Monthly Archives: April 2015

Goals Versus Principles

DSCN0169Every day riders are faced with decisions that test their moral fortitude. The temptation to push the limits increases with competition. The more variables surrounding the game the easier it is to manipulate the situation increasing the pressure to abandon your principles – especially if you feel like “everyone else is doing it.”

Author and mom Kate Lambert talks about the negative affects of believing the myth that all the winners are cheaters on her blog www.uptownsheep.com If You Thought it was About Cheating You Need to Read Again. Whether a false assumption or the truth believing that others are cheating may tempt you to forsake your principles to achieve your goals.

And no doubt about it, everyone who has ever shown or trained horses has, at one time or another, stretched the boundaries. There are times when a rider simply must push – partly to determine whether resistance from the horse is due to pain, lack of knowledge or a side effect of simple arrogance and sometimes, just to make the point. Continue reading →

Getting the Most Out of Your Lesson

Fred & MeWhenever I give a clinic or lesson to a new group or student, I go with little expectation of what we might work on. It is difficult to plan for something when you have no idea what skill level your riders or horses might be. Although I always ask what the rider wants help with, sometimes the ride goes in a different direction.

As a student, you have expectations for the lesson. Communicating that to the instructor is an important part of getting the most out of your lesson. You may come with a list of things you want to work on or maybe you come to every lesson open and let the instructor guide you in your progress. Most coaches are going to focus on what they perceive as your biggest hurdle to achieve good horsemanship.

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