| The task our clinic instructor wanted was to ask our | | | | asking at the wrong time. Ask him to step over to the |
| horses to back up, then turn a quarter turn on the hind | | | | right just before his right foot leaves the ground." |
| end. A well executed quarter turn to the right would | | | | I had not been paying enough attention to Cody's feet |
| mean that my horse would rock back and plant his | | | | when I asked him to step over. If I asked when his |
| right hind foot, and I would ask him to move his front | | | | weight was on his hind feet, his front feet would step |
| feet only to the right. If we had been backing up facing | | | | over lightly. But, if I asked him to move his front feet |
| north, we'd end up facing east. I knew the right cues: | | | | when it was impossible to do so, he would move his |
| left supporting rein, right direct rein, left foot forward | | | | hind feet. He knew what I wanted, but he could not |
| with a little pressure, and right foot off the horse. | | | | comply. And the quarter turn looked and felt ugly |
| But it wasn't quite working. Sometimes Cody would | | | | because I asked for a front end move and all he could |
| step over nicely, and sometimes not. Sometime Cody | | | | move was his back end. |
| would keep his weight on his front end and swing his | | | | When I started paying attention to Cody's feet and I |
| hind end over. Rather than being crisp and clean, we | | | | asked at the right time, we got near perfect turns |
| would stumble through the turn. I knew enough that | | | | each time. |
| Cody was trying to do what I wanted, but he couldn't | | | | A good leader knows not only what to ask of his |
| because I was not asking correctly. It seemed like I | | | | followers, but when he should ask. A good coach |
| was asking the same thing each time, but I was getting | | | | knows when his team is getting tired and worn down. |
| different results. | | | | He knows that if he pushes too hard at the wrong |
| When I expressed my bewilderment to the clinic | | | | time, his team will resent him. On the other hand, that |
| instructor, she watched Cody and me a couple of | | | | same coach knows when it's time to push his team a |
| times. She asked me to dismount. "Stand with your | | | | harder than they want so that they perform beyond |
| weight evenly distributed over both feet," she asked. | | | | what they expect they can do. If a boss asked an |
| "Now, change your weight so that most of it is on your | | | | employee to take on a big, important project two days |
| right foot." I dutifully complied. | | | | ago, it may not be a good time to ask him to take on |
| "Lift your right foot." | | | | another top project. He won't know if he should shift |
| I had a choice. I could either not comply with the | | | | his weight to the other foot or ignore your request. |
| request or shift my weight off my right leg. | | | | Worse, the boss will lose leadership points in the eyes |
| "What you are doing with Cody is sometimes asking | | | | of the employee. "Can't he see I'm already busy here? |
| him to lift his feet to the right when all of his weight is | | | | Which most important project is most important? |
| on it. You are asking with the right cues. You are just | | | | |