A horse that earns trust and demands respect is the leader. In equine society the word love is interchangeable with the word respect. Horses do not feel "love" in the sentimental sense. They respect another horse because they believe that horse will protect and care for them. They are able to identify certain characteristics that demand their respect. The equine leader......
Utilizes assertion to dominate submission from each member of the herd;
Uses aggression only as an equal and opposite response to a challenger. The equine leader is artful in avoiding violence whenever he can;
Focuses on the welfare of the herd;
Is wise in the ways of survival and generous in his teaching.
Herd animals survive because they respect the essentials of great leadership.
Human beings are confused about leadership because throughout our evolutionary journey we have alternated between the pack behavior of predators and the herd behavior of prey animals. This "evolutionary confusion" leaves us poorly adapted to the elements of great leadership enjoyed by our equine partners.
