Trauma in rural France; leadership through equine coaching: Isabelle Constantini and Christine Hansen share how horses, an innate willingness to try new things and adapt has built resilience and reinvention.

Isabelle Constantini’s life has taken her from Parisian theatre stages to the rugged countryside of the South of France. A former actress, film director and casting director, Isabelle also competed in amateur equestrian championships. However, she had always harboured a dream to live in the south of France in nature with her beloved horses. And so she did it.

This bold move to rural France with her 10-year-old daughter changed everything. Seeking a simpler life in nature, Isabelle instead faced harassment from hunters, which cost her her prized horse’s career, and bullying from some neighbours which ultimately forced her to move.

One method of overcoming the pain endured was writing. Isabelle, through introspection, and an abiding commitment to non-violence wrote a novel about self-discovery and endurance.

"Empathy," she said, "is one of the few things left to us as humans." It’s a theme she now champions, alongside energy healing, vegetarianism, and a life led by connection to the natural world.

“Where leaders learn from the herd”

Joining Isabelle in studio was Christine Hansen, who came to horse riding at the age of 38. A former teacher turned coach and entrepreneur, Christine now offers corporate leadership training through equine-assisted learning. This course is co-owned and co-run by Anne Ludovicy who owns Centre Équestre Kehlen, where the course takes place.

At the heart of her approach lies one truth: horses don’t lie. As prey animals, their survival depends on reading body language and energy.

"They are honest, intuitive mirrors," Christine explained, "and they’ll react to your presence, not your title.”

The result is a powerful feedback loop that can transform leadership styles, challenge self-perceptions, and foster authentic communication. And you don’t have to be able to ride a horse; in fact, most participants rarely mount a horse at all. Instead, they engage in grounded observation, interaction and reflection.

“The smallest pony can change the way you see yourself,” she said.

Both women emphasised the profound healing horses can offer. For Isabelle, they’ve been a spiritual anchor through life’s upheavals. For Christine, they are tools for insight, calm, and self-regulation, even helping to teach breathing and mindset shifts in moments of high stress.