This book is, as it suggests in the title, all about what you can learn from horses in your quest to become successful, and specifically how you can become an effective leader.
Its premise is that the basic instinct of a horse is to be led, therefore it will look to be led; it will look for a leader in order to protect itself. But, it won't be led by you if it doesn't trust you.
Horses build trust with you in a number of ways, but primarily by tapping into the vibes you give off which reveal how you truly feel about something. When you strip everything back to its basic components we are all made up of atoms which are mainly filled with energy. A horse is able to read this electromagnetic 'energy' you give out and be able to identify how you are truly feeling about a situation.
Julia Felton explains that the human heart has an electromagnetic field that extends to outside the body. I’m not sure if she actually means our physical heart, or the place where emotions are generated (which could arguably be in the brain), or in fact if she is saying they are one and the same. However, her view is that we emit an energy that can be picked up on. Horses can help shine a light on that so that we can become more aware of our true feelings and how they might be subconsciously affecting ourselves and others.
Horses therefore know if you are being authentic and in turn whether they want to trust you. If you are not being authentic they are likely not to trust you and subsequently not to follow your commands.
The other aspect that horses can teach you about is that if you don't stick to what you say you're going to do, they soon lose respect for you. There is a nice section on personal boundaries and how horses help to demonstrate the importance of being clear. Again, this is all linked to trust and respect.
This book is filled with leadership models (at times perhaps too many), but also some great stories about how horses can teach you about understanding yourself. It demonstrates well that if you tap into and harness your authenticity, you will be better equipped to develop into a more effective leader and motivator of those around you.
Reviewed by Steph Tranter, owner/director of The House of Training
