Is leadership a reliable concept in animals? An empirical study in the horse.
Authors: Bourjade Marie, Thierry Bernard, Hausberger Martine, Petit Odile
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary Whilst leadership is routinely cited to explain how horse groups coordinate their movements, the concept remains poorly defined and may not accurately reflect how equine decision-making actually operates. Bourjade and colleagues examined two semi-free ranging groups of Przewalski horses, systematically testing three conventional definitions of leadership—departing first, occupying the front position during travel, and recruiting other group members—to determine which individuals consistently drove group movements. Rather than identifying reliable leaders, the researchers observed multiple horses displaying pre-departure behaviours simultaneously and frequently initiating departures together, indicating that decision-making was distributed across several group members rather than dominated by individuals. The three leadership definitions generated conflicting data about individual contributions to group coordination, suggesting that applying this framework obscures more nuanced patterns of consensus-based movement initiation in horses. For practitioners working with horses in group settings—whether advising on herd management, behaviour modification, or training protocols—these findings challenge conventional assumptions about hierarchy-driven movement coordination. Understanding that horses typically employ shared decision-making rather than deferring to dominant leaders has implications for how we interpret herd dynamics, manage group turnout, and respond to situations where multiple horses appear to initiate or influence group behaviour, potentially improving our ability to work with natural social structures rather than imposing hierarchical models that don't reflect equine reality.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •When managing groups of horses, recognize that movement decisions and coordination emerge from multiple herd members, not just one or two dominant individuals—this affects how you can predict and influence group behaviour
- •Traditional concepts of a 'lead horse' may oversimplify herd dynamics; multiple horses may initiate movement simultaneously, so establishing clear handling protocols for all horses in a group is more effective than relying on leading one individual
- •Understanding that horses use shared decision-making rather than hierarchical leadership can inform safer and more effective group handling, loading, and turnout procedures
Key Findings
- •No individual horses consistently initiated or led group movements across multiple observations in either study group
- •Multiple group members displayed pre-departure behaviours simultaneously, with concurrent departures being common rather than sequential leader-follower patterns
- •The three main definitions of leadership (departing first, walking in front, recruiting others) produced conflicting information about which individuals contributed to group coordination
- •Group movement decisions were shared among multiple members rather than driven by dominant leaders, indicating a partially shared consensus model