self-improvement – Horse Listening

Intentional Rider Development – The Workshop

Yes, you love horses for how they <poof!> your stress away. You love them for how easily they can truly be therapeutic - mentally, physically and emotional. And you love them just because they are who the are - horses, sweet, goofy, spicy and everything in-between.

But if you're like me, you're a natural life-long learner. And when it comes to horses, you know you can never learn enough. You can ALWAYS take the responsibility of becoming a better partner for your horse!

I mean, none of us is perfect, and horses and riding are THE picture you would find if you looked up "imperfection" in the dictionary. Even the most advanced riders have so much to work on. I've watched Grand Prix level riders improve over the course of 10 years, still riding Grand Prix.

If you're a regular blog reader, you know I'm always harping on taking riding lessons. Even as we become comfortable with our level of skills, people like me want to continue developing - for the sake of the horse.

You can take lessons but there's an important piece that's often missing with the once a week lesson program - everything outside of the lesson. Anyone who wants to make consistent improvement in any skill area works on everything that goes into the skill: the mental, emotional and psychological aspects that support the physical skill. At the upper levels of any sport, there are professionals who help an athlete along with all those aspects.

But what can we do as regular riders? Maybe we just want to improve that trot to canter transition. Or we want to teach the horse to shift weight back to the hind end so the front legs aren't impacted as heavily as they are "au naturel".

If you read my blogs regularly, you'll also know that my mission for myself is to continually grow, develop, try new things, and step out of my comfort zone. This includes riding and ground work and relationship-building with my horse. It's all part of the same package.

So over the years, I've slowly and steadily built this online resource so other people who are also interested in self-improvement can use it for themselves. First off, I started the blog. I continue to share tons of free articles here so that everyone can take what they want from them. (I also "listen" to all your comments and thoughts - just because I love the interaction!)

Then I built the Practice Sessions, which is a membership-based platform where I go into detail - specific theory, specific aids, complete patterns and quality of movement exercises, and much more.

In 2016, I authored Goal Setting For The Equestrian: A Personal Workbook to fill a void in the horse publications of the time. I wanted something to help guide me in organizing my thoughts, remembering what I did, monitoring my and my horse's progress, and having a space to analyze and reflections. I've used several copies of the book myself over the years, as have thousands of people who have bought either the digital or paperback version.

But now, with online meetings becoming an easy and efficient way for people to meet from around the world, I can take it to the next step (yet again)!

I'm now offering an Intentional Rider Development Workshop.

This workshop is live and interactive. It's not like you will sit there and watch a bunch of slides while I talk (although there will be a handout and lots to do), but we will basically co-create our individual plans of what we want to do with our horses over this coming year.

a woman writing a business idea on a paper

Did you know that students who set goals, or have goals set FOR them, learn 250% faster than those who are told to "do their best"? Research has shown that simply,

People who set goals are more successful. They work hard, and succeed on purpose.
- Harry Che, Goals On Track.

But my Intentional Rider Development Workshop isn't JUST about setting goals, although that's a good part of it. It's also about how we can stay motivated, how we can track our progress and how we can include our horse (and all his quirks!) in our dreams.

I'd like to invite you to join me. I have two dates currently: Feb. 18th and Feb. 26th. Join me and plan for your 2023 riding season - from the comfort of your home!

Learn how you can design your way to positive and effective change - for the benefit of your horse.

It's on sale now for only $27 USD. The workshop will take approximately 90 minutes. We will gather in a small group and reflect and plan and think - about our horses! Just click on the image below for more details.

No Middle Ground in Riding Horses

Yes, it certainly is possible to drift through all your riding days with nary a thought to how your horse is moving. There are many people far and wide who either choose to ignore their horse's "way of going", or are truly ignorant of the differences in the horse's movements. They are also likely unaware of the implications of their lack of attention.

There really are only two possible results to riding:

1) Improve the horse.

2) Harm the horse.

The unfortunate news is that there is no middle ground between the two.

Either you are contributing to the proper development of the horse (physically, mentally, emotionally) or you are causing damage. Unfortunately, the path to damage isn't always obvious or easily identified.

However, deterioration of the horse can become evident to the educated eye; you just need to know how to spot the clues and draw accurate conclusions in order to know what to do about it.

But the message here isn't about what NOT to do. Instead, the idea is to learn, develop, try and keep working at it, especially when the going gets tough. Don't obsess over the "damage"; rather, take note and change what you are doing.

How to spot the "healthy" horse

When observing the horse without tack, you will notice:

- a short coat with a glowing sheen (assuming the horse is already brushed and clean);

- a soft, almost slippery feel to the coat when you pet the horse (the coat feels "alive");

- evidence of good foot care and saddle/tack fitting;

- a bright, alert, even sensitive, inquisitive demeanor;

- a good appetite, rare to no bouts with stomach problems (and colics);

- when standing still, without tack, the back appears "rounded" in his top line muscling (rather than a flat back or having a sway in the middle of the back);

- a muscled hind end that is filled out in the hamstrings.

Under saddle:

- is free moving and willing to stride out;

- rarely missteps or trips up in either the front or hind end;

- round, rolly-polly croup (behind the saddle) with hind legs reaching deep underneath the body;

- looks "filled out" in the front (thick neck muscles, swinging shoulders) as opposed to lean, thin and awkward-looking in the head to neck to shoulder area;

- appears confident in the rider, rarely pinning the ears or swishing the tail.

Good (a.k.a. responsible) riders are constantly looking for ways to improve their riding, and how their horse uses its body. If nothing else, the main goal of riding is to improve the horse's weight-bearing skills.

Proper movement leads to increased circulation in the horse's musculature, joints and skeleton. Good movement leads to good health and longevity in the horse - something all riders should be aspiring toward.

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You might also enjoy:

Too Good to be True? Finding Your Horse’s “Happy Place”: Did you know that through riding, you can help your horse achieve a happy, content outlook on life? Sounds ridiculously far-fetched? Too good to be true?

What You Ought to Know About Instant Gratification in Horse Riding: Do you expect riding to come as easily as other sports?

Top 10 Ways to Reward Your Horse: A happy horse is a willing partner, and many horses will give everything they have if they feel your acknowledgement and generosity of spirit.

Speaking “Horse” (a.k.a. “Pushing the Envelope”): Horses send messages out as much as humans do. Once you know how to listen to your horse, a whole world of communication can open up for you.

When “Good Enough” Just Isn’t Good Enough in Horseback Riding

We all like to say that we are "good enough" at what we do - and riding is no different. We ride our horses, get on, ride on the trails, ride in the ring, get off and do it again another day.

We like to think that what we are doing is good and true and accurate and improves our horses... at least, in our opinion!

So what if the horse forever shies at the same corner in the same way under the same conditions? We can easily avoid that corner. So what if our horse's coat condition isn't just "perfect"? The shine and sheen you can get from a coat is overrated anyway, as long as he is getting fed. Why bother with improving the transitions just a little bit when we do get from the trot to the canter eventually? ANY canter is better than no canter.

And seriously, what does it matter if the horse never really responds when we want him to? We can cut him some slack and let things happen when he feels like it... who does that hurt, really? We get our enjoyment from riding whether he is point-perfect or not.

Hiding "behind the barn" hurts not only ourselves but our also our horses.

We fall into ruts and routines that prevent us from going further in our education. We get used to running into the same old trouble, and rather than challenge the status quo, we:

- suffer the problems.

- avoid the circumstances.

- "victimize" ourselves into thinking that in order to get our ride in, we have to go through those rituals.

We come up with all sorts of excuses to explain why we don't want to or can't get past the problem.

Have you ever heard someone say, "The horse feels like it," or "The horse doesn't enjoy it," and they truly seem to believe that nothing can be done to change the situation?

Why we must get out of our backyards.

Unfortunately, this type of thinking is what sets apart the people who "do" and the people who simply don't. The ones who do progress and improve and develop are the ones who can set aside their egos and take a leap of faith - in themselves, in their horses, in their peers and even in their coaches.

They are the ones who get up early in the morning and set off for the show - despite being nervous, stressed or unsure. They are the ones who take an undesirable result and turn it into a learning experience. They are prepared to put it all "out there" and head off to a clinic where a multitude of faces watch their every move and an unfamiliar (but respected) clinician picks apart their skills.

There is no way to improve other than to put ourselves "out there".

When we head to the show, or the clinic, or especially the riding lesson, we are putting ourselves in a position to be scrutinized, compared and even evaluated. We expose our skills and training and get feedback.

We learn that perhaps there is a way to get past that spooky corner. Perhaps the riding ritual we find ourselves in can be redirected into something positive and useful. Maybe high-quality grooming can be an accomplishment in itself, and kept up at home. And we realize that it might be in fact possible to ask our horse to respond more promptly, and discover that we both enjoy the improved communication.

The learning curve can be steep and may make a big impact. It may be uncomfortable at times, difficult to be sure and possibly may turn out to be exhilarating. But one thing is constant - that self-improvement occurs. "Good enough" starts to become "better". We progress past the learning plateau and move on to new heights.

And the horse is the one to benefit.

Other posts you might enjoy:

Speaking "Horse" (a.k.a. Pushing the Envelope): You must learn how to understand the language of the horse.

Ask 25 Horse People One Question...: ... and get 25 different answers! What to do with all those opinions.

To Lesson or Not To Lesson? That isn't even a question!

On Enjoying the Path: You have to enjoy the "work" in riding and not just the "fun"!

Horses. Riding. Life.

Tag: self-improvement