Ep 158: Maintaining High Levels of Performance with Haley Nida
When you reach a high level of performance, it can be easy to get stuck in a "good enough" mentality. But in order to stay at that high level, you always need to be looking for ways to make your best even better. On this episode, I'm joined by long-time friend and recent mentorship participant, Haley Nida, to talk about the progression of her barrel horses, balancing her career and horsemanship goals, and how she works to maintain high levels of performance in her personal and professional life.
Phil: Tell us a little bit about your program, your career, and the horses you have right now.
Haley: I’m a physical therapist at an in-patient neuro rehab center in Enid. I commute about 70 miles one way, so about 140 miles round trip on the days that I work. I’m currently riding three horses that I bought as two-year olds. I have a good friend that puts about 90 days on them, and then I take them from there and start them on the barrel pattern. When I started my job, I was working full time, and with the commute, it was really hard to get the time in the saddle that I wanted. I really like to ride every day to stay sharp, and when I was working full time, I wasn’t able to ride as much as I wanted to. So, now, I work 2-3 days a week, and that’s given me a lot more time to focus on my riding goals. I also have cattle, so I like to take my barrel horses out to check cattle to give them some outside riding and some variety. I always start my rides outside of the arena, then come into the arena to work on some of our fundamental exercises.
Phil: You’ve had a lot of success on these horses in the past few years, and you’re the type of person who is always looking for ways to get better. Even when you’re winning, you’re looking for ways to be more efficient. Talk a little more about the horses we worked with this week during your mentorship.
Haley: Last year, I won the state NBHA Finals 1D, and the BBR Finals 2D the year before that. I’m really happy with how my horses are doing, but I’ll be honest–even though I was winning, there were a lot of things I didn’t love about my runs. I felt like I was going through the motions and wasn’t present with my runs. Like with my horse Gumby, we lose the momentum on the backside of the first barrel. He’s athletic enough that he’s been able to make up for it, but I know there’s still more potential there. I laughed a little when you told me to work on my stops this week, Phil, because it feels like that’s all Gumby wants to do! But, it’s all about freeing up his front end and getting him to maintain that forward motion. We did some exercises that worked on keeping him soft in his ribcage and keeping him collected so that he can be powerful on the backside of the turn. I can already see a huge improvement in the way he carries himself, and I’m just so thankful that I brought him along with me this week.
Phil: One of my favorite parts of this mentorship week was the conversations we had. Talking about ways to continue progressing, even when we’re at a high level.
Haley: I love clinics. I love learning from different people and being immersed in that growth-minded atmosphere. I’ve been to six of your clinics now, Phil, and I learn something new at every one of them. The clinic you co-hosted with Ashley Schafer was amazing. I learned so much from those two days. I also attended the breakaway clinic you hosted with Kelsie Domer, and I’ve done several one-on-one clinics with Kelsie since then. I really like to breakaway on my barrel horses because it gives them something else to focus on, and I think it makes them stronger in their foundation. Those people that consistently perform at a high level–those are the people I want to be around. At the end of the day, it’s all about confidence. And, you give me a ton of confidence, Phil. I always leave here feeling so fulfilled and excited. That mentality not only helps my horsemanship, but it even carries over into my work and helps me instill confidence in my patients at work. My confidence in them gives them the self-confidence they need to perform at their highest level. And, I know the same is true for my horses.
“Be Your Best Horsemanship” is brought to you by Silver Lining Herbs, Classic Equine, Martin Saddlery, Better Horses Network, Purina, Healthycoat, CINCH, Starbar, and Clarifly. These brands have been part of the Phil Haugen Horsemanship team for many years, and their products continue to play an integral role in the success of our performance horse training program. To support these brands, visit our Sponsors tab.
