"Hooves and Heart: How My Horse Taught Me to Lead"

I just returned from a weekend away with my horsey girlfriends.  We all have horses, and we all love to ride the trails. 

I started riding horses and taking lessons five years ago during Covid.  It was a way to get out and experience nature and horses.  Truly a dream of mine. 

Fast forward, two years ago I purchased my first horse.  His name is Duke and he’s a Tennessee Walker.  He is now 8 years old, kind of like a teenage boy at this stage. 

This past Saturday, I loaded up my trailer and truck with all the things I’d need for a horse camping trip and then the last to load before we left was my horse, Duke.  He loaded perfectly and off we went. 

The drive to camp took two hours.  Upon arrival, we went through check in.  I prepared his stall with fresh shavings and then unloaded him and put him in the stall.  He was thrilled to see all the other horses and was calling out to them.  There really was excitement and nervousness in the air. 

After unpacking and settling in, we decided to take a short ride and ease into the rest of the evening.  I saddled up Duke and mounted him.  He seemed skittish and not sure about this new place and all these new horses.  We headed for the trailhead, and I chose to be in last position following the other four.  Duke was beside himself.  I was getting more frustrated and nervous not knowing what to do as he stepped sideways and backwards, definitely not forward the way I wanted him to go. 

My friend on another horse came over and said, hey, maybe Duke feels like he’s going to be left behind.  Let’s put him up front to lead the way and see how that goes.  I’d never thought of that.  Duke and I move to the front of the line and off he went like a champ!  What a difference it made.  Who knew? 

You see, it all came down to my leadership of him.  I was keyed up after driving two hours pulling a horse trailer.  He was more nervous after riding those two hours in that bumpy trailer.  Animals have no choice but to show their feelings by their actions. He was trying to tell me, but I wasn’t picking up on his signals.  I was in my own world with my own feelings and anxiousness. 

As soon as my friend stepped in and shifted my thinking about what was going on, everything changed for the better.  Isn’t that the way it goes with any type of Leadership?  Team members may feel frustrated or uncertain and struggle to communicate effectively.   This makes an unsettled experience for both the leader and the team member. 

Business Culture begins with the leader.  Leaders must learn to pick up on subtle clues, body language, and feelings.  And yes, you can learn to do these things.  The good news is team members can learn too! 

Being a leader is a work in progress.  I challenge you to listen carefully, be fully present, and be open to suggestions from others.  I’m so glad I listened to my friend who had way more experience than me. 

Duke and I both learned a lot this weekend.  We rode four miles on that Saturday afternoon and then on Sunday we all rode another ten miles, with Duke in all of the positions in the lineup doing fantastically.  It was some of the most challenging trails I had been on, and Duke took them on like a champ.  I was more confident, so naturally he picked up my energy and off we went! 

Case in point, when you are confident, your team will pick up on it.  I challenge you to grow in your Leadership skills.  Take the time to learn from others who’ve had success and have gone before you.  Remember, every day is a school day. 

Barbara Stackhouse RDH, M.Ed.

Author, Profit First for Dentists