Horses Never Lie: The Heart of Passive Leadership

by Mark Rashid

I felt that was at the heart of the trouble they were having. Treasure was never given the time to think through the things that Jo asked from her. Jo had been taught during past clinics that if Treasure didn’t respond within a given amount of time, pressure needed to be escalated until she did respond. That didn’t leave much room for thought or error on the mare’s part. It also didn’t allow Jo the time she needed to feel the tries that Treasure offered. Jo often put a cue right on top of a try, which caused confusion for Treasure. Treasure never really knew when she was doing the right thing and, as a result, had trouble being consistent in her responses. That, in and of itself, was one of the main reasons why the mare was soft and fluid one minute, then stiff and bracey the next. She simply never knew when she was doing something right.