Purpose This paper aims to present the equine leadership principles which horseback riders are successfully using and which can also be successfully used in leadership of people. Design/methodology/approach This paper relies on semi-structured expert interviews with managers–leaders who are also horseback riders. Findings Based on the expert interviews, the main equine leadership principles which can effectively be used in leadership of people are trust, fair treatment, calmness, assertiveness, control over one’s feelings, confidence, responsibility, consistency (routine and predictability), courage, sense of empathy, and the ability to express gratitude and praise. Practical implications The paper provides a practical insight on relevant leadership principles for leadership trainers, coaches and teachers, as well as executive training organizations who engage in leadership training. It saves busy executives, leadership trainers and teachers hours of reading time by offering concisely the leadership principles which must be fostered in existing and future leaders to make an impact on the employees and contribute toward a better working environment. Originality/value To study the topic leadership, this paper uses an innovative and intriguing context (horseback riding) and couples it with the topic of leadership of people.