Is your horse a reflection of you?

The short answer is no.

Your horse is an individual spirit and mind that thinks and acts independently of you. The quality of his or her responses to your suggestions can be an indicator of your leadership style, but even that is up for debate. Some horses, regardless of leadership, take longer to figure things out.

I have four personal horses. Each is different. Each requires a slightly different approach to get the same results. To me, that means the horse is not a mirror of me.

Where the phrase "your horse is your mirror" comes from is typically natural horsemanship trainers. It is often used as a call to action, sometimes wrapped in a guilt trip. It suggests that if your horse is acting poorly, it is because you are acting poorly or allowing it, and it becomes a judgment on your leadership. A savvy horseman would avoid that framing and lean more toward advice rather than guilt.

It may be true that your leadership is lacking in some areas, and it may be evident that your horse's response, lack of response, or reactions indicate gaps in your foundation, especially if you see a trend in horse after horse.

However, if you ever hear someone say your horse is your reflection, you can mostly ignore the comment or, at the very least, try to understand why they said it. There may be something in your fundamentals that needs work.

Communication is not static or singular. It is a moving, evolving exchange between people and animals. I believe accepting individuality and realism in communication opens doors to more progress beyond cliché sayings.

Happy horsing around, folks.

​Don Jessop