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February 2015
Exceptional Horsemanship Newsletter

 

Actions speak louder than words!

Do or do not, there is no try!  -- Yoda

How about this: Nothing will work unless you do. -- Maya Angelou

"We must look for the opportunity in every difficulty instead of being  

paralyzed at the thought of the difficulty in every opportunity."

-- Walter E. Cole, Korean War Hero 

All wish to possess knowledge, but few, comparatively speaking,  

are willing to pay the price.  --Juvenal

"If you want more, you have to require more from yourself."  -- Dr Phil  

"Many of us spend half our time wishing for things we could have if we didn't spend half our time wishing." -- Alexander Woollcott, Critic for The New Yorker magazine
 

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something  

else is more important than fear."       ~Meg Cabot

"If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere."

-- Frank A. Clark

"The first part of success is "Get-to-it-iveness"; the second part of success is "Stick-to-it-iveness.""   -- Orison Swett Marden

 

"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Wishing is not enough;  

we must do." -- Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

"To see what is right and not do it is a lack of courage."  -- Confucius

 

"We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort."  -- Jesse Owens

"Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly - until you learn to do it well."

-- Steve Brown

Perhaps the world isn't giving you what you want because based on all your distractions and lack of discipline it's simply unclear what you are asking for. - Brendon Burchard

 

This is to encourage you to take a seriously truthful look at what you say you want to do with your horsemanship and what you have or haven't really done.

If you know you should stay off your horse's mouth and five years later you're still on it??? You don't want to stay off his mouth.

Whatever it is that you know better than you're doing - I hope these quotes help you to step your mind and discipline yourself to DO IT! We're past that January 1 resolution day. Today is the stick-to-it thought time. 

Got a question for y'all. I'm currently working on 3 books. Something will happen in a lesson or training session and I get all into where that fits in whichever book and I'm off. We cab just work from the titles as they're self-explanatory: which one would you want to read first?

1) Horse Tricks -- Like Leading

2) The "P" Word -- Yep, Parelli

3) How to Feed Your Horse a Carrot -- 60 Days Toward Exceptional Horsemanship

You can just drop me an email with the number in the subject line, or you can expound your thoughts if you so choose. I really appreciate it.

 

MAJOR INSPIRATION: I hope you watch this video and then STOP using that word in lessons or anywhere else for that matter.   

 

You can catch up on all the training ideas you've missed on the blog.
 
So... Are You Horseman Material????

I was out to see a new horse recently and the owner, like most owners do, was telling me how wonderful the horse was and that it never spooked at anything. At the time, the horse was running around, literally, in a round pen with it's head high and very anxious emotionally. I sucked a piece of my lip between my teeth I sighed a "Hmmmmm..."
"Well, show me what you can do with him," I said.
She picked up the halter and lead and started to the gate. "Stick, too." I said. She hesitated, stopped and looked at me. "I don't take it in until I've got him." Uh huh. I was already sure of that which is why I had her take it in.
Yes, he was already running and checked out. And he went faster when she picked up the stick. Avoidance is not the answer. I only asked her to carry it into the pen, not beat the bugger.
I climbed up on the fence and casually crossed my legs with my loose leg sticking out. The horse came by and I watched his approach and wiggled my foot and leg because he was not paying attention to the space my leg needed. Many times folks don't recognize that he knew I was there but in his shutdown mind, he couldn't make a good decision to avoid my foot. I had no intention of being knocked off the fence so I had to help him see me better, but NOT back away to reduce his trouble. I had to do the same thing for the next two laps. Still running, he started to shift around me so the next time he went by I raised my hand next to my body. Whoosh off he went sideways in a tear.
I said to the owner, "And by 'doesn't spook at anything you mean this?"
People frequently casually mention that their horse spooks but they are generally referring to some big freakin' sideways bolt and they don't really want to go into it because they say it's something horses do. NO ONE LIKES SPOOKING! But, if you don't train it out it grows and grows and GROWS! Soon, things your horse didn't spook at before are now major problems.
If you notice the signs of a spooky horse early such as an ear twitch, eyeball roll, hair standing up even though the horse is 'doing as asked' in some form - Please stop what you're doing and take care of it. We'll be going into more of the how's  as we go and a comprehensive form will be my new project "How to Feed Your Horse a Carrot - 60 Days Toward Exceptional Horsemanship". I'm pondering several forms including video, book, e-book, membership group and fun stuff I haven't designed yet. 
 
Please forward this newsletter to your friends and tell them to sign up for their own. Click the purple "Gimme" button on the website.
 
There's a difference between techniques and technique.
For exceptional results, think "how and how can I".
Upcoming stuff:
Accuracy - what does the movement look like? ex:  on the galloping bridge. Drift. Would you know what side of the balance bean you'll fall off?
A horse invading your space as opposed to being in the same space.
Asking your horse to do something way above his level and way above yours! 
 "awareness" - the need for calm.  maintain boundaries in order to create focus, both in yourself and your horse.  ladder jumping - the art of waiting   timing/feel   come
Managing space around other horses
scarcity vs. abundant mindset
It's the damn shoulder
  • "It's the little things that make a big difference."
  • "How can something so simple be so difficult?"
 If you don't understand and believe in the horsemanship you are investing in, you'll never make substantial advancement with your horse, as no situation is exactly the same. So you have to be able to apply the concept. Advance your horsemanship! Call or email me to schedule a lesson, training session, phone or email lesson/consultation today.
Don't forget to check the blog for more training and put in your questions and comments!

Sincerely,
ME

Lauren Woodard
ExceptionalHorsemanship.com
Lauren Woodard
Scottsdale, Arizona 85254