This past weekend, I was in Stephenville, Texas for a clinic. I’ve got to send a big shoutout to Jenna Moore for hosting. She’s a gracious host, a great person, and she’s got a heck of a skill set. It’s been fun getting to know her through clinics, mentorships, and private work—and more than anything, it’s fun watching people grow.

And I mean grow in every way—physically, mentally, spiritually… usually it’s all of the above. Because if you’re truly getting better in your horsemanship, you’re not just polishing your riding. You’re polishing you.

That clinic group was a fun one. We had NFR barrel racers, ranchers, ropers, bulldoggers, colt starters, trick riders—little bit of everything. And we talked about something I will always stand on:

Horsemanship is not discipline-specific.

I don’t care what you’re doing with a horse. If you improve your horsemanship—your signals, your feel, your timing, your balance—you’re going to have more success in whatever discipline you’re in. That’s a guarantee.

Your Horse Can’t Have a Great Day If You Don’t

Here’s something else we talked about in our roundtable discussion.

For my horses to have a good day… I have to have a good day.

I can’t just show up and live off what I did yesterday.

That’s one of the hardest lessons for people—especially competitive people. You can have a great first day at a clinic. You can have a breakthrough. You can have your horse feeling better than he’s felt in months.

And then day two shows up. And day two doesn’t care what you did yesterday.

Day two is time to reconnect. Time to be sharp. Time to be present. Time to make sure your body position is right, your hands are right, your release is clean… and your mind is where it needs to be.

Because if your mind is thinking about everything except the horse underneath you, you’re not going to be very effective. Being present is not optional in this deal.

Speed Control and Transitions: The Missing Link for Most People

One of the big topics at the clinic was speed control and transitions.

When I say transitions, I’m talking about your horse changing speeds the same way a truck changes gears—walk to trot to lope to run… and then coming back down through those gears.

Most horses aren’t comfortable when we increase speed because we don’t practice it correctly. A lot of people go from zero to thirty. That part is easy.

What’s hard is going from thirty to twenty-five… to twenty… to fifteen… to a melt… and then to a stop.

That takes intention. That takes repetition. That takes a rider who actually knows what they’re doing with their body—hips, thighs, legs, seat, shoulders—before they ever touch the bridle.

And I’ll tell you what’s amazing: you put people in groups for 10–15 minutes working on transitions, and you can see huge change—fast. You’ll see riders stop “riding” and start communicating. And pretty soon, you’ll see a horse melt to a stop without someone picking up the bridle reins like they’re trying to win a tug-of-war.

That’s connection.

The Golden Goose Isn’t Coming

Another thing we talked about—and this applies to everything in life—is this:

Don’t think the golden goose is going to come dropping in your lap.

If you want something—results, consistency, confidence—it’s your job to go get it.

It’s not your horse’s job to read your mind. It’s not your horse’s job to “figure you out.” It’s not your horse’s job to put you in a position to be successful.

It’s your job to become the kind of rider your horse can trust and understand.

And that takes discipline and commitment of time. You’ve got to figure out: When can I consistently get in the saddle? And not just ride—practice with intention.

Time Isn’t Found—It’s Planned

Wade and I were talking last night about roping practice. We’ve got ropings coming up this spring close to home, and the best practice window for us is early—between 6 and 7 in the morning.

That practice is not going to happen if we wake up and go,

“You want to rope?”
“Yeah… what should we ride?”
“What should we do?”

That’s not a plan. That’s a wish.

If we want consistency, then the details have to be handled ahead of time. Horses picked out. Cattle ready. Arena worked. Setup done. Make it easy to execute, because the golden goose isn’t showing up with a trophy and dropping it on the tailgate.

Anything worth having takes a load of work. That’s just the truth.

Family Matters—And You Still Have to Be Honest

Another thing: family matters.

Wade has a two-year-old and another baby coming soon. When he gets home, he needs family time. And I don’t ever want to be the guy telling someone to sacrifice what matters most.

But I do believe this: you can find a window.

Maybe it’s early morning. Maybe it’s lunch break. Maybe it’s two focused rides instead of six sloppy ones.

And if you don’t have time? Turn some horses out. Get honest. If you can do a great job on two horses, then ride two horses and do it right. Don’t drown yourself trying to do too much and end up doing none of it well.

Stop Collecting “Stuff” and Start Collecting Saddle Time

I’ve seen people spend more time picking supplements than they do riding their horse. Nothing wrong with taking care of your horses—but you’ve got to be honest about what moves the needle.

The biggest needle-mover is still the same:

Time in the saddle, with a plan.

And that plan has to be a program you believe in—something consistent that your horse can learn from. Because without consistency, your horse is going to understand you half the time… and half the time is not a good recipe for success.

Clear Signals Beat Manipulation Every Time

I worked with a friend yesterday—good guy, good intent, green rider on a green horse. And we talked about something I say all the time:

When you ask for a response, it should be a clear signal—and then you hold that signal long enough for the horse to find the release point.

If you pull your horse into position every time, you’re not teaching anything. You’re just physically manipulating them.

But when you ask, support, and hold steady—and the horse finds the answer—now the horse learns. Now the horse starts to look for that release. Now you start building real consistency.

And when your communication gets better, everything gets better: confidence, control, softness, timing, results.

The Big Point: Your Horsemanship Won’t Outgrow You

Here’s the point of this episode.

A long time ago, I had a successful guy tell me something that changed the way I approached life:

“Until you work as hard on yourself as you do your business, you’ll never have the business you should have.”

At the time, I was working hard on training horses—but I wasn’t working on myself. And honestly, I was torturing myself mentally. I was so focused on perfection that nothing ever felt good enough.

That mindset will wreck you. In any business.

So I went to work—on my horsemanship, yes… but also on my personal development. On my discipline. On my mindset. On humility. On learning. On being sharp.

And I still do.

Because I don’t care what industry you’re in—if you want to be successful long term, you have to build the person who can handle the results you’re chasing.

Teaching Makes You Sharper

One of the reasons I keep doing clinics, mentorships, private days—besides the fact that it’s how I make a living—is because it keeps me sharp.

When you teach, you have to explain why something works. You have to see the holes. You have to help someone connect the dots. And every time I come home from a clinic, I’m better. I’m sharper.

Growth is uncomfortable. Growth is difficult. And all things are difficult before they’re easy.

That doesn’t change.