Have you ever had one of those rides where you dismount, smiling from ear to ear, thinking: “This is what I’ve been missing.”? They are amazing, eh?! Maybe it was your first ride back after a break. Or perhaps you tried something new with your horse and felt re‑inspired.
That burst of excitement feels amazing; the proof that ‘yes, I can still do it!’. But here’s the challenge… that initial enthusiasm? It fades quickly!
If you want consistent progress in your riding, you need to stack more wins on top of that first one. In this episode, we’ll talk about how to do exactly that so you and your horse keep moving forward week after week.
Why That First Win Matters; But Isn’t Enough
That “best day ever” ride is a moment in time. It can rebuild your trust in yourself, re‑ignite your passion, and even strengthen your connection with your horse. But on its own, it’s just that; a single event! To see real transformation in your riding, you need to repeat that feeling over and over, mixing it into a rhythm of time and consistency. The problem?
Most riders rely too much on that spark of motivation. Motivation is a great starting point; but it won’t sustain you!
Especially when life gets busy or the weather turns! Not to mention the days that you and your horse are just not reading from the same sheet! And motivation won’t help if you fall into the trap of expecting too much too soon. Perhaps going from riding once a week to trying to ride every single day, or cramming ten new exercises into one week…
The Key to Turning Wins into Streaks
So, instead of riding the motivation wave until it crashes, you need a plan to capitalise on that first win. This means building in recovery and rest, tracking progress, and using repetition strategically.
1. Build in Recovery Days
Athletes know they can’t push at full intensity every day. They plan the days that they will go ‘all out’ and then alternate those with days where they focus on lower‑intensity sessions. This allows their body and mind to recover, adapt, and grow.
The same is true in riding. If you’ve had a physically challenging, emotional, or high‑intensity session with your horse, follow it with an easier day.
A ‘more gentle’ day might look like a short groundwork session or a relaxed hack. It could also be a light schooling ride, focusing on something simple like transitions between halt and walk.
It’s tempting to try to repeat a great ride the very next day, but over time, that approach leads to burnout, for both you and your horse.
2. Track What Matters
Tracking isn’t just for elite athletes. Simple tracking creates awareness, shows you patterns, and keeps you honest. It also makes it far easier to see your streak building, which is motivating in itself. You could track things like:-
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- Ride frequency – Mark each ride on a monthly or quarterly calendar. You’ll quickly see if your rides are evenly spaced or clustered.
- Easy start days – How quickly can you get tacked up and riding? If you’re losing an hour to faffing around the yard, this is worth tracking.
- Confidence score – After each ride, rate your confidence out of 5 or 10. Over time, you’ll see trends you might otherwise miss.
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The key is to track something that’s currently getting in the way of or slowing down your progress. Once you can measure it, you can improve it!
3. Use the Spacing Effect
Teachers know that spaced repetition is more effective for learning than long, intense cram sessions. The same applies to riding.
Remember, you are your horse’s teacher – whether you think of yourself that way or not!
So, instead of trying to work on everything in one ride, pick one or two specific skills or exercises per ride. Then repeat them every few days, blending them into different rides. This allows you and your horse to absorb the learning before building on it. And this approach creates steady improvement without overwhelming you or your horse.
An End‑of‑Ride Habit That Builds Streaks
This part might just be the game-changer you’re looking for. I do this myself regularly (and not just with riding) and have found it to work so well. And it’s so simple. Because you will ‘know’ the answer already based on what has just happened…
Before you dismount, literally before you take your feet out of the stirrups, decide on your next ride’s focus.
Ask yourself ‘What went well today that I want to repeat?’ or ‘What could we do slightly better next time?’. Then write it down or record a quick voice note. That way, you’ll never waste time in the arena wondering, “What should I work on today?”
Short & Sweet :)
My final piece of advice to begin your winning streak is to think quality over quantity. So many riders think they need long sessions to make progress. 45 minutes doing something! But I’m going to encourage you to ride short, targeted chunks of time. This will be far more effective, especially when you’re building a streak!
Fifteen minutes of focused work is far better than an hour of unfocused meandering.
Short sessions also lower the barrier to getting started, reduce fatigue for both you and your horse. And make it easier to repeat skills more often. It’s a win-win. And I also find that the concentration is better for horse and rider as well.
Create Your Winning Streak
So, the next ride you have, let’s turn it into the first of a string of rides that work for you and your horse. Most riders who make consistent progress aren’t winging it. They know what they’re working on, and they’ve built a rhythm that works for them and their horse week after week.
Capitalise on your next ‘best ride ever’ and turn it into a streak using recovery, tracking, and spacing. Then build on it by incorporating short, focused, quality training sessions with your horse.
Wins feel good. Streaks change your riding. Start stacking your wins today, and you’ll be amazed at where you and your horse can be in a few short months.
Happy Riding
Lorna
Need Inspiration for Short Sessions?
If you’re out of ideas or feeling uninspired, my 15 Minutes or Less guide is a great place to start. It’s packed with quick, focused ideas you can do with your horse in all sorts of categories, from groundwork to schooling to fun hacks. Grab your copy at https://stridesforsuccess.com/15
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