but as part of a broader talent advisory portfolio.

Others

• Outward Bound: Experiential learning organization using outdoor and adventure-based programs for leadership and team development. Comparable methodology philosophy (experiential transformation) but with outdoor/adventure rather than equine-assisted delivery, and oriented toward younger participants as well as corporate teams.

Emerging players

• Dare to Lead (Brené Brown): Bestselling author and thought leader offering leadership and courage-based training programs, corporate workshops, and a certified Dare to Lead facilitator network. Comparable premium personal-development positioning, certified-practitioner distribution model, and senior-leader buyer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/equusinspired
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/equus-inspired
• Instagraminstagram.com/equusinspired/?hl=en
• Xx.com/equusinspired

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EQUUS