Abstract: The concept of spatial leadership as applied to farm animals is discussed with particular emphasis on methodological problems. Using three experimental procedures forced spatial leadership orders were measured in a group of Romney ewes. Comparisons between orders showed the effects of both the different experimental tasks and the social context on leadership structure. Both these variables were found to affect the orders obtained. The results are interpreted in terms of the utility of the concept of spatial leadership in domestic animals and the necessity for more systematic procedural investigations in this area.