Protector Leaders Inspire Trust, Confidence, and Reliability

Brandy used to be dangerously fearful

Protector Leadership is a relationship that inspires horses to be confident, cooperative, and trusting because they feel safe with us. It has been around a long time. I did not invent or discover it. I just named and defined it. Protector Leaders represent every background and skill level, and call what they do by many different names, often just “good horsemanship.” One of the hallmarks of Protector Leaders is their attitude. They recognize that horses’ default behavior is basically cooperative, and they try to understand the horse’s point of view, especially when things are not going well. Horses who are problems for other people often are not problems for Protector Leaders. Many people who are good at establishing this kind of relationship do it so intuitively they can’t explain how they do it. Some have written whole books on their philosophy, without defining the specific actions that make the philosophy work. When I got a dangerously fearful foster pony, I was motivated to figure it out. It took research, lessons, practice, study, watching other trainers, and most of all listening to the horses. I saw that Protector Leaders tended to do similar things with horses. Research explained why each of these actions was important and successful.

The Elements of Protector Leadership

Below are brief descriptions of the actions that earn trust:
- Interpret behavior accurately. Horses’ body language is their only means of communicating with us. It is our responsibility to pay attention and learn to understand what they are trying to tell us, especially when the behavior looks “disobedient”.
- Communicate like a horse. Horses most want to be with us when we use our body language in ways that make intuitive sense to them, and invites them to stay with us.
- Encourage Investigative Behavior. Engaging horses’ innate curiosity is a powerful way to turn anxiety into confidence.
- Provide Positive Experiences. Success builds confidence. It is our responsibility to provide a horse with a variety of successful adventures.
- Reduce stress. Life is naturally full of stress, but horses are more resilient to it when they see us as protecting them from stress instead of being a source of it. These actions are powerful because they engage horses’ innate intelligence, show them that we respect their needs, and encourage them to express their personalities. They minimize problem behaviors because they meet horses’ basic need for security. Protector Leadership isn’t a collection of training exercises. It’s a way of life. Trust gained can quickly be lost if we treat these actions like training sessions, then go back to “business as usual.” Thus Protector Leadership cannot be explained in pieces, with an article here and a sound bite there. My book, What Horses Really Want: Unlocking the Secrets to Trust, Cooperation, and Reliability encompasses the whole picture: What horses’ basic needs are, how Protector Leadership meets those needs, and what scientific research supports Protector Leadership. Most importantly, with the help of my own horses, we demonstrate how you can implement the changes that create this special relationship.
More articles describing Protector Leadership:
10 Reasons Horses and People Love Protector Leadership
10 Famous Protector Leaders
Protector Leaders Let Horses Be True to Their Instincts