Horse tips & Motivation

"It is okay that you aren't the horse trainer, your horse still recognizes your efforts." 

A while back I was discussing with a long-time clinic host, the evolving journey of self-growth folks unintentionally experience as they strive to become better partners for their horses.

I wanted to share a few ideas I hope people can carry with them on their horse journey: 

"You don't know what you don't know." As you learn more, don't judge your past decisions and interactions with your horse. Simply learn what caused you to make previous choices and how you could make improved decisions in the future. 

You aren't a horse trainer, and that is okay. There is a fine line between inspiring folks as to what can be, and not overwhelming them with what currently is. I find the challenge is keeping folks motivated to keep trying to learn- whether refining skills, improving awareness of oneself and the horse's communication, making real-time decisions, etc., without allowing for overwhelming thoughts of self-doubt to creep in or comparisons of their abilities with that of "the trainer." Please remember, as long as you are trying, your horse will recognize your efforts. 

Unfortunately, our society has created the idea of the "trained" horse. This illusion gets a lot of riders into sticky situations as they constantly rely on the horse to take care of the human, while offering limited communication in return. Eventually, many horses reach a point of being unable to handle their "job" solo, and then display unwanted behaviors. One can appreciate that the horse is trying, and still prioritize refining their abilities to better help the equine.

There is no "end point" in learning with the horse; every equine interaction is an opportunity for refinement in both the human and animal's understanding.

I read a quote a while back, "Beginner horsemanship students want to be intermediate level. Intermediate horsemanship students want to be advanced. Advanced horsemanship students want to refine the basics." (Unknown author.)

Equine enthusiasts should recognize what they currently CAN do to help their horse, and see self-growth as a positive opportunity versus wallow in self-critique of what "they aren't good enough" to do.

If folks allow their emotions to filter and dictate their interpretation of an experience, it limits their ability to acknowledge and address the horse's "feedback" in a manner that has value to him. This leaves the human missing the vital information that "tells" them what the horse needs help with, to build his trust and try.

Remember to enjoy the journey. Things can be challenging in the learning process, but that doesn't mean there has to be a negative emotional experience associated with it. The more one learns to embrace new experiences, even if they are unexpected, the more adaptable one becomes. This allows for simultaneously building one's skill set and the building the bond that so many are seeking to create with their horse.