When I’m not working, I’m usually horsing around.  Ever since I was a child in the streets of the Middle East, I embraced every opportunity to get on a horse.

My most vivid memory was with my grandfather, in an open arena, riding a bay Arabian horse as the rain drizzled upon us.  Barely 10 years old, I learned how to lead this majestic beast that could easily buck or bolt. Something surreal happens when you lead a horse. You become in sync.  An unspoken communication forms in minutes for it to understand that I was not a threat but its friend.  Subservient and loyal, horses became a lifelong, generational passion.

Fast forward nearly three decades later, I’m now riding at Country Hill Farm with the guidance of my coach Kathy Fremes, who also happens to be an Instructor at the University of Guelph for the management of the equine environment.

Horsemanship is leadership.  In Kathy’s words, “You have to be fair but firm”.  Leading a horse has taught me a lot about leading people. It isn’t a battle of the brain or brawns. It is about mastering yourself.

Here are five things I’ve learned.

  1. You first need to see the potential. You wouldn’t invest your time in a horse if you don’t see the potential.
  2. You need to have a lot of patience to develop a horse, or any living being to rise to the potential that you see in them.
  3. The horse is not always going to cooperate, submit or perform to your liking. Being in tune to the horse’s body language and compliance means knowing when to push and when to go easy.
  4. Rewarding the horse with treats, affection and just quality time together builds strength in the relationship so that you are not always taking, but giving too.
  5. The best performance, fiercest loyalty, and most willing attitude come from the strength of the relationship, not berating, abusing and punishing.

But the greatest lesson of all is that to become a great leader, you need to be mentored by a great leader.

I searched high and low for the best Horse Coach and farm.  What attracted me to Country Hill Farm wasn’t just Kathy’s in-depth knowledge of horses and horse management, but it was truly her ability to lead. Gentle but firm. That’s how she is with the horses. That’s how she is with her mentees. That’s how she is with the children that come to her farm.

As human beings, we will make mistakes. Sometimes, these mistakes can cost thousands of dollars. How you deal with people when they make that kind of a mistake speaks volumes of your leadership ability. I once borrowed one of Kathy’s saddles. These are usually handcrafted, and cost thousands of dollars for one saddle.  I made the mistake of saddling up my horse then free lunging him. Kathy did not come yelling at me in the midst of my lesson. Instead, she mentioned that horse can roll while free lunging and easily damage the saddle. That, among many other examples, made me receptive to her style of leadership and teaching. Her style is what I hope to learn and emulate.

I invite you to take your leadership skills to the next level. Saddle up and see what a horse can teach you!

Your fellow equestrian

Ghaz Syed