usually bad. Good leaders don’t spring surprises on their

usually bad. Good leaders don’t spring surprises on their followers, but float trial balloons, build support, and avoid loud sudden noises. Horses like quiet, self assured movement, and please, no surprises.

The other big issue in horse psychology is controlling fear, especially one’s own. Horses detect fear and will take advantage of the unconfident rider. “Lead, follow or get out of the way” could be the horse’s motto. Showing self confidence in the stall, where a horse can crush a hapless innocent, is the first step in controlling fear. Vigorous brushing, hoof cleaning, chatter, manipulating the beast around in this intimate setting is saying to the beast “You may be bigger than me, but I’m not afraid.”

AM. Once on the horse, the next question it asks is “Who’s in charge here?” Horses have an uncanny sense about this. They can tell just from the manner in which a rider’s gluteus maximus lands in the saddle. A big splat tells the horse that its options are open. They know the rider is a novice, and a spirited house will always put its rider to the test, the way school kids do new teachers.

This is not usually matter of maliciousness. Horses just have their own agenda. Being sensible creatures, they would much prefer to chomp grass, smell the roses or go back to the barn where it’s cool. The thinking man’s horse is reflecting. “If your going to take up my time and make me work-show me you know what you’re doing.”

What separates the men from the mice, from the horse’s point of view, is “operations,” or going cross country. All kinds of things can happen. The beast gets frightened by something strange and unusual, like a tire or an old refrigerator. It can flinch suddenly, not sure if the object is a threat to its existence. The rider must not panic too, but stay calm and cool. Staying calm under pressure is a prerequisite for good leadership and, of course, good horsemanship. Never panic, it’s catching.

And another thing. Horses need coaxing when asked to do something they don’t do often, or just don’t want to do, such as jump a fence, wade a rushing stream, go down a vertiginous slope. The big beasts can get as stubborn as a mule. This is where the rider gets tested, because mister nice guy often doesn’t work. A decisive whack, a kick, a coo, a caress — these carrots and sticks, so to speak, and their proper adminstration - is the essence of the fine art of horsemanship.

But there is a rub. Horses have all read Friedrich Nietzsche. They know that the essence of character is will. In the end a horse is testing the rider’s determination, Ergo, don’t quit. Be patiently committed to making the horse perform, winning the cause through calm persistence. If the rider gives up, the horse has won. ■

This is where bonding pays off. Doing that extra bit is the reward for treating a horse right. The more trust and confidence a horse has in its rider, the more performance. But performance has to be asked, since horses don’t jump five-foot fences for the fun of it, any more than taxpayers willingly dig into their pockets.

With horses you get what you ask and you get what you give, but mostly you want respect.