10 Famous Protector Leaders

Bronzz and Brandy, who inspired me to study Protector Leadership

Protector Leaders are often overlooked because their way of relating to horses typically involves little drama. Some, however, have become famous, even legendary. Those quoted here represent vastly different backgrounds: cowboy, cavalry, dressage, agility, eventer, endurance, and liberty. All share the conviction that horses are reliable partners when we make them feel safe with us, and listen their point of view. Those are hallmarks of Protector Leaders, going back over 2,000 years.
Xenophon (430 – 354 BCE): “Make your horse your friend because in battle your life depends on him.”
His book “The Art of Horsemanship” was a manual for his fellow cavalry officers, emphasizing the importance of a horse who was reliable in battle.
Antoine de Pluvinel (1552 – 1620): “You can never rely on a horse that is educated by fear. There will always be something that he fears more than you. But, when he trusts you, he will ask you what to do when he is afraid.”
An early French riding master, he had a great influence on modern dressage. He was known for his humane training methods.
Will James ( 1892 – 1942): “… a big mistake was made when the horse was classed as an animal. To me, the horse is man’s greatest, most useful, faithful, and powerful friend.”
Cowboy, author, and illustrator, his most realistic characters were horses. His classic “Smokey the Cowhorse” was a brilliant depiction of life from a horse’s point of view. His observations of herd behavior match those of modern researchers.
Col. Alois Podhajsky (1898 – 1973): “When riding and training my horses I was forever trying to put myself in the place of the animal and to think from his point of view...”
He too was a cavalry officer. When he was wounded in battle in WWI, he credited his horse with saving his life. He is famous both as long-time director of the Spanish Riding School, and for his role in saving Lipizzans during WWII.
Tom Dorrance (1910 – 2003): "Some people will ride a horse as long as the horse lives and they will never get what I try to get as early as I can, for a foundation. I don’t mean that I’m trying to get everything completed, but to get …. to where if the horse gets troubled he will come to me… for security and cover. Without that foundation I feel very insecure with a horse."
Although he is considered a founder of natural horsemanship, he never mentioned dominance. He expressed great faith in horses’ intelligence and willingness to be our partners.
Kim Walnes: “…the first question in their mind is not who is boss, it’s ‘Who is the protector, and who is being protected?’…In the horse’s mind, it is an automatic agreement that the protector becomes the leader.”
She describes her partner The Gray Goose as a “rogue youngster who became an international success.” He was inducted into the Eventing Hall of Fame in 2012. Kim and Gray are the subjects of the documentary, “Mother Goose”. (Links below.)
Mark Rashid: “I have found that tools and techniques don’t matter all that much when they are applied with the right attitude.”
His books are full of stories modeling a Protector Leader approach to solving behavior problems by trying to understand the horse’s point of view.
Vanessa Bee: “[Horses] don’t want to be ‘on duty’ all the time, so when you turn up and take responsibility for their safety for a while, they’re delighted!”
The founder of the sport of Horse Agility, she proved that horses can appreciate our partnership enough to negotiate obstacle courses at liberty in large open areas.
Denny Emerson: “If you would not want someone to try to force you, why would you think it is OK to do that to a horse?”
He is the only rider in the world to win a gold medal in international eventing and a Tevis Cup buckle in endurance.
Frederic Pignon: “How can we possibly think we have a good relationship with a horse if we cannot “listen” to him or notice when he is depressed or anxious? When a person is unwell he can try to explain it in words; a horse tries to tell you with all sorts of body language because he cannot speak. It is up to us to learn how to “read” him.”
As a founding star of Cavalia, he enchanted audiences by playing with his stallions at liberty. He describes Templado, one of his most popular performers, as “absolutely unmanageable” when he came to him. We can’t all be famous, but we can all have that same special relationship with our own horses. My book, What Horses Really Want: Unlocking the Secrets to Trust, Cooperation, and Reliability explains how.

Kim Walnes and The Gray Goose at Raynella Horse Trials in Australia (1986)

Thank you to Kim Walnes for sharing her photo (by Peter Gower) and providing links to the teasers for the documentary about her and The Gray Goose. Mother Goose Teaser 1 Mother Goose Teaser 2 All of the other contemporary Protector Leaders mentioned above (Vanessa Bee, Denny Emerson, Frederic Pignon, and Mark Rashid) are authors of multiple books that reflect their commitment to the principles I have summed up as Protector Leadership. More articles about Protector Leadership:
10 Reasons Horses and People Love Protector Leadership
Protector Leaders Let Horses Be True to Their Instincts
Protector Leadership The Path to Trust, Confidence, and Reliability