Are you the Leader your Horse Needs?

This past summer I, along with my young horse Paris, had the pleasure of attending a Happy Horse Clinic taught by Linda Parelli. Linda is such a wonderful teacher and I gleaned so much watching her teach her horse training curriculum. The recurring theme throughout the clinic was leadership, and how to be the leader your horse needs, so that you can have a happy horse!

To some people, leadership is a dirty word. Perhaps they’ve had a negative experience with someone in a “leadership” position over them (not what true leadership is by the way). These people tend to avoid confrontation and seek to develop a relationship with their horse based on love, scratches, and cookies. But with horses, this only gets you so far.

Horses naturally have a herd hierarchy that their very survival (in the wild) depends on. The alpha horse controls the resources, decides when to spook and run, and decides when it is safe to graze. This is so ingrained in their DNA that it is still very much prevalent in our domesticated horses today. Horses either seek leadership or seek to be the leader.

When you are interacting with your horse, if they don’t perceive you as the leader they will go looking for the leader (horses that are herd bound, barn “sour”, buddy “sour”, etc.), or they will take over and start dominating you so they can become the leader (horses that bite, won’t go forward, buck, won’t go backward, etc.).

Other people have no problem with the word “leadership.” These people are typically quick to take over and welcome being in charge. It’s all too easy for them to create a relationship with their horse that is based on rules, responsiveness, and results, oftentimes lacking the rapport and connection that a true leader has with their followers.

A Picture, A Plan, A Feeling!

Linda talked about good leaders having clarity, and passing that on to their followers. She challenged us to continually have a picture, a plan, and a feeling of what we want our horses to be doing. There is comfort in clarity. When your horse sees your picture and can follow your plan, the feeling is wonderful! It’s a feeling of true harmony!

“Not That, This!”

Most often, we as horse owners, allow our horses to exhibit behaviors that don’t fit into our picture or feeling. For example, a lot of horses move around while being groomed or tacked up. Instead of letting the horse continue to do that, fix it! Linda says, “Not that, this”! Replace the unwanted behavior with the behavior that you want. In this example, teach the horse that they need to stand still. Give them a “parking spot” and put them back into it every time they leave it. Not That, This!

Match the Energy (Mental & Physical) of the Horse.

It’s easy to lose the leadership and connection with your horse when you aren’t matching their energy. Horses notice everything, and we humans typically do not. Horses notice when you walk towards the pasture or the stall. They notice how fast or how slow you go. They notice when your resolve is weak, when you are unsure, or when you lack a plan. Horses are masters at out persisting predators (humans). And we humans are so relatively quick to give up. To be the leader your horse needs you to be, you need to match them! If they are quiet and reserved, you need to be slower and softer. If they are quick and pushy, you need to be “friendly/bossy.” By matching the horse, you will create rapport, and then be able to shape them into your “picture.”

Be the Leader your Horse Needs.

Be clear. Have a picture, a plan, a feeling. Show them the appropriate behaviors, Not That, This! Match their mental and physical energy. Have a Happy Horse!