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.
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.
