Have you ever seen a performance that flowed so smoothly that you couldn’t even see the cues the rider gave?  Have you ever wondered if you could achieve that same level of responsiveness from your own horse?  FromTheHorsesBack is launching a new series of tips titled “Perfecting Partnerships.”  This series is devoted to training tips and exercises designed to improve the communication and partnership between you and your horse.  Everyone from trail riders to top level competitors can benefit from improving their relationship with their horse.  Stay tuned for upcoming tips on softening your horse, increasing responsiveness, achieving control of your horse’s body, and many more exciting topics.  To start things off, consider the following:

In my opinion, one of the most critical elements to a true partnership is…having a partnership.  If you are looking for the ultimate in communication, you have to log the hours in the saddle.  Just as in any relationship, it takes time and effort to establish trust and communication.  Every minute you spend in the saddle is impacting your relationship with your horse, either positively or negatively.  You must choose to create a positive, trusting bond with your horse before you can hope to achieve partnership with him.  Ground work is just as important as riding.  Get in the habit of seeing your horse when you are with him.  Know his personality, his likes and dislikes.  Respect him.  Don’t treat him as a machine meant only to haul you around the arena or up and down the trails.  A big part of the enjoyment of having horses is experiencing them – so don’t short yourself on that!  If you would like to learn about how to improve your partnership with your horse, check back soon for exercises and tips to start you on your path.

*These tips and exercises are based upon my own experiences.  I am not a horse trainer.  Please use your best judgement and consult a trainer if necessary.

As a competitive equestrian, one of your most important tasks is to set clear, attainable goals for yourself and your mount.  In fact, this skill is important for anyone who rides horses, or does any type of competitive activity.  I trained with Meneely Show Horses for many years, and this skill was one of the first I learned after entering their program.  While goal-setting is critical to achieving success, it is equally important to write your goals down and refer to them frequently.  This keeps your goals at the forefront of your mind, keeps you focused on them and moving forward.  Refer to these handy tips when creating your goals:

*  Timelines are important

When I was competing heavily on the Appaloosa show circuit, our big events were the National Show in July and the World Show in October.  At the beginning of every calendar year, I would reflect for a time on what I hoped to achieve for the upcoming show season.  When setting goals choose a reasonable timeline, particularly if you are riding a young horse or are adding new events.  Give yourself plenty of time to put in the groundwork to achieve the goals.

* Choose a variety of goals

You want a wide variety of goals to strive for.  It’s great to set goals that are challenging or long term – that is what keeps you driving hard for improvement in your game.  However the small, step-wise goals are equally important to keep you enthusiastic and focused.  For example, if you are hoping to win the World on your fantastic new Western Rider, you might set the following kinds of goals:  maintain consistent control of my horse’s hips and shoulders, perform consistent lead changes on a loose rein at a steady speed, perform multiple lead changes on a loose rein at consistent speed, perform lead changes at specific point in arena, master timing of cues, perform well at regional competitions, World Champion Western Riding.  As you can see, there is a logical progression of steps that you may need to accomplish to reach your ultimate goal.  By treating each of these steps as an individual goal, you are able to celebrate successes along your path and appreciate your journey. 

* Be realistic

There is a difference between a challenging set of goals and one that is unattainable.  It is crucial to objectively look at you and your horse’s skills and set goals that are attainable, even if they are challenging.  If you nor your horse have ever changed a lead and you are terrified when competing alone in the ring, chances are good that winning Western Riding might be an unattainable goal – at least for this year.  Maybe instead you could focus on gaining control of your horse’s body and becoming a more confident rider.  By selecting goals that you have the ability to reach, you will avoid frustration and disappointment. 

* Personal goals are OK too

Don’t feel you should restrict your goals to skill related ones.  Maybe your goal is to spend more time trail riding your horse, or eliminate negative thinking, or make new horse show friends.  Anything goes – remember this is your strategy for success and there is no wrong answer.

* Present your goals

Almost anyone that seriously competes at a sport will agree that mental preparation is every bit as important as physical ability.  You will be one step ahead of the game if you write your goals down and reflect on them frequently.  At MSH, we created “goal boards” each year with our ultimate goals for each event and overall goals.  Use a large piece of poster board and some markers and be creative!  If you’re an adult and haven’t indulged your creative side in a few years, you may think you are too old for such antics.  Phooey!  You’ll be surprised how exciting and motivating it is to create an inspiring piece of work.  Make it fun, use bright colors, glitter, inspirational quotes – whatever gets YOU excited and looking forward to your goals.  And put the board in a place where you will see it and reflect on it often, and especially take it to your shows when you will need the biggest reminder to stay focused. 

* It’s OK if you don’t meet your goals

If you haven’t succeeded at meeting some or all of your goals, it’s no big deal.  Did you do your best to succeed?  Goal boards are not a contract – you are not guaranteed success just because you set goals.  Likewise, you are not a failure if you don’t achieve every one of them.  In fact, it’s often best if you have a couple of goals that you haven’t met for the year.  After all, what fun would it be if you accomplished everything you set out to do?  If you met every goal you set, chances are good that you didn’t challenge yourself enough with your “ultimate goals.”  And if you didn’t meet any of them, you were most likely too ambitious for your current set of circumstances.  It’s OK, try again next year!

The ability to create clear, attainable goals is an important skill for competitive riding.  As you progress through the levels of show, it will become more apparent how critical mental preparation is to achieving success.  Good luck with creating your own goals, and feel free to share some of them here to inspire others.

Some of my favorite inspirational quotes:

“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”  William Ernest Henley

“Self confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.”  Samuel Johnson

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”  Theodore Roosevelt

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars.”  Les Brown

FromTheHorsesBack is excited to announce the launch of “Creating Champions,” a new series devoted to tips and tricks for excelling in the horse show arena!  These handy tidbits have been amassed from my own experiences in competition and I hope that you will find them useful as well.  *Disclaimer:  I am not a professional horse trainer or coach and am presenting this series based on my own experiences.  Please use your own judgement and seek out a professional opinion if you are unsure about any of the information provided here. 

To kick off the series, here are my Top 10 Tips for Entering the Winner’s Circle:

1.  Present Yourself

You wouldn’t go for your dream job interview without being prepared, why would you enter the show ring with any less thought?  Make sure clothes and tack are clean and fit well, hats are clean and shaped, and horses are turned out properly.  Attention to detail is key!

2.  Be a Good Sport

Regardless of your performance or placing, be a gracious winner or a good loser.  You can always learn from your performance and recognizing this is the first step in becoming a better rider.

3.  Never Give Up

If you make a mistake in the ring, CARRY ON!!  Don’t ever let anyone see you sweat.  Judges may not have seen or noticed it, and even if they did, you don’t know how the other riders in the class are performing.  It may be hard to believe, but I have seen riders make a critical mistake but still place high. 

4.  Practice, Practice, Practice

Nothing contributes to success like putting in the blood, sweat, and tears behind the scenes.  The more you ride and the better your riding program, the more consistency and confidence you will have in the arena.

5.  Fitness Counts

Both you and your horse should be fit to achieve optimum results.  Muscular and cardiovascular strength are important and should be addressed.  I have seen riders ensure their horse’s fitness, only to falter when asked to post the trot for an interminably long time in the summer heat.

6.  Cover Your Bases

Preparation is not only restricted to riding practice.  Before your show day arrives, be sure to have a current Coggins test and health papers for your horse, truck/trailer maintained and ready to go, directions and hotel arrangements made.  Don’t let last minute details trip you up – think ahead!

7.  Looks are Everything

Always project an air of confidence in yourself.  You should never need to look down to check a lead or a diagonal (this is where the practice comes in) and keep a relaxed, happy expression on your face.  When a judge is comparing you to tens or even hundreds of other competitors, you must have charisma to stand out.  Even if you are scared to death, don’t act like it!

8.  Master the Art of Riding With Your Seat

Top level competitors have the ability to control their horse’s speed and direction with the use of their seat and legs.  Steering, turning, and stopping should be done with a minimum of voice and hand cues. 

9.  Maintain Control at All Times

You should be able to control your horse’s shoulders and hips anytime you are riding (again, NOT with your hands!).  One thing that separates great patterns from good ones is the ability to create soft, consistent elements on a loose rein.  Complete control of the horse’s body is required in presenting a pretty picture that functions well.

10.  Make Horse Shows Fun

At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about!  Spend some time enjoying your horse, walk around the show grounds to cool off and explore.  Watch some other classes and cheer for your fellow competitors.  Meet people and exchange ideas.  The more enjoyable shows are for you AND your horse, the more longevity you will both have.