Today’s question is from Jeannie and Chris of Hedgesville, WV. “If a horse isn’t a natural leader (on the trail), can you train him to be one?”
Leadership is like any other skill and is no different in horses than in humans. Some individuals are born leaders, others are happier to follow. Horse training will enhance a horse’s God-given strengths, yet it can also vastly improve areas of weakness
A logical, progressive natural horse training program will yield several benefits which will strengthen your horse’s leadership skills:
- Problem Solving: He will learn that challenges have a way through, and if he can’t figure it out, he can look to you, his trusted partner, for guidance.
- Courage: He will learn to overcome his inborn instinct to flee from threats. He will replace flight with facing the object of his fears and will relying on his rider for security.
- Self-Confidence: He will develop self-confidence, which will carry over into all areas of his life, whether it is facing challenges on an unfamiliar trail or leading a group of unknown horses.
Remember, for a horse to be a good leader on the trail, he needs to have a good leader in the saddle! We owe it to our horses to continually strengthen our leadership, clarify our communication and improve the depth of our partnership.
Thanks for your question! Please feel free to email us anytime, or post your questions in the “Comments!”