Over the past two days, I have been touched by the number of people I’ve never met (and a good number who I’ve spend a lot of face-to-face time with) that have sent birthday wishes my way through e-mail greetings and various social media sites (April, 12, 1964, for those who are curious enough to wonder). Most of the cyber buddies are people who share a passion for horses. It is amazing how globally connected we have become with friends we may never physically meet.

Today, I also received a birthday greeting from a site I had not visited. I thought this was a brilliant idea (OK – I’ll give them the plug for their creative use of technology because it did prompt me to visit the site – it’s www.horsechitchat.com). I’ve sent them a message asking where they found my name and birthday (it will be interesting to see if they respond – that will say a lot about how serious they are in using technology for engagement). Likely, it was Facebook, or Twitter, or Linked In or Plaxo . . . . It really doesn’t matter where, but I am curious to learn how they are automating this outreach.

Of course, they were clever in how they presented the message – no sales pitch, no link (that would have saved me from having to look up and keystroke the website, but I think it was a good strategy to avoid the overtones of a pitch), no self-directed talk. Just a kind and simple happy birthday wish. Of course, the intent was to drive me to their business site in the hopes of gaining a new customer, but the subtle approach made me feel like I directed the decision to check them out.

With today’s social media, building relationships is becoming more critical than ever. People have never liked an obvious pitch, but now they’re turning to their computer keyboard (or cell phone, or Blackberry or . . .) to tell all when they’re treated rudely. Conversely, good experiences get shouted out in broadcasts to the masses.

It’s not that hard to operate with character and integrity. In fact, today, it’s a lot tougher not to because word spreads quickly and the cost of being called out is immense. The internet also provides great tools for inventive and thoughtful ways to reach out to those who can help bolster your business or personal aims. People are now disclosing information that would have been considered private and tough to get in prior years. They’re easy to find and talk to. It’s about giving before getting, though, and if you want to make social media work for you equine business, be prepared to show you care first, before you ask for business.

How do you reach out through cyber space to make other’s feel special? Please share your brilliance in the comments to this post.

Today, it’s my birthday, so besides crafting this post and focusing on urgent client and vendor deliverables, I’m making it a me day. I’m really looking forward to learning from your input, though, tomorrow.

Friday’s Opinion

Rescues and associated off-the-track Thoroughbreds (OTTTBs) seem to be in the news a lot lately. Headlines abound professing the need to save the discarded, mistreated, abandoned race horses – usually with a call-to-action to send money. It’s interesting how often things that turn political turn south.

Years ago, there were people in the mix who made a buck or two (certainly not a fortune – most were in it for the rewards gained from experiencing the horse’s transformation and the new owner’s glee) helping these horses transition to a new career. Sure, they’d try to cull out the best prospects, but would then spend a good deal of time working to make these horses comfortable and able to handle new requests. As with any industry, you took your chances, but the talented had good instincts about both the horse and potential buyers. Compensation for professional training was part of the mix in finding new homes for these horses, but it made the experience positive for the horse, the trainer and the buyer.

Today, TB owners can’t give away a horse that’s no longer running competitively, rescues are over-flowing and adopters may get the warm fuzzies initially, but most are ill-prepared to transition a horse that comes with no training to help them understand the requests presented for their new career. Are the horses really better off now being dumped into a holding stall or pasture environment that provides no preparation for future demands or little stimulation during their stay? I don’t think so.

Do you think you’re helping these horses?

It’s an ironic turn that most of those screaming the loudest about the plight and need for salvation of the former race horse have little or no exposure to the breed or racing industry, and in fact, have actually fostered the demise of a system that worked. Who’s helping these horses discover, enjoy and excel at a new job now? Forget about ensuring a suitable home with someone who has the equine skills to help the horse continue on this path.

We’ve been domesticating horses for millenniums. Consequently, we’ve created a species that seems to seek jobs that are human driven (although it does take some skill to understand the needs of the horse in training and career choices). Robbing these horses of this opportunity isn’t a happy ending for most horses I’ve met.

Is the cure really causing no harm?

It troubles me to see some rescues so focused on the revenues and/or the opening stalls resulting from adoptions, they fail to pay heed to good skill and temperament matches. Most fresh OTTTBs do not belong with kids or novice riders, but I’ve seen the push to convince a bleeding heart to “save” a horse. This cure presents tremendous stress on the horse and unnecessary danger to the human.  It’s sad for both the adopter and the horse.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not railing all TB adoption agencies, but would like to see a training component implemented as part of the mix – for the humans purporting to be saviours too. Few people seem to recognize that merely homing a horse doesn’t necessarily improve his quality of life.

Trainers and breeders are equally culpable. With rescues in the mix, those who are playing the numbers game without regard for the horse can now dispose of an equine easily and with a clear conscience by “donating” him to a facility designed to place the horse in “a good home.” Sadly, despite the poster children, this doesn’t happen as often as most would like to claim.

To their credit, although not TB specific, some seem to get the importance of schooling horse and rider where rescues are concerned (or sought to be avoided). According to www.thehorse.com, The Grace Foundation of Northern California is offering $10,000 in prize money through the Rescue Me Trainer’s Challenge and The Honoring Equines for Life Project (HELP) to train rescue horses. The Back In the Saddle Project (BITS) in California partners with riding instructors to offer clinics with the aim of reducing the number of horses in rescues. In Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington State, Sound Equine Options works with rescues, vets and farriers to identify and encourage experienced horse owners to provide foster homes for horses with a voucher system as an incentive. It would be wonderful to see the Northeast follow the lead of these Western facilities in adopting programs that put training back into the TB racehorse transition process.

Careful which bandwagon you join

So what’s the outcry to save our racehorses doing to the horse today? Opinions certainly differ, but I’ll share mine. The lack of re-schooling at most rescues leaves the horse to languish during his stay. The perception created by the promotional messages and rallying cry of the uninitiated concerning the plight of the racehorse has led to a fire sale price expectation for all OTTTBs. Consequently, racehorse owners and trainers who used to spend considerable time seeking an appropriate home for a good horse and/or a professional to transition him can no longer afford to do so. Trainers who used to have the expertise, patience and network to transition these horses for ideal career changes and associated homes have quit buying OTTTBs or gotten out of the business entirely. The costs and hassles associated with placing a horse in many rescues makes it prudent to directly place any horse that has a future elsewhere, so the ones that tend to end up in the rescues have major issues that are not addressed at the rescues and/or cannot be handled by the adopters.

Sure, there are stories of horses being saved and placed that are true successes for both horse and human. This is great news for all involved and may be worth it for the rest who suffer. Frankly, though, I wonder how much thought goes into the horse’s needs as more rescues surface, resulting in fewer OTTTBs gaining the skills and finding homes for a new career that makes them happy.

Is there a better answer?

I’m stuck a bit on a solution, but I think a great step in the right direction would be for The Jockey Club to start tracking not only TB race statistics and bloodlines, but also TB sport horse achievements with the same fastidiousness they apply to horses in the racing industry. They already have the infrastructure to do this and a great staff at the ready. I know I’d certainly be willing to pay more to register foals if the benefit included better outreach and services to those interested in TBs for a career beyond racing. I imagine they’d find a new revenue stream with breeders and buyers of TB sport horses as well if papering such horses carried benefits for these industries. Most importantly, it would help the horses find a new life with people able, ready and eager to help them transition careers.

Former TB racehorses could also benefit from promotional activities akin to NTRA initiatives to expose the public to the versatility and athleticism of this breed. Of course, a good resource bank of advice and tips on selecting and transitioning the right steed for an intended new career should be a key component of this effort.

Apparently, there’s an organization that’s been formed to help support the TB sport horse, namely the North American Thoroughbred Society (http://www.hellohorse.com/). I know little about this group, as I just found them, but will spend some time watching what they are doing.

It’s sad that good intentions have been so bad for the retired TB racehorse. Broadcasting a message that these horses are worthless has paved the road to ruin for successful re-homing. It boggles the mind that most perpetuating this downward spiral don’t see what they’re doing to hurt the horse.  Until a new mantra – and a means to identify great prospects for casual and competitive riders alike – is developed to combat the sob stories fostered by a symbiotic relationship that helps all involved, except the horse, these former racehorses will continue to suffer.

Can a little voice go a long way?

Personally, I’ve always tried to find a way to be part of the solution vs. adding to the problem. Consequently, in the next few weeks, we’ll be posting a wonderful compilation by Monique Matson to the Horse Sense and Cents (www.HorseSenseAndCents.com) and Halcyon Acres (www.HalcyonAcres.com) websites on TB sport horse bloodlines. The content is subjective, but useful. This is the best resource I’ve found encompassing TB sport horse progeny experiences including career skills, temperament issues, country of origin, bloodline tips, etc. She painstakingly gathered comments from a thread she started on the Chronicle of the Horse website and added some great features to make this an easy list to scan and enjoy. Monique is a gem who all should thank for her kindness and generosity in putting it together and offering it to others. We’ll be looking to you to keep this resource updated and useful.

Are you willing to challenge the popular buzz that recently retired TB racehorses are garbage? Most of these horses already have the athleticism, heart, talent and a good foundation under them to start a new career with zeal. Support rescues that include a professional training component. Call out those that are encouraging those ill-equipped to handle the care and schooling challenges of OTTTBs to adopt for pity sake. Together, we can save these horses by creating a happy new reality for both the humans and equines involved in the mix.

Today, we feature three horse-related sites that focus on training and equine issues. All are professionally designed, include photos and/or video and offer timely information. Two are free blogs and one is a fee-baseed membership site, but it offers enough sample video and article fodder to visitors to make the trip worth the time. These are three very different approaches to the adressing issues in the horse world, but I hope you’ll find each equally interesting and engaging.

www.katelynkent.net

Through the Eyes of Equus is Katelyn Kent’s blog and website featuring training tips and ideas from riding through liberty work. She’s in the process of revamping the site and has culled down the blog to now include only training related posts, but has committed to new posts twice a week. Past posts included a lot interesting and sometimes controversial perspectives, and hopefully, as she refocuses this content, the former candid style will emerge again. This Colorado-based clinician has a fairly vast equine understanding to draw from with a focus on solutions guided by her concern to consider the horse’s perspective.  Photos and/or videos are included to help illustrate each blog post.

www.DressageTrainingOnline.com

Reisa Bonetti has developed an equine member-based site that provides primarily video tutorials related to dressage techniques, judging, training and riding. Visitors can view sample films (that are primarily snipets of what is provided to paid members), learn a bit about some of the standout players she’s indentified in the industry (world-wide) and gain access to the articles in the Community Connection. This isn’t a blog per-se, but some of the sample videos are useful tutorials.

www.theequinereader.com

This is a pretty good summary of equine news of note with a good deal of opinion included by Corinne Mehas. Posts are generally brief, pointed and timely. In addition to calling out issues regarding horse politics and initiatives, Corinne also sports some excellent links on the blog sidebar for useful horse blogs and equine industry organizations.

If you’re used to taking care of your own horse, it can be a challenge to place his care in the hands of another. Leaving a horse at a remote facility can be even tougher. Sometimes you don’t have a choice.

Others view boarding as a standard feature of horse ownership and assume the owners of the property or the help they’ve hired have the best interest of the horse in mind. It’s best not to assume in such matters.

Whether you are shipping a horse for breeding or training out-of-state; are considering a permanent boarding arrangement at a stable; need to house you horse elsewhere while you travel; are considering a leasing arrangement where the horse will be moved; or have other reasons that the care of your horse will fall to others for a period of time, it’s smart to do some due diligence prior to loading your horse on a trailer. Here are some ideas and issues to consider:

1. If at all possible, visit the facility. Don’t just go on the word of a trusted source – they may not be focused on issues that are important to you. Watch what goes on at feeding time (and what’s being fed), turnout routines and scheduled events. Inspect the facilities where the horses are stabled and/or turned out. Are they clean and dry? Safe? Appropriate for your horse’s needs?
2. Talk to others about their experience with the facility. Ask about health and weight issues, behavior changes, facility maintenance, restrictive policies and/or liberal ones that may reduce the pleasure for you or your horse.
3. Discuss feeding issues. Does the facility provide ample good quality hay? Do they feed on a regular schedule? Is water available at all times for the horses (don’t just ask – confirm it by looking around)? Are they willing to offer customized feed, supplement or turnout approaches for a horse that may have special needs?
4. Ask about vaccination, worming and other preventative policies. Stables that do not require routine basic health care for equine residents may introduce your horse to unnecessary issues.
5. Look at the condition of the horses that are there. Are they skinny? Fat? Long-haired and dull-coated? Cribbing, weaving, stall-walking, digging, hyper, hostile, afraid or anxious? These are warning signs.
6. Watch the owner and/or staff interacts with the horses and the people in the barn. You’ll get a good sense about rapport and attitude by being a quiet observer.
7. Read the contract and/or ask about farm policies. If it’s a riding stable – do they have rules about safety equipment, times of access, courteous behavior, outside vendors (including trainers, farriers, vets, etc.)? For breeding and/or boarding only facilities, will they respond to your calls and e-mails and provide updates on your horse’s status and/or health, keep you apprised of medical issues that may arise with your horse, get your permission/input prior to incurring considerable vet expenses on your behalf, offer direct access to their vendors and provide cost estimates up-front? If you don’t ask the questions, the surprises you get are rarely happy ones.
8. Find out who is going to be responsible for the care of your particular horse and ask if you can talk to them. This will give you a good sense of the knowledge and nature of the caregiver.
9. If possible, talk to people who have left the facility and find out why they moved.
10. Google the facility. See how they present themselves, and what others may be saying. If you have the name of the stable owner, even better – you can get a good read on their character by digging into how they choose to behave on the social media front lines. Take it all with a grain of salt, but you may uncover some unexpected insight on what you’re in for.
11. If the stabling arrangement involves turn-out board (whether this is a breeding operation or a home for a horse that is not being trained for whatever reason), inspect the run-in sheds (or other shelter provided – this is a must) to ensure they are clean, dry and adequate (a single 10 X 12 shed won’t work for three or a dozen horses – one will likely demand occupancy rights and banish the rest). Ask about how often the horses are inspected, fed, watered, handled, etc. Look at the size of the pasture and the number of horses housed there (3-acres per horse is a good rule of thumb if grass feed is a staple – but this requires a smart rotational grazing program that includes mowing,  time, warmth and water for the fields to rejuvenate). Is the pasture all weeds and scrub or seeded with nutritional forage? Is hay/grain provided as a supplement? How much? Are horses fed separately or must they compete for their rations? Is care taken as new horses are introduced to the herd? Does a vet get called if there is an issue or is it ignored and allowed to fester? Will you be contacted immediately with health concerns or issues?
12. Once you’ve decided on a board situation for your riding horse (or other equine that is your pet), try to visit the stable daily. Even if you just stop in for ten minutes to give your horse a pet and ensure he’s OK, this can go a long way to ensuring he’s happy, healthy and treated fairly. Your horse depends on you to be a companion and protector.

It’s amazing how many stupid rule decisions get made without considering the associated costs of annoying clients. If you’re an equine professional, selling to the small business market or a horse membership organization decision maker do you think about the customers’ reactions with efficiency or protection ideas? Today’s talkative social media environment demands you confirm the message you send with policy that isn’t offending those you purport to serve.

Social media and technology can hurt you

Do you have procedures in place that say you don’t trust your customers? How much confidence they should put in you? Are you so focused on collections that you implement blanket approaches that fail to consider the longevity, character, history and relationship with important business supporters? How will loyal and trusted centers-of-influence react to this? Have you delegated operational activities to an automated system or person who doesn’t recognize the importance of the relationships you’ve built? What is your reaction to an impersonal, procedural message from an organization you’ve helped build? Do you subscribe to rigid rules that don’t consider mitigating circumstances? Are you prepared to lose some of your most valued and valuable followers?

So many are singing the praises of technology and how much time it can save. Time saved doesn’t mean much if you’re losing clients and supporters. Consider this as you embrace another efficient approach or caustic policy to supposedly underscore your business or organizational goals. You may find it does anything but. With huge numbers embracing the internet and its delivery tools, word spreads faster every day. The question is – what words will they be saying about you?

Chasing away referral agents?

Recently, BookConductors, LLC ® hired a new vendor to help support an equine book series. Great experience with the skill and responsiveness of the team, but this was clouded by a policy process that demonstrates they don’t trust their clients. It’s a sad introduction to the company that unnecessarily undermines the experience. Full payment before deliverables, sign-offs on minutia and defensively worded contracts sent an overriding message that cast-in-stone procedures are more important than building client rapport. Will I continue to use them as a service provider – probably. Will I recommend them to others – probably not. Sadly, I would have sung their praises loudly if they didn’t make me feel like a suspected criminal. Short-sighted.

Alienating your best clients?

The farm mortgage holder has recently decided best practices include engaging an India-based telemarketing firm to call all clients the minute the grace period starts for payments, lying with a message that the payment is late in a manner that is insulting and hostile. This may be an effective way to hang on to some of their lousiest clients, but those with the credit scores and equity to walk will be gone from their portfolio if this continues. Dumb.  

Membership organization losses?

This year, Halcyon Acres left a rare breed association we had given a lot to (including time on the BOD). Sadly, it seems organizations created to help bloodlines avoid extinction draw the crazies (a wise member suggested this was because they had been kicked out of all the popular breed registries). In this case, a tiny minority is determined to drive the culture into combative factions with related actions that chase out any contributors with equine knowledge and success. To the manipulators, this game presents delightful wins that allows them to look important and stay entrenched as gurus.  It’s killing the organization and the breed. The members best equipped to help support the breed and the society leave – along with a good number of others who quickly surmise there’s little to be gained from association and potentially a lot to lose. All the money from membership, registration, advertising, donations, outreach, etc. with this desertion is gone, along with any positive words to support the reputation of the organization. Guess where majority effort is put to spur the conflict – the online forums. Silly.

Dig your own grave

I don’t have much sympathy for those companies and organizations that whine when they’ve fostered their own demise. If you’re alienating your best customers, you deserve to fail.

The economy is admittedly tough right now, but I’m not hearing of struggles from those who operate with character, integrity and smarts. Think about how fear or self-centeredness is affecting your message. Have you tallied the costs? If policy is king without a means to assess how this may jade some of your most valuable existing or potential customers, you’re asking for a hurting that’s probably justified.

There are ways to protect yourself without making your clients feel like dirt. Inflexible mandates targeting the lousiest customers don’t usually work well with the best. Instead of systems designed to handle the least important prospects/clients, think about how you can rise above the norm by making your most valued customers and prospects feel like royalty with a personalized approached. Technology and/or systems can save you a lot of time, done right, but when it replaces all personal interface, you lose.

Alpha mares and fillies can present some interesting challenges where training and handling are concerned. They also become some of the most loyal high achievers you’ll ever encounter if you learn how to reach them. All seem to have heart beyond the norm, smarts and a wilfulness about them that will test your fortitude. Try to dominate these gals without an ear and eye toward their communicated needs, and they’ll give you a schooling you won’t soon forget. In the truly sad cases of dominance and violence, some will give up and yield, but lose the qualities that made them so special in the process. When you give a strong alpha horse the opportunity to choose to respect you the results are awe-inspiring. Below are eleven quick tips for dealing with alphas.

1. Choose your battles very carefully. You can’t back down with alphas if you want to gain their respect, but plan on hours of combat if you pick the wrong activity. Better to spend some time watching and listening to the horse prior to training to gain some insight on their nature, needs and passions prior to deciding on a training approach.
2. Make sure you can be fearless or get the help of another who can. These equines are used to calling the shots, but usually relish the opportunity to find a leader they can respect. They’ll test you to see if they can intimidate you or if you will hold your ground. Fold and you’ll spend weeks gaining back ground.
3. Don’t get combative. Alphas rarely tolerate violence or unreasonable requests and will ratchet up the stakes if you challenge them. Most already recognize their weight and strength advantage and respond in kind if you pick a fight.
4. Build rapport and respect on the ground prior to trying to teach lessons under saddle. It’s a lot easier to communicate with any horse, especially alphas, when you can both see the full range of communications tools. Lessons implemented prior to getting in the saddle will be remembered once you put your foot in the stirrup.
5. Don’t be in a hurry. It’s better to skip the lesson than rush a plan. You’ll wind up getting frustrated, encouraging a possible stand-off and missing your meeting. Or, if you give up prior to finishing the request, you’ll pay for it the next day.
6. Be firm, but fair. When you do decide to tackle an issue, make sure you’re clear about what you’re asking and then proceed until you get the response you set out for. Alphas can be very kind until you ask them to do something they don’t want to do (for some this can be something as simple as standing still). It’s a big mistake to start a training direction and give up when an alpha objects. You’ll wind up teaching her to train you as a subordinate and will never gain the respect or bond afforded only to perceived peers and embraced leaders.
7. Make your alpha feel special. It’s OK to spoil an alpha once in a while so long as you’re not teaching her bad behavior in the process. These horses are smart and will show you what makes them extra happy (it’s rarely a click or a treat) if you pay attention. It might be as simple as calling her over for an extra rub in her favorite spot or letting her jump after a well done flat lesson (it depends on the horse – it’s up to you to figure out what gives them great pleasure). Most alphas will try extra hard to please if you acknowledge their effort with a reward.
8. Vary the routine. Alphas are easily bored and if you spend too much time drilling a point when they’ve already done what you requested, they’ll protest. As quick learners, alphas expect to get on to something new and exciting once they think they’ve mastered a task. Mix it up enough to keep them interested and engaged.
9. Pick one issue to tackle in a day. Consider it a great day if you chose the right lesson and are able to end on a good note. Sometimes it’s a five minute success; other days it may be hours before you accomplish that simple task request she’s decided to turn into a call for war. Regardless, particularly with young horses, don’t be tempted to finish the week’s plan for training because you seem to be having a good day. It’s better to end quickly on a good note than risk ruining a day of great rapport.
10. Learn to read your horse. Alphas are extremely telling if you pay attention. Come to recognize when she’s having a bad day and be ready to change or cancel training plans if you can. Watch her when you’re working with her to pick up on when she’s getting irritated or when she’s feeling proud about an accomplishment. There’s a difference between being insistent and pushing too hard and/or failing to recognize an effort when she needs to be congratulated.
11. Have fun. Alphas are some of the most rewarding horses you’ll ever work with. When they finally find a leader they choose to respect (and they’ll give you some physical and ego bruises to show for it getting there), they can be the most dedicated, trusting, loyal, eager pleaser equines you’ll ever encounter. Once you’re able to get past the bravado by demonstrating you are a worthy leader, they’ll repay you with 110% effort toward performance requests, a love for training few horses exhibit, a determination to take care of you at all costs and a sweet and gracious temperament you never imagined possible.

I’ve seen a lot of chatter – and some interesting convictions – concerning the alpha equine. Some base their comments on alleged scientific fact culled from published and apparently credible herd observer gurus and others either expound on what they’ve been told or make it up as they go. Admittedly, I’ve logged many years as part of the “don’t know what I don’t know” crowd of horse handlers, but like to think I’ve crossed over to a place that has me watching, thinking and learning more while defending precepts a whole lot less.

Does a boss make a leader?

These days, there seems to be a lot of agreement that alpha mares need to be bossy and aggressive. Interestingly, this hasn’t been what I’ve observed with the herd here. Sure, there’s always a nasty mare in the mix who intimidates the herd so she gets first dibs and dines alone, but she’s feared and not respected, nor followed. There always seems to be another mare (or filly – my four-year-old took over the biggest herd last year) that quietly and kindly gains the respect of the herd by being confident and fair. Horses in the herd gravitate to her not because she rules, but instead, because she doesn’t.

True leaders attract and don’t demand

I’ve changed my mind a lot about alpha mares in recent years. In fact, I wouldn’t define the bossy bitch as an alpha at all anymore, as I’ve come to see that most of these characters’ behavior comes from fear, not confidence. The leader, on the other hand, rarely inflicts any pain on the others in the herd. They choose to follower her willingly, relishing the opportunity to choose a leader who doesn’t demand subordinates. Her calm, unflappable and fearless demeanor seems to encourage the herd to gravitate toward her naturally. Sure, she’ll jump in occasionally if another is being harassed and will stand up to a horse that attacks her, but otherwise, she does little to discipline or control the herd. Yet, she’s seen as chief without asking for the job.

Horses in the wild may be a different story – I can’t speak to this dynamic as my first-hand experience has been limited to animals coming through the domesticated systems. Even so, humans have been breeding horses for millenniums and I wonder if some of this intervention makes for a different kind of alpha mare than what might be ideal for a predator-rich setting.

Herd lessons learned for horse training

What I have learned from watching all this unfold in the herd is training techniques modelled after a dominance approach do little to encourage respect and camaraderie from the horse. Even with alpha mares. Instead, I’ve discovered the best approach to horses that are wilful, smart, blessed with tons of heart and/or belligerent, is to not only be steady, consistent, unflappable and clear in your requests, but also responsive to the horse’s comments with understanding. This requires a human ready with an approach that shows no fear, but also, no aggression. I do believe horses seek a leader they can respect – especially alphas. Interestingly, as with humans, horses seem to respond better to a leader who deserves respect vs. one who dictates compliance.

The next time you encounter a strong-willed horse (or human), think about how much more effective you may be taking some tips from a mare the herd chooses as leader.

Friday’s Opinion

Why do some marketers still feel being an aggressive, hostile and avoided herd member is a good thing? Sadly, the very old-school, two-by-four, forget-about-the-audience culture, sell, sell, sell, in-your-face approach is becoming common on some of the social media sites that used to be immune. How can intimidating your buyers into compliance and/or chiming in only to promote your wares in communities that are designed to support each other build good will? Beats me. I see a good number of equine related endeavors (that curiously don’t seem to have any horsemanship in the mix) being rude to their intended audience by ignoring the group needs and feeling justified demanding respect. Curious. I have a mare here now like that – no one likes her, or follows her, but she does get her feed and water first. She’s lonely, though, and I suspect, very insecure.

Even after twenty years in the marketing industry (yes, there is another revenue stream), I continue to scratch my head about those who take such an approach – and conclude it works. Sure, they may boast fat cat status initially from bullying or self-serving methods, but there’s little happy involved in the mix, particularly when those who aren’t part of their cult start calling them on their actions.

Social media networks – build or destroy

Social media is becoming an increasingly important platform for those who seek to build relationships with potential centers-of-influence, buyers, vendors, collaborators and supporters. It boggles the mind that some (sadly, this seems to be most prevalent among those who label themselves marketing professionals – don’t imagine anyone else would) still feel the used-car-salesman approach (sorry to those who sell used cars – this is probably a bigger slight than you deserve) is a good way to do business. Of course, this also begs the question, how would anyone with integrity ever find this a satisfactory method?

Free speech doesn’t work for the daft

Fortunately, we live in a world where freedom of expression is encouraged in most countries (at least for now). You’d think this liberty would foster an opportunity for all to gather the smarts to recognize stupid approaches which create more bad will than good don’t develop long-term prosperous businesses. Horse herds allow freedom of expression too – and immediate ramifications for poor behavior. Too bad we’re not as adept as a society at banishing and discouraging the bad actor as our equine counterparts.

Unethical horse dealers – you lose

Over twenty-five years ago, I started interfacing with horse dealers supplying lesson and boarder horses for facilities I managed. I was dumbfounded by the short-sightedness of some who knowingly sold an unsuitable horse for the quick buck. Catch me once . . . these charlatans made $500-$1000 on a single sale at the time, but lost a potential exponential revenue stream that could have come from honest transactions. Had one who preyed on the novice riders with the spiel that horses never ridden and inexperienced riders are an ideal match because they grow together. He not only lost any future business at the stable (he was banned from the property), but also lost a potential huge revenue stream associated with the necessary lesson and trail horses required for the business.  I didn’t get it then and I don’t get it now. Lairs are worse than ignorant and abusive marketers in the equine industry. With the advent of the internet and the bevy seeking out online opinions, word will spread faster of such practices now than they ever did way back when.

Horse herds and horsemen unite

As most of the world seem s to be getting more savvy about filtering out and broadcasting about the hype-masters, charlatans and bad eggs, let’s hope we see a new world where those who operate with character, integrity, honesty and good-will no longer find it necessary to deflects attacks from those who have been dragged through the mud by less ethical operators.

Horse herd dynamics can teach us a lot about communications, marketing and leadership. Usually there are two in the herd that get primary notice. One mare is selfish and wins first dibs, commands attention (avoidance), is left alone and disliked. There’s another who is kind, confident, understanding and fair. That’s the one the herd follows, appreciates and respects. Who would you rather emulate?

Do you have marketing, herd, leadership or business stories that have taught you lessons you’d like to share? Please include your experience in a comment below and get the conversation going.

Looking for blogs worth a read? Here are our picks for today:

Horse wellness blog

http://sreinhold.wordpress.com

Stephanie Reinhold provides a tremendous amount of detail in terms that even a layman can understand on the anatomy of the horse, how what we do impacts the horse’s movement and health, techniques for relieving tightness, stress or discomfort and just about anything you may not have considered in how you may be hurting your horse. She provides tips for ensuring tack fits properly (her recent post on how blankets can hurt horses was an eye-opener) and a ton of useful information on the mechanics of the equine and how we may unknowingly be compromising his free-flowing movement. If you truly want to learn, this is a blog you should visit often.

What horses can teach you about leadership

http://www.thealphamare.wordpress.com

This blog is the antithesis of Reinhold’s, offering a chatty personal experience log of time spent watching the horse herd with some applications to human hierarchies, but Laura Hunter does it in an engaging way that provides some useful applications. If you’re looking for a quick and sometimes relevant connection to what you may be facing in your human interactions as it applies to horses, she provides some insight you may appreciate.

General how-to on working with horses

http://prettyponypastures.wordpress.com

I hesitate to even mention this blog because it hasn’t been updated recently (the latest post was October 2009), but there’s some good information presented in a fun and applicable manner. Hosted by a therapeutic riding center, there’s good information here for anyone who enjoys horses.  Linda Watson provides good pictures that demonstrate activities along with brief, relevant and interesting posts.

Good example of some creative blog strategies

http://www.lessordinaryliving.com/

This blog has nothing to do with horses, but provides quick (he even indicates at the top of the blog the read time – usually under three minutes), introspective and positive messages that do resonate with the wiring of many horse lovers minds. Mostly focused on self awareness, development and inspirational ideas, Phil Bolton offers a good example of a smart blog strategy for any industry. If you own a horse business, this blog is worth checking out because it offers some great creative presentation strategies that could appeal to your market.

If you haven’t had a lot of experience with horses moving into your stable, or even if you have, there are some simple things you can do to ease the transition for the new arrival as well as you and your existing herd.

1. If possible, find out the grain type and amount being fed at the prior barn. It’s best to slowly introduce a horse to new feeds, so if you can buy some of the former feed and transition over to your choice, this will help reduce the risk of colic. If you do not know what the horse was eating, it’s better to start with low amounts and increase over time rather than risk foundering a horse that is not used to a lot of grain.
2. See if a few bales of hay can be sent with the horse. This way you can introduce him to your hay over time.
3. Figure out turnout arrangements prior to the horse’s arrival. Usually it’s best, if you’re going to be turning the horse out with others, to pick one horse to test their behavior and temperament that will be firm but fair if they get aggressive.  If possible, introduce a new horse to a herd adding one horse at a time.
4. Horses that are not accustomed to grass need to be introduced to it slowly. If you will be eventually turning a horse new to your facility out on acreage where good quality and ample grass is readily available, start with ½ hour of grazing and increase daily by ½ – ¾ of an hour each day until you reach six hours.
5. Have an area on your property where you can isolate new arrivals for about two weeks to ensure they are not carrying illness into the barn that can be spread to others. At least one horse should be in this area with them so as not to add stress to their move, but it’s best to keep them away from the rest of the horses in the barn when possible.
6. Get vet records on the horse to determine when he was vaccinated and any other issues that have been a factor that you should be aware of.
7. Determine when the horse was wormed, when his teeth were last checked and when his feet were trimmed/shod.
8. Be clear about what fees will be covered by the owner and when payment is expected. It’s best to have a written contract, but this isn’t always feasible.
9. Discuss barn rules prior to arrival if the owner will be coming to care for or ride the horse. Also, have safety policies in place that are enforced to ensure riders, horses and property are protected.  Equine liability insurance is advisable in any situation where you will be allowing others to handle horses on your property.
10. Keep a close eye on the new horse initially to determine his normal behavior and be able to recognize quickly if something is wrong.

Bringing a new horse into the barn can be an exciting time, especially for the small operation that doesn’t see a lot of traffic. It can also be a nightmare. If you have a good plan in place to address potential challenges before they occur, though, life should be easier for all involved.