Ep 202: The Value of Keeping Your Signals Consistent
If you made a plan and stuck with it consistently for 2 years, where would you be? I think that’s a question many of us have an easy time thinking about, but a hard time committing to. In the horse training world, 2 years can seem like both an eternity and a very brief window of time in a horse’s training journey. On this episode, I'm talking about the value of keeping your signals consistent and the importance of committing to the daily processes that are going to get you to that end result.
Putting Two Years in Perspective
Especially when working with colts and younger horses, it may be two years before you ever get to swing a leg over that animal while you wait on them to grow up. It may be another two years of training before you ever show that horse in its intended discipline. However, in the grand scheme of things, two years is a very miniscule amount of time to dedicate toward helping that horse reach its full potential.
Focusing on the Short Term
With the fast and furious pace of our lifestyles, staying consistent with anything for two years can seem like an impossible task. That’s why we have to approach it with a slightly different mindset. Having the goal of where you want to be in two years is essential to help you develop a plan for how to get there; however, if we are only looking ahead at that two year outcome, we will miss the consistency in the steps along the way that will get us to that point.
Commit to Consistency
True progression is formed by the small daily actions that we can commit ourselves to. One commitment that I believe is one of the most transformative commitments a trainer can make is committing to consistency in their signals. As I’ve said many times before, horsemanship is simply communication and leadership. Horses rely on the consistency of your communication and leadership to help them learn the responses you are asking for.
The Challenge of Increasing Speed
The challenge with keeping our communication consistent shows up most frequently when we increase our horses’ speed. Even for the most advanced riders, keeping our signals consistent at high rates of speed can be challenging. The force and momentum created by the horse’s speed can affect our balance and, therefore, quickly change the effectiveness of the signals we are sending.
Consistency is Key
Consistency in communication is probably the number one thing that we work on at my clinics. Regardless of the discipline or level of experience of the horse or trainer, it is something that is an area of weakness for many. The good news is that it is also an area that we can see significant growth in if we simply become aware of the issue and commit to changing it.
Regardless of your end goal or intended discipline, consistency is key. Our horses rely on us to give them consistent signals so that they can then develop consistent responses to those signals. Be better at communicating, and your horses will be better at understanding.
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