Good Rides and Bad Rides
You know those days when you feel like you have completely forgotten how to ride, and all you can see is problems with your riding and your horses training. Imagine if you could start to see even these rides as valuable... rather than the doorway to a bottomless pit of despair.
Re-framing the Frustration
Could it be that most of the frustrations we experience are a result of having expectations that we or our horse can’t meet (yet)? Attaching value to these “shortcomings” and using that as a stick to beat ourselves with, antil we feel inadequate, untalented and hopeless. It took Thomas many years to realise how this unhealthy attitudes slowed down his progress. Find out how he changed for the better.
Creating Goals
Creating developmental goals for you and your horse can help you orientate yourself in the right direction towards making your horse make the horse safer, healthier, and more enjoyable to ride - a by-product of which is progressing through the levels. Beware of ego led goals leading you down the wrong path taking you to the land of stress, pressure and frustration.
Letting go of the Dogma: How to Think and Ride Independently
There isn't a rule book on training a horse. They aren't machines with settings. To make meaningful progress YOU need to be able to understand WHAT you are asking and WHY so you can explore ways of getting there with your horse as they are being in that moment. This is hard enough but you are also going to have to weather the opinions of others who 'wouldn't do it that way'! Who doesn't need support with this.
Embracing the beginner’s mindset to become the best you can be!
In times when we seem to have reached a plateau, we often feel as if we were starting over. We feel like a beginner again. We may feel bad as a result, but it is actually a good thing. It is a necessary prerequisite for true progress. The only way to continue to grow is to continue to look at riding through the eyes of the beginner, without taking anything we know for granted.
You beat yourself up for hours, going over all your faults, when you have a bad ride (You'll get a new perspective and learn to see the helpful information that you can move forwards from.)
You feel FRUSTRATED about your progress (or lack of) and are feeling hopeless.
You have started to see that your old methods were poor (and you feel really bad about the way you used to train your horse).
You feel like you are letting your horse down and that you should be out doing xyz by now (like this other person that you know is with their horse)
You just don't feel excited to ride anymore, it seems to hard and too confusing. Trying to remember all of the things that you have been told to do by all these different trainers (and other people who are trying to help) feels like a JOB not something relaxing and enjoyable. You want to get back to feeling a nice connection with your horse.
For many of us, the only thing which feels SOLID and GROUNDING in our lives is our riding. It is the ONE THING that makes us feel like everything is okay. The riding keeps us centred.
But sometimes we can get STUCK in a way of thinking about our riding and our horse that isn't helpful, healthy or hopeful.
The thing is, you are still you, and your horse is still your horse. The same one you used to enjoy. The only thing that has changed is your thinking about the situation.
If you're willing to invest some time, reflect, and consider where your attention is going, and where it might more fruitfully be directed, we are positive that you will start to see many POSSIBILITIES, that will lead you in a NEW direction.
Our goal for you? After reading this E-book, you will feel more resilient, more resourceful and more focussed on where you are heading. Stick with us, and we'll help you make this a reality.
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