Life is funny sometimes. If I just sit back and watch things happen, I am able to spot a trend. In the last month or two, my inbox has delivered ‘messages’ to me that pertain to rider effectiveness. These emails came from various sources that created a list of traits and attributes of effective riders. Once I took off my “dunce” cap, I realized that the universe was telling me that I needed to put together a list of my own. So I did, and here it is.
Trait #1: Effective Riders Come from a Place of Why
Some people come from a place of No, some from a place of Yes, but I think effective people come from a place of Why. What I mean by a place of Why is everything that you do lines up with your internal purpose; your personal reason ‘Why’ you would want to do something in the first place. Once you get clear on your real motivation for doing something, your Why will get you over the rough spots as well as help you make decisions about how you spend your time, energy and money on your riding habit.
Trait #2: Effective Riders Take Responsibility for Their Outcome
If you want to go places in your life, you will get farther and faster if you aren’t waiting for people to take you there. In order to be an effective rider, it is imperative that you take complete responsibility for your results. I feel so strongly about this habit that I wrote an entire article about it a while back. Enough said.
Trait #3: Effective Riders Turn Setbacks into Positives
Let’s face it, we all have had the experience where things seem to be going so smoothly, and then you find a monkey wrench in your tack trunk. Maybe it’s an injury to you, your horse, or perhaps your wheel of progress has a flat tire. Either way, these frustrating things are never fun to deal with. It is natural to feel deflated, frustrated and angry, however, after a short time, it’s time to develop Plan B and move forward. In case you need some ideas, here is my favorite recipe for making Lemonade from Lemons.
Ingredients:
A huge helping of ‘Why’
One Open Mind
A splash of humor
Instructions:
Step One
First, get in touch with your ‘Why’. Do this until you know for sure that you want to continue on your journey and you are chomping at the bit to get back on track.
Step Two
Take your open mind, and infuse it with the following questions:
•What is good about this problem?
•How will I be feeling when this is no longer an issue
•Given my current situation, what can I do now to move in the direction that I want?
Step Three
What can I do along the way to make this a fun and productive process?
Step Four
Mix all of the ingredients from these steps along with your splash of humor and assemble them into a nice easy to follow plan. Share and enjoy with friends and family.
Trait #4: Effective Riders Pay Attention to What is Important
Some people think they can’t focus. That is absolute hogwash. People are always focusing on something, so if you think your focus is a bit blurry, it’s because you aren’t focusing on the right things. In order to build up your focus factor, you need to sit down and figure out what you should be paying attention to, and when. If you are in the show arena, you probably shouldn’t be thinking about who is in there with you, or the people in the stands. When riding a trail pattern, you need to focus on the current obstacle, not the last one or the next one. This one takes some thought and practice, but even old brains can learn new tricks, and with some planning, you can plant ‘Ring Minders‘ in different places in the arena to help you readjust your focus if you need to.
Trait #5: Effective Riders Think Horse-First, Me-Second
This is similar to the every popular “Seek first to Understand, then be Understood.” In other words, before you start riding your horse, you will want to check in with them, and get a sense of how they are feeling. Are they a little fresh? A bit tired? Are they looking for the creeper in the corner? Once you get an idea of what kind of horse you are riding today, ask yourself, “What can I do with what I have to create the best outcome?” Make adjustments BEFORE you start riding if you need to, and that way, not only will you have have better results, you will a have a much more enjoyable time.
Trait #6: Effective Riders are Always Improving
Nobody likes a Know It All, and when it comes to horses, there is always more to learn. Even a 100 time World Champion can learn more about how they can improve and elevate their game, and sometimes, the improvement process occurs outside of the arena. Anything that a rider does to allow them to be more fit, compassionate, in the flow of life and confident will benefit their horsemanship. So if you find yourself interested in yoga, you may find that what you learn on the mat will help you in the saddle and visa-versa.
Trait #7: Effective Riders Respect Their horses
An effective rider understands that horses are horses, and even though a horse can be dead broke, no amount of training can override their survival instinct once it appears. In order to be effective, you need to respect where your horse is coming from and work with those tendencies. If you engage in a game of tug of war, the horse will always win.
Kirsten Farris is a regular contributor to GoHorseShow.com and a Certified Sport Consultant, Certified Equestrian Fitness Trainer, and the Author of The Workbook for the Equestrian Athlete – A Guide to Showring Success. Kirsten and her horse, Lyles Al Lie, were the 2012 and 2013 AQHA Select World Champion in Hunter Under Saddle. For more information contact her at: [email protected] © 2013
