Leadership

     I recently returned from a trip to Washington, D.C.  The city is full of monuments, museums (all free!), statues, parks and all kinds of public art.  It is also teaming with Greek-revival architecture which constantly reminds one of our debt to the Greeks and the Republican Romans.  The city holds many, many things to make me think and ruminate on. One thought that keeps coming back to me is the value of leadership and what true leadership means.  Of course, I'm interested in how that applies to professional horsemen like myself. 

     I believe that we must set an example in all horse-related activities, and not just by our words but by our actions as well.  To lead by example sounds easy but it can be very hard.  We must always be aware of the consequences of our behavior.  We must set a high standard of conduct, one that encourages the public to trust us.  What better way to bring new people into the sport of horses and interest them in our areas of expertise? 
     I believe the public is crying out for examples of good ethics from caring and responsible professionals.  When people put their trust in us, they must be confident in our honesty, integrity, knowledge and skills.  To be comfortable in the trainer/client relationship there must be trust and respect.  Respect for our skills but also for our honesty and ethics as well.  We as professionals set the standard not only for oursleves but for the entire horse community as well!  See you next week, JD