What would happen if you went ‘all in’ on one specific area of training or developing with your horse for the next 90 or so days? If you laser focus every interaction to support and strengthen the thing you want to improve or make happen? As I’m writing this, there are about 90 days left in the year, which ties in nicely with goals, etc.
However, whenever you’re reading or listening to this, I want to encourage you today to begin your own 90-day journey with your horse… Starting today.
Two things are absolutely essential for successfully training and developing horses and riders; time and consistency.
90 days is the timeframe for this particular focus or intention. Consistency is how you show up and the actions you take, over and over again. And if consistency is a challenge for you, remember that you are almost certain to be consistent with things. It’s just the wrong things or actions that you’re being consistent with!
But You Struggle to be Consistent!
Is this something you believe about yourself? I did too, however, I was wrong. Let me explain… Lately, I’ve noticed that I have been telling myself more and more that what I am lacking is consistency and discipline in my daily routines and life. ‘But I’m just not the type of person who enjoys consistency’ is something I regularly hear coming out of my own mouth during conversations! And I honestly believed this. For YEARS! Until I began to tear it apart… Was this true?
What I discovered is that I actually am fairly consistent. I do tend to do the same things and think the same thoughts. My challenge is not consistency – my challenge is being consistent with the ‘right’ things.
And I’m wondering if you’re a little the same? When I looked back over the past 3 or so months, I can definitely see there has been a lot of consistency in my actions, words, and thoughts. It’s just that most of those things do not, in any shape, way or form, help me to get closer to what I actually want. Now, obviously, this is not the easiest thing to admit publically.
But I feel that just realizing this about myself now gives me the power to change it. And I’m hoping that it will help you too…
Is it the Right Action?
Once this new truth dawned on me, I began to get really clear about what I wanted. To be honest, my vision had not changed much. It was just my actions to get there that had. So, I began thinking about what I could ‘swap out’ regarding my actions, words, and thoughts that would get me there faster. Staying in bed until the very last minute each morning was one of them (I think I may have gotten consistent with this one while we were at home in Ireland recently!).
If I really want to start my day off in a way that would set me up for a great day – right now, that will involve getting out of bed BEFORE everyone else. And being consistent about it.
When I think of my horses, if I really want to make riding on the beach once a week with my horse a reality, I am going to have to take action to bring the horses to THIS farm. Not driving 45 minutes to go to them at the other farm. And if I want to work on my mare’s learned habit (she was used in the riding school for the year I was in Ireland) of rushing at poles and fences, I am going to have to clean up the arena here and start retraining.
I can bet that you already know exactly what you need to swap when it comes to what you’re being consistent with and how it’s impacting your riding and training with your horse…
Be Consistent This Week
So once you are clear on what you want and you have begun to notice your current consistent actions; change them. I want you to focus on something you can change THIS WEEK that will start you off in the right direction. Maybe it’s booking a lesson with a trainer so that you have to turn up and ride. Or it could be organizing a babysitter so that you can spend an extra hour with your horse without feeling rushed. It could be focusing on your straightness, posture, and position in the arena, instead of hammering on your horse all of the time…
The key here is to identify something you’re doing consistently that is not serving you and then intentionally change it to something more aligned with what you actually want as a rider.
And the magic is that once you notice the first thing, thought, or action that needs to change, others will begin to show up! Trust me, transforming your riding and your horse’s training comes down to doing a few basic things well and consistently. You just need to figure out what has to be tweaked for both of you to get going on your journey.
Prove Your Consistency
I’m hoping that you’re on board with giving this a go in your riding. If so, I suggest writing all of this down in your riding journal. Write what you previously had been doing and what you’re planning on swapping that out for. Then use your riding journal to track yourself.
Begin proving to yourself that you’re not only consistent, but you’re consistent in the ‘right’ things. The actions, thoughts, and words that move you and your horse where you want to go in your training together.
Think along the lines of “Previously had been spending 60+ minutes grooming and tacking up with only 10 minutes riding. Will work on being groomed and tacked up in 40 minutes so I have 30 minutes of riding. (I know lots of riders who are guilty of this one, hence me including it here!).
When you begin to see an actual written ‘log’ of you doing the right thing, it begins to develop your discipline in doing it more often. You’ll begin to see yourself as a consistent rider. And, hopefully, because these actions are aligned with your goals, the results will speak for themselves.
Use Personal Voice Notes
My final bit of advice when it comes to knocking it out of the park with a single goal for the coming 90 days or 12 weeks is to support yourself! I use voice notes for this purpose, so I’m encouraging you to do the same. I have begun using them again for a whole host of different things. Especially things that there is a good chance I’ll either become distracted, get sidetracked, or feel too tired to actually get around to doing.
If you struggle with consistency in your riding or training, use voice notes! Simply record a voice note that lays out, step by step, what you want to accomplish with your horse for that session.
Do it BEFORE you work with your horse and go into as much detail as you can. What’s amazing about this is that, as you are then later working with your horse, you’ve created the ‘map’ of that session already. Meaning that as soon as you begin to go ‘off track’, you’ll notice. And can then take consistent actions to bring everything back to where you want it.
Your personal voice notes to yourself will help to train you to become more consistent with your riding and your work with your horse… And they are 100% private. Delete them after if you want :)
90 Days From Now…
So, are you willing to go all in with one thing for your riding during the coming 90 days? Remember successful training requires time and consistency. Use the 90 days and find the few actions, thoughts, and words that you can use consistently to transform you and your horse.
And if you would like more help with this, make sure you join Daily Strides Premium. It could just be the best $22 you spend on you and your horse ;)
Happy Riding
Lorna
Online Training to Help Your Riding
Connect with Lorna online:-
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