Horses & Leadership

One of the two Peruvian Pasos on the farm, Estrella, had been playing games. Whenever her caretaker approached her stall with a bridle, she turned away, leaving the caretaker chasing her in circles around the stall. It was unsafe and frustrating -- and the behavior seemed to be getting worse by the day.

I kept thinking to myself, "The Dog Whisperer" would not approve if Estrella was a dog...I'm so struck by the way horses and dogs seem to have an innate ability to sense humans' internal states. Maybe it has to do with the pack/herd hierarchy dynamics -- they must have a leader and be confident in their leader as a matter of survival.

When the horse trainer visited the farm to offer strategies to break this behavior, I watched, fascinated, as she coached each apprentice to approach with calm, assertive energy -- and with a clear intention of leading the horse out of the stall. Sure enough, Estrella responded almost immediately when the apprentices altered their approach. Without fuss, she walked right out of the stall and has continued to do so. The apprentices' big mistake was assuming that Estrella was afraid to leave the stall. Rather than leading her, they approached gently with an intention of coaxing her beyond her fear - and sometimes allowed her to stay in her stall rather than insisting she go out. In fact, Estrella was perfectly content following a capable, confident leader.

When I think about the times I most effectively lead a team, the common thread was my ability to communicate a clear, simple vision with confidence at heart. I'm happy to be surrounded by animals who constantly demand that calm confidence of me. It's valuable practice.