I was chosen

A black horse facing the camera wraps her head round a woman with blonde hair, wearing blue jeans and a teal gilet over a white shirt. They are standing in a field with grass and a hedgerow behind.

“That’s a lot of horse,” I thought.

It was an understatement. Kalle was majestic, galloping up and down the arena with her mane and tail flying behind her, snorting as she charged from one end to the other. She was powerful, confident, and unmistakably in charge. And I… well, I was a novice.

A bit more than a novice though. I had only recently overcome a deep fear of horses. My prior experiences had included 6 months of riding at the age of nine and three serious accidents as an adult, two of which happened on the ground. Horses were something I admired from afar. Up close, they had been unpredictable, even dangerous.

So what was I doing, standing in the middle of this arena, watching this magnificent animal charge around me?

I wasn’t sure. But I followed my instincts and stepped in anyway. Into the arena. Into uncertainty.

As I stood there, trying to calm my pounding heart, something remarkable happened. I took a deep breath in and as I breathed out calmly, Kalle stopped. She stood at the far end of the arena, watching me. I breathed deeply again, grounded myself, and stayed calm. Then she began to walk towards me.

She came to stand by my right shoulder. She looked me directly in the eye. And in that moment, I felt something I will never forget. A soul-to-soul connection with her took my breath away. Tears welled up.

I started to walk, unsure, tentative. She came with me. I stopped, she stopped. I turned, and she turned too. Step for step, she followed me.

Despite my lack of skill, despite my inexperience, this powerful horse was choosing to follow me. She wasn’t being led by a rope or a command. She was responding to something deeper.

It was the most profound affirmation of leadership I have ever received.

I walked back to the gate to speak with her owner, Julie. Kalle, still loose, stayed by my side. I turned to Julie and said, “She’s so responsive. She’s the kind of horse I could really connect with.”

As I spoke, Kalle turned, looked me directly in the eye, and nodded!

My heart lurched.

I didn’t choose her.

I was chosen.

This is the kind of moment that shapes the leadership work we do at Leaders by Nature. If you're curious about experiential leadership learning with horses, book a call to discuss how we can help your leaders and teams create powerful moments of learning that they take back into the workplace and never forget.