Why do you even have to be the herd leader and “assert yourself”?
Horses are herd animals, and the first thing that happens when a new horse joins the herd is the establishment of a hierarchy. However, many people don’t realize that being the herd leader isn’t actually desirable. As the herd leader, you have to constantly monitor your surroundings to recognize potential dangers in time. The herd leader takes responsibility for everyone and must protect them. In a wolf pack, the leader usually dies many years earlier because their position demands so much of them. They hardly ever get to relax. So, if you take on the role of herd leader, you’re often doing your horse a favor. You’re telling it, “I’m in charge now, and I’m keeping an eye on our surroundings. ” This gives your horse security and builds its confidence. It no longer has to constantly fear that something might jump out of the bushes and attack the herd. But becoming the herd leader isn’t easy. Most horses will test your dominance when they first meet you. You’re the new member, and they need to figure out who’s in charge. I often see people being pushed around by their horses. Your horse doesn’t mean any harm, but it doesn’t see you as the herd leader. If you don’t make it clear to your horse that it has to respect your space, and if you let it do whatever it wants, your horse will quickly realize, “Okay, my human can’t assert themselves with me, so how are they supposed to stand up to external threats? It’s better if I take charge. ” That’s not an ideal foundation for working with your horse. In fact, the hierarchy has more to do with trust than you might think. If your horse realizes that you can stand up for yourself and act confidently in different situations, then it can relax and trust you. It will believe that you can take care of it. Being the herd leader only appears to be about dominance at first glance; later it’s much more about trust and security.