Ep 176: Maintaining Perspective When Seasoning a Horse
I received a message in my inbox this week, and it was about a topic that addresses one of the biggest mental battles we have to overcome as trainers::
"What advice would you give to someone who is having a hard time enjoying the process of seasoning a horse?
I was feeling really good about our progress for the first few months, and here lately, it seems like we are getting worse with each run. Adding speed, I'm sure, has a lot to do with it, but I also feel like I am not executing my job as a rider well enough.
I'm experiencing some feelings of guilt, feeling like I am holding the horse back from reaching her full potential as I'm going through the process of learning to become a better rider for these younger horses."
Nearly four decades into my career, I still question myself and experience these feelings sometimes, too. But, I try not to allow these thoughts to occupy my mind for very long. Seasoning a horse is all a mental game. It’s a matter of maintaining perspective during a period of growth.
For this particular trainer, I know that her frustration is not due to lack of effort. I know she’s doing all the right things, and wondering why she’s not seeing the results she expects. The thing about seasoning a horse is, there are no expectations. Every day is a new day, and there will almost always be days where you take one step forward and two steps backward.
We have to accept the fact that the development process is going to be a roller coaster of ups and downs. One day, your horse might “get it.” And the next day, it might be a completely new day for that horse. You can’t compare what happened last week to what is happening today. If you had a really good day last week, as much as you want to expect that again, that is often not a realistic expectation for what is going to happen today. Sometimes, it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
When we are bringing a horse along and introducing them to new situations, there will be times that we are pleasantly surprised; however, those times will often be followed up by periods of inconsistency. When seasoning a horse, one thing is a guarantee: you can expect consistently inconsistent results. And, that’s just part of the process.
When we ask for a little more effort and speed, we can expect to see some inconsistency in the way that our horses respond to our cues. Even if we are keeping our riding as consistent as possible, we can’t always expect our horses to give us the exact same responses every time. Things like environmental factors, anxiety, and distractions can all affect the way our horses absorb and understand those cues. Even if you feel like your foundation is as solid as can be, the fact is, new experiences will reveal new holes in the foundation. You’re going to experience some different responses from your horse, and you’ll have to adjust your program accordingly.
Those inconsistencies are just something we have to be patient with. The expectation with seasoning a horse is not to be consistent every time–it is to continually reduce the amount of times we are inconsistent. And even though it may not seem like it, I can promise you that the frequency of the inconsistent days will diminish over time.
I’d love to say that there is a way to avoid these periods of inconsistency. However, after over four decades in the horse training business, I can confidently say that it’s just part of the process. Every trainer’s horses have challenges. I don’t care how good of a horseman you are, no one is immune to the ups and downs of the seasoning process.
Seasoning a horse is a humbling process. It’s a process that teaches us patience, but it also teaches us to celebrate even the smallest margins of victory. On those days where you are pleasantly surprised, enjoy it. Celebrate the small wins. But also remember that tomorrow is a new day. Do the best you can to prepare for what you are doing today, but try not to be surprised if something goes wrong tomorrow. Because, I can promise you that it will go wrong. But, I can also promise you that it will eventually get better.
As human beings, we tend to base everything on short-term results. And, I’m guilty of it, too. I always preach the concept of getting 1% better every day. Most days, that seems like a very achievable metric. But, on the days when you feel like you’ve gotten 20% worse instead of 1% better, that’s a hard pill to swallow. On days like this, the thing you have to remember is, you haven’t really gotten worse. Failure is part of getting better, too. The quickest way to succeed is to fail more often. Failure indicates growth and progression. When you are met with challenges, it means you are that much closer to reaching another level.
Everyday might not be good, but there is good in every day. Every experience, good, bad or terrible, are all beneficial. Focus on the small progressions, and understand that while every day might not include improvement, you are still growing and getting closer to where you want to be even on the days when things go wrong.
As you go through this process, there will be days when you question your knowledge, question your skills, and question your work ethic. You’re going to go through the entire gamut of emotions when seasoning a horse. It’s important to understand that, yes, those short term progressions are nice. But at the end of the day, it’s all about the long-term implementation of your plan. Sometimes, we have to just release any expectations and timelines we have and understand that not every day is going to be great.
It’s normal to be hard on ourselves. When you’re in the training business and associated with the training business, it’s easy to feel like we are all under a microscope. No one is going to be harder on you than you are on yourself. Anyone who has been in the training process for very long knows that some days are great, and others are a challenge. Don’t be frustrated or embarrassed–it’s just part of it.
No one expects you to be perfect. We don’t expect our horses to be perfect, so we shouldn’t expect it from ourselves, either. If we know we have a plan and we are doing the right things each day, we just have to trust that the results will come.
Daily Affirmation:
I’m working hard. I’m putting in the effort. I have a plan. I’m implementing my plan. I’m putting in the time I have available to achieve this goal. I’m a good person. I will get there.
Be good to yourself. Stick to your plan. Give it time. The results will come.
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