What a horse can teach you about business

Yesterday I went riding again, after a long break of a couple of years. Upon arrival I was taken to my horse Feli and we started to get ready for the riding lesson. But in the end the experience was much more than a riding lesson – it resembled more of a business lesson.

How come a horse can teach you something about how you should work? It’s easy – a horse can teach you several valuable lessons, it will actually teach you the same lessons you would hear in business school:

1. You have to work before you can hop on!

You cannot just take the horse, hop on and start riding. You have to let it smell you first, get to know you, have to brush it, stroke it, talk to it and let it get used to who you are. You first have to make the horse trust you, before you can take it for a ride.

 Just like when meeting a new business partner, you cannot just get to business – you first have to do some work, gain a partners’ or clients’ trust before you can get started on anything.

2. Set the boundaries first!

Every horse will test its rider, see how far it can go with you in the saddle. So do not be afraid to show exactly where the limits are, what you accept, and what you don’t. In the professional life things are quite similar – people will test your limits, see how far they can go. Be clear from the beginning – it is much more difficult to correct things after a while.

3. Apply moderate pressure!

When the horse does not listen, you have to start applying pressure – through pressing of the legs, pressing with your heels, using your voice or pulling the holster. But if you do all this at a time, the horse will be confused. You have to apply the pressure gradually, have it react to the first signs – if you apply too much pressure from the beginning, you will have no room to increase it.

Again, it is the same in your professional environment – if things do not go in the right direction, you should start applying pressure – but gradually. Try to get things back on track starting with a low pressure degree, do not get too pushy from the beginning.

4. Keep your horse focused!

You are in charge of where you want to go, it is not the other way around. There are so many more interesting things for a horse to do: follow another horse, stop and eat, stare at a bucket or just stand around. Riding for you may not seem very appealing to it, especially compared to the staring-at-a-bucket option. Still, whatever distractions come your way,  you have to be able to keep your horse focused on where you want to go, on your destination.

It is just the same with keeping your business partners focused on your destination – they will see other opportunities along the way, some of them more appealing than what you have to offer, but you always have to know how to keep them on track, otherwise the ride will come to a quick end.

5. Find a common pace!

Too fast, too slow, I can barely keep myself in the saddle… It is not easy to find a common pace with your horse – one that you can both keep up with. You will not be able to force your pace on a horse, because it won’t let you, just as a horse will not be able to force its’ pace upon yourself, as you are the one trying to stay in the saddle.

Setting a common pace is also crucial when working with someone. It is important to have a steady common development of a project, a working pace that keeps everyone motivated, but not exhausted. Goal is that you and your partners can stay in the saddle for the entire ‘ride’.

6. One wrong step, and you can be in deep s***!

So you have built up a relationship with the horse, you trust each other, you are ok in your saddle, tabbing at a relaxing pace…do not become less careful. You always have to pay attention, horses are unpredictable – one wrong step and you can be in deep s***.

 But then again, so are people.  Unpredictable. Never lose them out of sight. Always pay attention to your business partners and react timely to changes. Do not let your horse or partner take you by surprise.

7. Do not stand where you cannot be seen!

Horses have a limited eye sight – there are a lot of interesting articles about equine eyesight in the web. They have been born with a blind spot and many predators, meaning that they cannot see you, if you stand around their back. So if you go to your horse, you should not touch it in the back area first, because it cannot see you and it will get scared. This will obviously trigger a negative reaction. That is why, when going to a horse, you should start stroking it from its head, continue to the neck, body and the back – this way, the horse can feel your touch and knows where you are.

You should avoid blind spots in your professional life as well, as they are dangerous and can trigger highly negative reactions. Feel your way around, let your partner always know where you stand and avoid taking him by surprise. Remember that we all have our blind spots!

8. You can wash, but the smell will stick!

After finishing the ride, cleaning the horse and cleaning yourself, you will observe that a slight smell is still in the air, in your clothes or hair.

People also leave a trail, the work you have done leaves a mark, every action you take is still in the air, even after you have moved on to something new. Do not think that you can just ‘shower’ something off, because you can’t. People can smell you and can tell how you have acted so far in your professional life. Therefore, always consider your professional decisions in advance, consider your actions before taking them, because their reminiscence will stick with you for a long time.