Becoming a Horseman_ What Does it Mean Today?

the Parelli Natural Horsemanship program. Shes a horse trainer and colt starter who grew up on her familys ranch near Valemount BC where she operates her training business has won the Chautauqua Ranch Rodeo 30day Colt Start Challenge and is mentored by a lot of old cowboys. Since Emerson and Cardinal are very different ages and life stages plus have different backgrounds and experiences I felt their views on what horseman means today would prove enlightening.
Emerson started our conversation by saying One of the definitions of a horseman that I was taught maybe in 4H in the 1950s was somebody who puts the best interests of the horse first. It has to do with the care of the animal and attention to the wellbeing of the animal. 
I dont think you have to ride or drive to be a horseman. I think there are probably some very very good competitors who are not good horsemen and there are people that have never ridden or driven who are great horsemen. So I dont think handson riding or driving affects the definition.
Emerson then described how he thinks horsemen develop saying The oldfashioned way of becoming a horseman was either you happened to be born into a family that had horses or you were a barn rat. Unfortunately Emerson thinks that todays world is not very conducive to developing horsemen saying Becoming a horseman is still an aspiration for some but its a hell of a lot harder. At a certain point you have to be immersed in it. If you live in a suburb of a big city and your horse is 20 miles away how the heck do you learn to be a horseman if your exposure to the horse is that limited? He continued You have to hold horsemanship out there as a goal that is just as worthy as winning a ribbon at some show or finishing in the top ten in an endurance ride.
As further explanation Emerson says Putting the human need before the need of the horse that is the opposite of horsemanship. He explains that if one of us is not fit enough to undertake an activity then we certainly dont want to be forced to do something that makes us gasp for breath drip with sweat and get sore muscles. But people do this to horses without even thinking about it he says. Theyll leave