That was a definite crow hop!
Fortunato did not actually buck, but clearly let me know he could (if he wanted to).
We came to an abrupt (although staggering) halt.
In all of our work together, he had never misbehaved this way, and it scared me. My first temptation was to jump off and find the pesky fly that had caused this drama.
Then the lesson arrived.
My instructor said, “You have an honest horse, and you are being unfair.”
Wait, what?
It wasn’t a fly.
“You are applying pressure with your legs and hands, asking him to respond. He is responding. He’s answering the question. He’s trying to please you, but you are not releasing the pressure. For him, that feels unfair, and he just let you know (because he is honest).”
Once again, Fortunato slips into the role of teacher and Mentor. There’s a leadership lesson here.
As leaders, when we apply pressure, do we recognize and acknowledge the efforts and attempts to respond?