Training Tip: Your Horse Testing Your Leadership Comes Naturally

It’s very natural for horses to establish a pecking order. More often than not, the top horse in a herd is usually an old broodmare. How’d she get control of the group? She proved to every horse in the pasture she could move their feet forwards, backwards, left and right. When the broodmare wanted another horse in the pasture to move out of her way, she’d approach him with a plan. First, she’d pin her ears back. If the horse ignored her, then she’d bare her teeth and act like she was going to bite him. Then she might actually try to bite him. If he still didn’t move away from her, she’d back up to him, swish her tail and act like she was going to kick him. Then she might actually kick him. And she’d keep kicking until he moved. Whoever moves first, and backs down, loses the battle.

On a daily basis, horses in that broodmare’s herd will test her ability as a leader and question her authority, and she’ll have to prove to them that she’s still capable of being the leader and moving their feet. The same is true in our relationship with our horses. Every day, we have to prove ourselves worthy of being the leader in the relationship.