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Exceptional Horsemanship Newsletter
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Greetings!
Beautiful riding weather here! Lots of wind (great training opp).
There's a ton of info this month. I had a great time doing a Curbside Service demonstration yesterday (April 30) at the Queen Creek Horse EXPO with a horse that was blind in one eye and had some serious head abuse issues. Joey from the Luv Shack Ranch Rescue brought him for me as the Clydesdale that was scheduled to come couldn't make it. I'll put my thoughts together and get some stuff on my 'Horse Musings' and/or put some in next month's newsletter.
Expectations. So... when was the last time someone walked up to you and demanded that you like them? And even if you may have liked them under other circumstances, wouldn't that presentation cause you to NOT? And what if they wrapped a rope around your neck and dragged you somewhere? And what if they had built a 'special' room for you in the basement and kept you for their entertainment? Eewww... don't like where this is going? Ask your horse.
 And then would that person have a hard time convincing you how wonderful they were even if they changed their strategy? And which would you appreciate most - someone brings you flowers and says "let's go have a good time" or someone who says "get in the truck, b#%&@, we got work to do"?
Who do you like and why? And will you work with/operate with one better than the other? And doesn't this apply to employers/employees?
And how does this pertain to your horse? I'll probably have some stuff on the blog by now on this.
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Lots of people from all over the country email me with the troubles they're having with their horse. I write back with suggestions for beginning to work on the issue. These suggestions require no special equipment and are simple to do. Yet... many of the folks won't do it because it requires a change in how they think. As Einstein said, You can't fix a problem with the same brain that created it. Therefore, you will have to do something DIFFERENT to get good or better yet, Exceptional results. Notice I specified 'good' results. You're always going to get results. How you feel about the ones you get is dependent on whether or not you'll give something else a try.
"Pressure is a word that is misused in our vocabulary. When you start thinking of pressure, it's because you've started to think of failure." --Tommy Lasorda I love this quote because when I'm thinking about someone's success and helping them, whether it's written or spoken, where the horse or person is in their knowledge or skill level isn't even remotely important. No condescension or ridicule. It is simply where the horse or person is now and how to operate and learn from that point. There really is no point in trying to operate from a different spot, but alas... those darned egos frequently get in the way.
Dr. Carol Dweck says in her book 'Mindset' -There are two mindsets. If you have a "fixed" mindset, challenges are a commentary on your worth as a person - you've been tried and found wanting, which makes trying new things feel threatening. If you have a "growth" mindset, challenges are simply an obstacle to be overcome by working harder. Which do you have?
What I struggle with is: You can't want something for someone more than they want it for themselves.
Got someone you think might appreciate my writing style? Or the info contained? :D Please forward this newsletter so they can enjoy it.
I got a phone call the other day from a person wanting to sell me a marketing program. She asked about some specifics of what I did and what I wanted to do. The interesting thing was that after I told her, she pointed out to me that trying to re-educate people isn't easy or profitable. (Yes, I know). She suggested I not do what I'm doing and instead approach people who don't know anything about horses as they are more likely to be willing to learn
instead of the re-educating thing. What say you??? Again, I need my smilies! :D ;D
As with horses, it's easier to train one that hasn't learned a lot of stuff we'd rather they hadn't learned than it is to un-train and re-train. Hmmmm.....
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So... Are You Horseman Material????
Email from Sandra in Michigan:
I'm really enjoying your newsletters.
Question: The horse I've been training is awesome about sidepassing over to the step for mounting, but she gets in real close and nearly knocks me off the step! I don't want to discourage her from her willingness to be mounted, but fear she will not distinguish between close and too close. Ideas?
You ask if I have ideas?????
Loaded with them!!!
This is dealt with in Chapter 6 of my Curbside Service book because it happens to ALL horses. So, to give you a 'change the way you think' perspective... Being precise about the spot isn't going to discourage her willingness. Being imprecise will allow her to do a less than desirable job and means that, to her, you don't care where she steps as long as she's stepping left. We tend to get all 'Oh, isn't my precious Buttercup wonderful' when really... on top of me, smashing me on the fence or bumping me off the mounting block isn't the spot we're going for, let alone awesome. She cannot learn to be in the right spot if you allow the wrong spot to go uncorrected. And... if you were on a cliff, I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate her stepping too far to the left. Yes, left around the cactus. No - to left off the cliff. So, don't cause her to not learn EXACTLY where the spot is.
And let's look at this in another way. What if when you asked your horse to trot he took off at a pace that would win with a buggy at the track? Would that be okay because technically the horse is trotting? Would you ask for a slower trot?
Now this last line made me think of something that happens all the time. People tell me their horse trots too fast. I say, "Why don't you ask him to slow down?" "No," they explain, "that's the way he trots." "No," I explain, "that's the way he trots fast." :D Seems I can paste a smilie from my blog, but not type one!
For exceptional results, think "how and how can I".
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Upcoming stuff: Coercion and why it should be watched carefully in your horsemanship as it is in the justice system.Would you give some consideration to the fact that we're pretty easy on ourselves as to what we learn and the time frame we learn it in but... our horse? Been trying to make him do ____ for 15 minutes and the bugger won't ____.
A single good idea, developed with passion and commitment, can give birth to a fortune. The greater your exposure to a range of ideas-gained through reading, studying, interaction, and experimentation-the greater the chance you will come across one that will lead you to enduring success. --Brian Tracy
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Email lessons/consultations are fun and easy. So, don't let distance leave you in the lurch. Need an answer that pertains specifically to what's bugging you? Go to "Stuff" on the website and choose "What do I do when my horse _____?" and let's get started. Plus, get a load of training for free. Check the blog and put in your questions and comments!
Sincerely,
ME
p.s. Do you guys know how much I love writing this stuff? Pass it along.
Lauren Woodard
Exceptional Horsemanship |
Lauren Woodard
Scottsdale, Arizona 85254
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