The principles of “Protector Leadership”, and how that approach to leadership (focusing on horses’ feelings and not just actions) encourages horses to be calmer and more reliable. Lynn Acton has a diverse equestrian and academic background that helps her understand horses, and our relationships with them, from an interdisciplinary perspective.  Her degrees in sociology and systems science contribute to understanding research studies, social dynamics of horses, and how they interact with us.  A certified Riding Instructor since 1994, her practical horsemanship experience includes hunt seat, dressage, western, trail, clicker, liberty, and agility.  She has re-trained horses with behavior problems, and started a therapeutic riding program for at-risk youth.  Her previously “dangerous” pony competes in advanced agility at liberty, and her Arabian Bronzz was The International Horse Agility Club’s 2018 Equagility (ridden agility) World Champion.