Be Your Best Horsemanship

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Clinic Recap: Hermosa, SD Aug 04, 2020

Show notes

Our recent clinic in Hermosa, South Dakota was one for the books. We had an extremely advanced set of horses and trainers at this clinic, and there were many great training philosophies unveiled throughout the weekend. Here is a recap of some of our biggest takeaways from the clinic:

Not everything is going to be perfect.

Throughout your horsemanship journey, you will undoubtedly encounter a few situations you have not experienced before. When you’re getting into these uncharted waters, don’t expect things to go perfect the first time—things might not even go perfect the tenth time. Allow yourself to learn, and accept that things will not turn out exactly how you planned every time.

You do know what you are doing.

Everyone has their own unique spin on training. With so many ideas and philosophies out there, it can be easy to fall into comparison with others. Comparison is one of the quickest routes to self-doubt. When someone comes to one my clinics, I do not want them to change their entire program. I simply want them to pick up on one or two things that will give them that 1% change for the better. Sometimes, the biggest takeaway from my clinics is simply confidence that you do know what you are doing, and you are moving in the right direction.

Anything worth having takes hard work.

A few of the students at this clinic were professional trainers themselves. I’ll be the first to say that making a living training horses is not for the faint of heart. Mentally, physically, and financially--it is a struggle. I can’t even begin to count the amount of times I have been “broke” training horses over the years. I have had to sell horses that I never intended on selling just to stay afloat. I have had to pick up new trades, like shoeing horses, to make a little extra income on the side. If you are having to do something else to keep your business going, so be it. This does not classify you as a failure. One day, your business will be able to support itself. But in the meantime, it is okay to do a few different things to make ends meet. Instead of being hard on yourself, pat yourself on the back. The fact that you are willing to work hard means you are going to make it. Keep showing up. Keep doing what you’ve got to do. You will make it.

Make Commitments, Not Excuses Jul 28, 2020

Show notes

“I just haven’t had time.”

How many times have we used this excuse? Maybe we were referring to riding our horses, or maybe we were thinking about the laundry we haven’t folded yet. But, the truth is, we always have the time. We just might not have the necessary level of commitment.

Commitment is a funny thing. Our minds are always at war against us. This is because our brains are wired to talk us out of anything that has the potential to cause us pain or discomfort. The first battle we have to win is the battle between our own two ears. We cannot let our minds talk us out of making commitments.

Making a commitment can be uncomfortable, especially when we are faced with time constraints. Having time and making time are two completely different concepts. We wake up each morning with the same amount of hours in our day as the day before. Our priorities determine how we spend this time.

If you find yourself “not having time” to do something, it might be time to reevaluate your priorities to make sure they are aligning with your goals. When you are choosing which activities you will commit your time to, ask yourself: “Is this supporting the way I want to represent myself and my program?” You might be surprised how clear your priorities become after asking this question.

In all phases of my life, commitment has proven to be an essential piece of the success puzzle. I’ve learned that if I don’t make the commitment to progress myself or my horse, neither one of us ever get to where we want to be.

Winning the Mental Game of Horsemanship Jul 21, 2020

Show notes

The mental game of horsemanship is arguably the most difficult part of the journey. Most of you have high goals for yourselves as trainers. You constantly want to get to that next level.

It's important to remember that you can’t succeed at a high level unless you learn to fail big. Once you accept that, you will be able to recover from those failures much quicker.

It can be easy to fall into a comparison trap with the people who already have the result you are working toward. The success you see is not because they never struggled. It’s because you’re seeing the result of their struggle. They’ve already been through it.

Your brain is wired to keep you from doing something you're not comfortable doing. You have to trick you brain into letting you do things that you don’t know the outcome of. Even something as simple as getting out of bed in the morning...it’s a mind game. So, play it. Count backwards from 5…4, 3, 2, 1—and, get out of bed. Committing to small habits of discomfort will propel you to that next level.

Throughout your journey, there will be many influential moments, experiences, and people. Some of these will be positive, and some will be negative. You will have setbacks. That’s a guarantee. You may have someone in your life who doesn’t understand what you’re working toward. You might even have someone tell you that you can’t do it. But, there’s one thing I want you to always remember: The only person that has the power to stop you from being successful is yourself.

At the end of the day, progress in your horsemanship journey comes down to one question: "Are you willing to commit?"

Are you willing to commit to doing the things it takes to get to the next level? It’s easy to do the things it takes to make a great horse, but it’s also easy not to do them. The boring, monotonous tasks aren’t always the fun part of the journey, but they’re by far the most necessary. Consistent action creates results.

Clinic Recap: Denison, Iowa Jul 14, 2020

Show notes

On this week’s episode, I’m covering some of the key training philosophies we focused on during our recent horsemanship clinic series in Denison, Iowa.

Working Hard Through Hard Times

It is human nature to be hard on ourselves. But, we can overcome this by being thankful for the opportunities that are in front of us. If we can continue to work hard, our time will come. Hard work doesn’t always pay off when we want it to, but it will pay off eventually. If you do the work, you will get the results. It’s that simple. The harder you work at something, the more you will begin to manifest your own luck.

Creating Positive Change in Your Performance

It’s not always a big change in mechanics that makes a difference in the horse’s performance, but more often, it is a change in the trainer’s philosophy.

Slowing Down and Allowing Mistakes to Happen

As human beings, we have a tendency to anticipate and micro-manage. We try to save ourselves from an undesirable outcome. But, once we accept the fact that every outcome will not be desirable, we allow ourselves to grow.

Investing in Ourselves

If I could pay a price to have all of my problems fixed, I would do it. And, I’m sure you would too. Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works. We can pay a price to invest in the knowledge that may help us fix this problem, but we still have to put in the work.

On the Trail with Kelsie Chace Jul 08, 2020

Show notes

In this week’s episode, I had a chance to sit down with Kelsie Chace to recap our breakaway clinic in Dickinson, North Dakota. Kelsie is an unbelievable talent in the breakaway roping, but she is an even better human being. If you ever get the chance to learn from Kelsie Chace, I highly recommend you take advantage of that opportunity. Read our full Q&A session on the blog at beyourbesthorsemanship.com.

Clinic Recap: Breakaway School in Dickinson ND Jun 30, 2020

Show notes

As a whole, the roping industry is stronger now than ever before. The opportunities for ropers continue to evolve, and the competition is becoming tougher each day. As the skill level of the ropers increases, the importance of horse power is becoming an even more prominent factor in separating the “good” from the “great.” With so much opportunity ahead of ropers at this point in time, having a well-rounded training program is essential to reaching an elite level of performance. Here are some of the main takeaways we shared with our students at our most recent breakaway school in Dickinson, North Dakota.

The Importance of Horse Power

In any timed event, you are only as good as your horse is. In an industry with so many talented competitors, there are plenty of people that understand the benefit of using horse power to make their jobs easier. Therefore, you have to leverage your horsepower if you want to reach that top level of performance. When you have confidence that you have the horse power you need to succeed, you back into the box with a completely different demeanor. You carry yourself differently. You think and talk differently. And, your horse can feel that. You are more relaxed. You are more intentional with your signals. Sending consistent signals to your horse is the number one thing that helps build mutual confidence between horse and rider. In turn, this confidence accelerates the level of success you share once you nod your head.

Scoring

One of the biggest concerns we hear from our students is “I want to get better at scoring.” Many students think that “getting better at scoring” translates to “never breaking a barrier;” however, from a horsemanship perspective, we look at scoring a different way. Scoring, in my book, essentially means leaving when you want to leave, not when your horse wants to leave. Scoring well doesn’t necessarily mean you will never break a barrier or get out late, but if your horse is responsive enough to leave on your command, that is good scoring. With repetitions, your timing of when you release your horse to move forward will improve; but, proper scoring starts with your horse understanding the responses you are asking for. You want to build a solid enough foundation that allows that animal to be able to move off of your hand and leg pressure instantaneously.

Position

Correctly positioning yourself for a throw is the easiest way to improve your win-loss ratio. Too often, ropers are focused more on “throwing fast” than “throwing correct.” If you focus on putting your horse in the proper position each time you throw in the practice pen, your horse will know exactly where it is supposed to be when you are in competition. Establishing consistent positioning reduces the need for you to throw a “perfect loop” and gives you a much greater chance of accurately placing your rope.

Going Back to the Basics

The biggest mistake we make on our rope horses is only roping on them. Many ropers get into a habit of taking their “good and finished” horses into the practice pen and roping on them each time they saddle them. But, how often do they take it back to the basics and soften them up with a snaffle bit? Just because you are at a certain level with your horse doesn’t mean you shouldn’t back up and reinforce softness and agility drills. By adding variety to your practice routine, your horse will get fresher, sharper, and more responsive. The variety keeps your horse searching for the responses you’re asking for and eliminates some of the frustration associated with our horses anticipating our throw (i.e. getting short, quartering off, or even getting tense in the corner). By making your horse better, you will ultimately make your job as a roper easier.

Rising to the Challenge Jun 23, 2020

Show notes

As you progress a horse in its training, it is inevitable that you will be challenged. When you are being challenged, how you perceive and react to that challenge is everything. It is hard to be thankful for a challenge when you are right in the middle of it, but that challenge is what is stimulating you to get better.

One of the biggest philosophy changes we must make with our horsemanship journey is changing the way we react to challenging situations.

At some point, you are most likely going to do something that makes you and/or your horse frustrated. Instead of reacting with anxiety and frustration, you have to go through the thought process of finding the answer to the challenge. You have to rewire your mind to see that challenges are a positive. Challenges are what elevate you to another level. There is always a point where, if you push the limits, you will be faced with a challenge. Without encountering these challenges, it is very hard to get to the next level. You have to get uncomfortable to get better. When you purposely put yourself in a zone of discomfort, you are setting yourself up to reach a higher level.

When you are learning and growing, confidence is often a limiting factor. Confidence can only be developed through correct repetitions. The more you repeat an exercise, the more relaxed you will be when you encounter that same challenging exercise. When you try to prevent or correct a challenge before it happens, you are preventing yourself from a learning experience. You have to allow yourself and your horses to make mistakes in order to learn and grow.

When we are in a competitive situation, our adrenaline increases. With an adrenaline increase, the speed and strength of our hand and leg pressure naturally increases. This is why it is so important to be mindful of the signals we are sending our horses so that we are sending the same cues to our horse at home as we are on the road. Slow your hands down, and allow your horse to make a mistake. This is the best way for them to learn and develop confidence.

The Progression of Training Jun 16, 2020

Show notes

“How fast should my horse progress?”

I get this question a lot from my clients, but in a way, it is a trick question. Your horse progresses at the speed of your own knowledge.

When we are working on our horsemanship, the change we should be searching for is not necessarily with our horses—it is within ourselves. As trainers, we have to understand the value of personal development in the overall value of our horses.

Our horses are hard-wired with a few skills that make them extremely capable of performing well in multiple disciplines. However, it is up to us as trainers to unlock this potential. Our horses will only perform as well as we help them to.

Understanding the value of personal development is such a large piece of the horsemanship journey. As a trainer, you must commit to a continuous pursuit of knowledge. It might not always click at first, but the day that it all comes together, you will be thankful that you never gave up. The work you do today may not show up until days, months or even years later.

This is why I am less focused on my progression with a horse in a few days, and I am much more concerned about my results with that horse 6-12 months from now. The continuous application of knowledge is what generates progression through a horse’s learning process.

Simplifying the Training Process Jun 09, 2020

Show notes

Horsemanship is not about the horse—it is about the rider. Building the one-on-one relationship between you and your horse takes time and patience. It requires consistent evaluation of our own understanding and making small adjustments in the way we present ideas to our horses.

You must use a smooth, slow, methodical process to transfer your understanding of horsemanship principles to your horse. Simple exercises facilitate a smooth, easy communication process. Pick out one or two maneuvers to focus on and build confidence in. Once you feel confident, you give your horse the opportunity to feel confident.

On the days when you are feeling overwhelmed, remind yourself to take it one step at a time and be fully aware of the unique communication style you have with each horse. One of the most difficult things about horsemanship is that no two horses are exactly alike. But, this is the exact thing that makes the horsemanship journey so rewarding. As long as you commit to never stop learning, you will never stop improving.

Building Momentum Jun 02, 2020

Show notes

Sometimes, you will run into training a horse where it seems like every day is a challenge. In those situations, you have to find a way to gain momentum. Even the smallest “wins” can help you build momentum, and the benchmarks of momentum will be different with every horse. For one horse, simply loping in a controlled circle may be the mark you’re striving for today. Let your horse have those small wins, because that is what builds consistent momentum.

Every day presents an opportunity to generate momentum. When you get better at one area of your life, that momentum carries over into everything you do. Pick one thing to focus on, and spend the next 10 days creating a habit of getting a little bit better every day. If you want to create change, you have to create momentum.

If you listen to your horses, they will tell you which areas you need to gain some traction on. Most often, you will be able to build momentum by simply slowing things down and reinforcing the habit of your horse using the thinking side of its brain.

Remember, smooth is always fast. Slow down your hands, slow down your mind, and gain some momentum with simple exercises that build positive habits.

There is a reason why my Level 1, 2 and 3 exercises have a specific order. They are designed to allow you to take it one step at a time and build momentum with the simplest exercises before moving on to the next one. The simpler you can keep things for your horse, the more times you can offer that release. The release is what you teach, and the release is what builds confidence and understanding in your horse. It is important to establish consistency and confidence with one exercise before moving on to the next.

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