Horses Never Lie: The Heart of Passive Leadership

by Mark Rashid

That was the point I made regarding the idea that when working toward developing a leadership role with a horse, how important it is to make sure the horse understands boundaries, as well as the difference between what we might see as positive behavior from them as opposed to negative behavior. I think sometimes folks get so focused on wanting to have a harmonious relationship with their horse, they forget that horses, just like people, need to understand how to do their job properly in order to be comfortable doing it. It’s difficult for a horse to feel comfortable when there are no boundaries or limitations put on their behavior. In a herd situation, boundaries are one of the first things horses learn from other horses, followed closely by learning how to act as a productive member of the herd through limitations on their behavior. I think it’s important to remember that good horsemanship, just like life itself, is all about keeping things in balance. There can’t be comfort without a little discomfort, and there can’t be balance unless things become a little unbalanced from time to time. When we can learn to embrace those times when things aren’t going as well as we would like, and then find ways to deal with them in a productive manner, that’s when I believe horses can begin to look to us as a leader they can trust.