The Language of Leadership Through Equine-Assisted Learning

Every true leader knows — leadership isn’t about control. It’s about presence.

Yesterday in the round pen, Minnie reminded me of this truth.

She stood with her ears soft, her gaze steady, watching me with the kind of awareness that takes in everything without judgment. Feeling my presense and intention, she followed me around the pen as I was gettign setup for our training session, this is called joining up.  She saw me as her leader and she trusted me.  As a result, she was curious and wanted to be in my space. 

We are working on desentitizing her to a saddle, which she hasn't had on her since her last racing days before her career-ending injury.  When I hesitated, her body told the truth I hadn’t yet admitted to myself: I was uncertain. I didn't know how she was going to react, and because I was second-guessing myself (insides weren't matching the outsides) she became very nervous and began calling out to her herd mates and running along the gate.

Her response was a reflection of her not feeling safe with me because I wasn't present.  When anxiety takes over, we are in our past.  We are placing a past experience on what is happening today, and when we do that, we are not present. Minnie couldn't see what I was bringing forward from my past, so she could only assess her safety based on what she sees and feels, and it did not feel aligned or present so she reacted.  

How many times as a leader of a team do we bring our past experiences to the table?  What impact does that have on the team or the culture of the company? Good or bad?

Horses don’t care about titles, résumés, or strategies. They respond only to what is real. Their feedback is immediate, honest, and free of ego, a gift most leaders rarely receive.

This is the value of equine-assisted learning (EAL). In the presence of a horse, we can no longer hide behind words. Our congruence, or lack of it, shows up in every breath, every step, every interaction. Teams can also learn how trust is built, how boundaries are honored, and how authentic connection creates results that no meeting agenda ever could.

Compass Connection:
In the language of the Wild Grace Compass, this was an East moment — reclaiming the power of authentic boundaries and learning to lead not through force, but through congruence.

Reflection Prompt:
Where in your leadership — whether in your family, your team, or your own life — might congruence matter more than control?

Inside the Wild Grace Sanctuary and in our leadership workshops at Sunflower Ranch, we practice these moments. We learn from the horses how to show up with integrity, presence, and the kind of leadership that inspires trust.