Africa: Our Journey #49 Leadership

Leadership.  Out of the triangle of love, language, and leadership, the last has been elusive for me.  How do I balance leadership with love?  Is this where the phases come in?  How does a horse learn or accept a human as leader?  Do the seven games provide the avenue for leadership?

Africa has accepted me as leader and I didn't really think about how it happened until thinking about the clinic learnings and our play since then.

I've come to the understanding that love and leadership are joined together by language.  Love in it's many expressions (friendly game, treats, rubs and scratches, undemanding time, etc.) connected through language (seven games) brings about leadership.  It's the triangle that Pat and Linda gave us.

I can see it while Africa and I are together playing or just being.  I continue to learn how important taking the time to share love is to developing our relationship. The friendly game and/or undemanding time are essential when needing to correct or express leadership.  They help us stay neutral. 

Relationships continue to develop with a common language.  Our language is the seven games and patterns reinforced with phases. I am learning that an RBE (that would be Africa) needs smaller and slower movements from me. As for phases, moving up to Phase 4 helps him to remember I am the leader. He needs time to think and then ask questions.  He responds with more confident and calm when he doesn't feel pressure. 

When love and language are put together, trust is developed and leadership is expressed and accepted.  Africa trusts and so offers more.

So, I've come to understand the triangle of communication (love, language, and leadership) in its importance to a partnership.  Being the human simply means that I accept that responsibility