How clearly do you communicate?

With horses there is a working relationship that the horse and human develop.  The relationship becomes, over time, a partnership.  The main question then becomes "Who's the boss?"

 Or, at least, who holds more stock in the company.  Often times it is the horse who is the major shareholder.  The one who has the final say in which direction the company is headed.

Here you can see my feet are moving Smoke’s. Not the other way around.

This may be a funny analogy but there is definite truth in it.  Anytime there are two parties involved in anything, one of them assumes the lead role.  Now you may be thinking, "I pay all the bills and assure that no one goes hungry.  This alone dictates who the boss is, right?"  

It may seem that there is some good logic here. But the truth is, sometimes our horses are just really good at making us think we are in the lead role.  

I say this because I have seen many a horse making the majority of the decisions.  Riders can be somewhat lax in establishing rules.  They find that it is easiest if they move with the horses ideas.  Not giving over total control but containing movement to ultimately get where they intend.  

For clarity I will list some examples.
 
* A person may allow a horse to walk off while they mount.  

* Maybe a rider is still preparing in the saddle to set forth when the horse starts walking. The rider then just goes along with them.  

* Sometimes a horse would like to trot through dips or sloughs.  

* More simple things would be having a horse dance around while saddling.  

* Maybe a horse just likes to eat grass throughout the ride or at moments while being led.  

This is just a snippet in a long list of things that could happen or be allowed to happen.  The basic premise is whether a horse controls your feet or you control their feet.  This can be on the end of a lead line or in the saddle where it can be less obvious.  

If a horse moves without checking with you first, they are the boss.  The alpha horse in a herd does not get there by being pushed around or easily influenced.  They don't move their feet unless it is their own idea.

I bring this up not to be viewed as an Army General ruling with an iron fist.  Rather to bring realization to the fact that in a partnership someone has the directive.  Ideally the shares would be %51 yours and %49 your horse.  

All ideas are run through you and you are open to other views.  

The latter part of this being just as important as the leading role.  A horse gains comfort in knowing that they have a say in how things go.  If a horse senses death closing in, can they flee if the need arises?  Horses are quite sensitive and humans would be wise to listen.

Awareness is key to all of this.  Just knowing the importance of standing your ground can lead to improved horsemanship.  That or the fact that the partnership is not one sided.  There is a middle ground here where all parties can operate with fulfillment.  What better way to live?

Let's lead with compassion and strength.  We first have to be our own boss in order to gain support from others.

Happy Trails!

Eric