Having worked around horses in my teens but not going through learning to shoe a horse but most of the other care needed, I can say you are right on track with your analogy. Learning to wait, learning to read the signals the horse gives you allows you to respond in a manner that will benefit both the horse and rider.
In business we also watch not just the trends but where we are as a business and Compumatrix has ridden the winding trail that has lead us to the point we are today. Strong leadership and foresight into has brought us to the point where we are today. Glad you stayed the course and hung in there when many others threw in the towel!