This lead mare decides when the herd eats, where they eat, and who will eat. She will also discipline any horses that get out of line. The other horses in the herd respect the lead mare and look to her for support, even the stallions. You want to emulate the lead mare's behavior. Once you have the respect of your horse you will have the foundation for training.
Horse training has to be set up correctly for both the horse and rider.
If you go into the training mode thinking that your going to thump on the horse or force him into a posture or movement, you may get them to do it, but not reliably. You have to find what works best for you. If you are like us, you'll use a combination of what Ray Hunt, Tom Dorrance, Buck Brannaman, Pat Parelli, or Dennis Reis teach, or any of the other masters of these techniques. You can learn a lot from their experience. Don't be afraid of making mistakes.