Strides for Success

Tag: planning

  • Plan Your Ride with These Simple Steps

    Plan Your Ride with These Simple Steps

    How often do you dismount and honestly have no clue what you just spent the previous 30 minutes working on? If this is happening more often than you want to admit, you’re not alone. The good news is that planning can help completely change this.

    [fusebox_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1157-Plan-Your-Rides-in-3-Simple-Steps.mp3″ title=”Plan Your Ride with These Simple Steps” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Are all your rides beginning to feel the same? Here’s how to make the most of your 30 minutes in the saddle – and enjoy yourself ;) ” hashtag=”equestrian” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]

    Plan Out Your Ride with These Simple Steps

    The conversation between you and your horse begins with the conversation already ongoing in your head. Your conversation with yourself. Tapping into that conversation – and maybe guiding it in a different direction – can help you transform your riding.

    Consistently doing this on an ongoing basis for 3 months has the potential to change everything in your riding.

    It all starts with sit-in down and beginning to create ‘the plan’…

    Before You Begin…

    Enthusiasm is great. In fact, it is one of my top values in life. However, sometimes it can backfire on us as riders. You see, often we want to achieve everything in a single day. And, when we are thinking about things from this positive and enthusiastic frame of mind, sure why not do it all in a day?!

    Instead, I think you should start smaller with your ‘1-day goals’, and then set the bar a little higher for your ’12 week goals’.

    Overwhelm is a real thing. And thinking too big in the short term is one of the top ways riders tend to bring this on themselves. Ironically enough, thinking this same way in the long term has the same effect. The whole ‘this is going to take forever’. It really doesn’t have to. Think bigger long term.

    Reverse Engineering Your Goals

    Let’s fast forward here a little. Imagine you have just achieved the thing that you want in your riding. What does it look like? Really get into all the nitty-gritty details. Where are you? what are you wearing? Who is with you? How does it feel? Got it? Okay…

    Now, I want you to get really clear on the differences between that ride (where you achieved the goal) and your very last ride in the saddle.

    What needs to change from your last ride in order to achieve the ‘goal’ ride? List the things out. One by one. What was different? Was it the tack? The level of understanding of the aids? Your physical fitness or suppleness? Maybe your horse’s strength and development? The barn or arena? It could even be the horse…

    When you know what the difference in between ‘here’ and ‘there’, you can go about building a bridge between those two places.

    One Month From Now…

    Now that you have a clearer idea of what you want and why you don’t have it already, you can begin making a plan to create that thing. I want you to think a month from now. Is it possible to achieve that thing in a month? If it is not, don’t panic. Simply take one essential missing element and that will become the thing you are working on for the coming month.

    Often we set our sights too high with how much we can do and achieve. Slow and steady will win the race when it comes to improving your riding and your partnership with your horse.

    Lay the Stepping Stones of Your Plan

    Any journey as being a series of steps, one by one, to get from A to B. Improving your riding is no different. See each ride as a stepping stone and another piece of the journey to reach your goal. When I began Strides for Success, the whole idea was to make every ride great. I still stand by that idea.

    If each ride was a stepping stone, imagine how different your riding would look just 16 rides from now.

    Why 16? Well, 4 days a week and 4 weeks in a month equal 16 rides each month. One month can transform your riding. Multiply that by 3 months and now you have 48 different interactions that you can use to reach your goal.

    Can you now begin to see how much you can actually achieve in 12 weeks if you begin getting intentional about your rides?

    So, What Can You Commit To?

    Now, I am suggesting 4 days a week, however, you need to figure out how many days a week will work for you and your current lifestyle. ‘Current’ is a keyword in that sentence. Don’t begin your plan with how you ‘want’ things to be. Start with how things actually are. Your current life.

    What is ‘do-able’ for you when it comes to working your horse on a weekly basis?

    Once you have this figured out, it is then your job to make each ride count. I am going to suggest that part of your commitment is to take one day each week to review and plan the upcoming week.

    Be Consistent with Your Plan

    Consistency is not exciting. I know… However, it is an absolute essential when working with horses. What I see happen to a lot of riders is they will go all out for 5 or 6 days. There is a feeling of accomplishment when you begin to hit a rhythm regarding being intentional with your rides.

    5 or 6 days is not an accomplishment. It is merely staying on the path of stepping stones you have laid out in order to reach the real accomplishment; your goal.

    This sounds harsh, but it is a common mistake riders make. And this is why I suggest 20 minutes once a week to review and plan the upcoming week in the saddle. Know what you are doing every day in advance. It will help you to stay on track when ‘life’ shows up.

    If you can summon the same feelings you felt in the beginning when you’re in the middle, you will reach the end.

    If you are interested in learning exactly how to plan your rides out, plan your stepping stones, I’m inviting you to join me HERE

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    Additional Resources on This Topic:-

  • Transforming The Next 12 Weeks in Your Riding

    There is an opportunity right now to choose again. To become really intentional about what you want your riding to look like and feel like for you and your horse. Because everything has changed, you are at this unique place where you can change your riding. You can decide what is working for you and what is not, and then build out the coming 6 months to reflect this ‘new you’ as a rider.

    One of the positives of 2020 is that most people have greater clarity about what they actually want. What is really a priority and what was simply a habit?

    [fusebox_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1155-Transforming-Everything-in-the-Upcoming-12-Weeks-In-Your-Riding.mp3″ title=”Transforming The Next 12 Weeks in Your Riding; for You and Your Horse” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Wondering what the coming 12 weeks will hold for you and your horse? Wonder no more…” hashtag=”equestrian #podcast” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]

    You can choose your better. Maybe this is better scores or results. Or it could be a better partnership and conversations with your horse. Whatever your better is, I am urging you today to identify it and then go for it.

    Transform Your Riding in the Next 12 Weeks

    Give yourself a 12-week window and make this happen for you and your horse.

    Your Upcoming 12 Weeks in Your Riding

    All riders who make progress, while really enjoying their time in the saddle have one thing in common; they are consistent in their focus and their actions. They know what they want. It is something tangible and clear to anyone looking or watching from the sidelines.

    I want you to choose something and work towards it for the coming 12 weeks.

    12 weeks is enough time to see a marked difference in both you and your horse’s way of going, without being so long that you lose focus and intention. If you can really get clear on one goal for your coming 12 weeks and then see each ride as a stepping stone on the path to this goal, it becomes impossible not to make progress towards it.

    What Needs to Change?

    Where you are in your riding, right this second, is not where you want to go. And yet, we tend to think that doing the same thing over and over is the way to get there… The simple fact is that something has to change. Without the necessary change, you will simply repeat the same thing over and over and over again.

    It’s a bit like driving around a specific block in one town, again and again. And then wondering why you never make it into the next town!

    Take a good hard look at your riding today. What is overdue an update? Maybe it is the basics. Or it is your groundwork. It could be the boundaries you have laid out that need to be redefined. Or where you are riding and working is what needs to change. Think of it this way; the very first halt you even rode on a horse hopefully looks a lot different to the very last one you rode up to reading this post. You refined your basics. And they always can be refined even more.

    Everything in riding must be revisited and updated on a regular basis. Everything. Ignoring or hiding away from this simple truth is what keeps riders stuck.

    Change A Belief in the 12 Weeks

    Often it is our very beliefs that hold us back and continue to keep us ‘stuck’ as riders. What are you believing about your riding and your horse that is no longer serving you? Maybe it is what you can or cannot do. It could be regarding a certain discipline or training method. And check your ‘reasons’ as well, often they are simply excuses which are tied to long-held beliefs.

    When you identify a belief that is no longer serving you, begin looking for evidence to the contrary.

    Other riders who are successfully doing this thing, or not doing this thing. Areas of your life where this belief is clearly not true. This is a great one for confidence; where in your life do you feel confident and how does that feel in your body? Horses of a similar build, age, breed, temperament, etc. who are happily doing the thing you believe your horse cannot do…

    Every action you take is based on a belief you have. Every single one. Changing the belief changes everything.

    Your Opportunity is Here, Right Now

    2020 has allowed us the space to see what is working and what’s not. To identify what is important and what is just ‘fluff’. I really think that you have a golden opportunity right now to change your riding for the better. And it all begins with changing yourself.

    Your beliefs create your thoughts.  And your thoughts create your feelings. Then your feelings dictate your actions. And your actions lead to your results.

    The work begins by identifying a belief or two that needs to change and then doing to the work to make that happen.

    Mark 12 weeks from now on the calendar. Set the exact date. And then go for it. See what you can change in just 12 weeks; and remember to let me know when you have done it.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    Additional Resources for This Topic

  • 5 Essentials When You Become Trainer for You and Your Horse

    5 Essentials When You Become Trainer for You and Your Horse

    5 Essentials When You Become Trainer for You and Your Horse
    The ‘New Normal’.  I feel as though we have reached a point where we must begin looking at how we can settle into this period in our lives, rather than wishing for the way things were.  You may have to become the trainer for you and your horse.  I know that many riders are having to now begin, maybe for the first time, be the trainer, the instructor, the chief planner, as well as the rider.
    [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1145-5-Essentials-When-Developing-Your-Riding-and-Your-Horse.mp3″ title=”5 Essentials when You’re Trainer for You and Your Horse” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Are you now coach, trainer, instructor, rider and everything else in between for you and your horse? If so, here’s what to focus on going forward…” hashtag=”equestrian” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]
    Progress doesn’t just happen.  There are a few essentials that must be consistently visited in order to maintain consistent progress.  Progress, I believe, is deepening the understanding and the relationship between horse and rider.  What you do with this progress is up to you.  However, I feel that all riders should be looking to at least try and build a conversation with their horse.
    Here are the 5 essentials you must regularly visit if you are to make this a consistent reality for you and your horse…

    1. Your Mindset

    Whatever you believe about yourself as a rider, is what is playing out in your day to day riding. Believe you can trot; low and behold, you will trot.  Canter is the same.  So too is half pass, jumping and any other discipline or movement to do with riding.  However, there is a flip side to this… Believe you will fall off; you probably will!
    Your mindset has the power to ‘cap’ both yourself and your horse’s development and growth.  It can become the glass ceiling that prevents you both from reaching your true potential as a team
    However, it also has the power to help you overcome challenges.  To move past ‘sticky points’ on your riding journey.  And to help you deepen your conversation and relationship with your horse.
    So, answer me this… What do you think about yourself as a rider?
    The reason this plays out the way it does is not magic or woo (or maybe it is?!).  However, if we want to just be practical, the reason this happens is due to you taking action based on your beliefs.
    Therefore, your opinion of yourself as a rider will dictate how you actually show up and ride.  If that is not motivation to dig a little deeper into your thoughts, I don’t know what is!

    2. The Basics

    Ah, good old auto-pilot.  I am a huge fan of putting the basics on autopilot in your riding.  Trust me, it works… Until it doesn’t anymore!  This is why I believe that, as a rider, it is your responsibility to revisit and ‘tweak’ your basics on a regular basis.
    What do successful riders spend 80% of their time working on in their riding and with their horses? The basics…
    Many riders find themselves ‘stuck’ in their riding due to something that falls under ‘the basics’ not being upgraded when it should have been in your riding.  Remember, what got you here won’t get you there.  Your basics will regularly have to be modified in order to serve the next level in your riding development.
    Your foot placement in the stirrup.  How you are using your reins.  Your position.  Sitting trot anyone?!

    3. Groundwork

    Every conversation between horse and rider begins and ends on the ground.  You mount up and you dismount.  Weak boundaries on the ground, very often, begin creeping into the ride.  Inconsistency on the ground can often confuse the aids in the ride.
    Groundwork can help you develop your aids and build responsiveness for when in the saddle.  
    It is also a great way to add some variety into your day to day schooling with your horse.  Lunging, long-lining, and groundwork itself all help you to gain a new perspective when training your horse.  They also allow your horse to figure things out without your weight confusing the issue in the saddle.
    Groundwork has huge potential as a tool when it comes to improving your riding.  

    Developing

    So many riders what to get from ‘here’ (wherever they are in their riding right now) to ‘there’ (wherever it is they want to go). However, they have no clue as to how they can make that happen.  If you are facing the possibility of becoming your horse’s sole trainer, you need a system!
    Riders need a proven framework to use when it comes to training and developing themselves and their horses. 
    A ‘Hit And Miss Approach (HAMA) will never lead to long term success when it comes to riding.  The most common HAMA I see riders use is the ‘What do I feel like doing today?’ variety.  Look, I am all for inspiration.  In fact, I think it is vitally important as a rider to ensure you have some when it comes to your riding.
    However, expecting to develop the conversation based on ideas you are plucking out of thin air 10 minutes before you mount up is not going to lead to long term success. 
    In fact, I have noticed that riders who plan (I use this word in the loosest of terms here) their rides this way often begin to get desperate with their exercises.  Rather find a system you enjoy and plug into it.

    Remember, every system should have ‘wiggle room’; meaning it must be able to adapt for you and your horse where needed. 

    5. Planning

    Which leads me straight into the fifth essential.  When you have a system to follow and some important essentials to work on, planning becomes so much easier.  And yet, this is the piece so many riders fail to implement.
    Strangely enough, it is also the piece that many riders pay a trainer for their expertise on.  Planning how to get from here to there for each unique horse and rider combination. 
    If you are to really take your new role of ‘trainer’ seriously, the planning element is vital to your success.  Have an intention for each ride. A focus for each week. A theme for each month.  All leading to your goal.  Planning is like mapping out the stepping stones you will need in order to get from ‘here’ to ‘there’.  If you are missing intention in your ride, it is very difficult to layer your wins in order to create a strong foundation to keep building from.
    Planning in advance will help you remain focused on your goals and moving towards them each and every ride. 

    Trainer for You and Your Horse

    If you are suddenly finding yourself in this new place in your riding, I have two resources to help you.  I have created a free Week’s Riding Plan HERE, that you can use to plan your upcoming week with your horse with intention and focus.   And if you would like more help and support, Connection is where you can get both those and so much more.
    Connection gives you the resources to learn what you need, but also the coaching to go and take action on what you have learned.  
    You can visit Connection HERE for all the details.
    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    Links to Additional Resources

    Get Going in Your Riding:-

    Daily Strides Premium is back! The first and original audio horse riding lessons you can use to improve your riding, train your horse, keep things interesting, have fun… Even if you don’t have a trainer or coach

    Connect with Lorna online:-

  • Out of Planning & Into Action

    Out of Planning & Into Action

    Out of Planning and into Action
    So, are you still on track?  As I write this we’re officially one month into the new year, the new decade, and I am wondering if you are still on track with any goals you set for yourself four or five weeks ago.  If you are, give yourself a pat on the back!  I’m impressed.
    However, if you’re not, don’t panic.  Firstly you’re not alone and secondly, my goal is to inspire you to take some action in the coming 48 hours that will get you moving where your riding journey is concerned.
    [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1134-Out-of-Planning-and-Into-Action.mp3″ title=”Out of Planning and Into Action” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Are you struggling to make things happen in your riding progress? Here are a few helpful ideas to get you moving…” hashtag=”equestrian #podcast” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]
    In my experience, so many people get caught up in all the energy surrounding the new year.  They plan and create goals.  They choose new habits they want to form and get specific on the ones they want to change or let go of.
    But, after all the planning is done and dusted; and when time marches on – as time will always do – they find themselves with lots of plans, but nothing to show for it.  They fail to take action.

    5 Actions to Your Better Version

    In episode 1129 of the Daily Strides Podcast, I explained how you can choose 5 actions that will help you show up as ‘Your Better Version’ where your horse and riding are concerned.  If you have not already listened to, and then took appropriate action, I suggest you begin there today.
    Once you have your 5 actions, you can then begin looking at what you are doing now in order to really make this goal or ‘better version’ a reality.  It probably won’t happen overnight.  However, the only way that you can hope to one day seeing this ‘version’ of you in the saddle is by getting started.

    Be Willing to ‘Tweak’

    So why are you failing to take action on the things that you identified as being important for you and your riding?  One of the reasons I see many riders struggle with this is because they failed to set the right goals, to begin with. If this is you, you need to rein things in a little bit.  That’s not to say you need to scrap all your plans and goals, but rather that you may need to tweak them slightly.
    Try to make it more realistic for your current situation.  This is probably going to look a lot different to what you would LIKE your current situation to be!
    An important question to ask yourself is; “After all the hype of the holidays if I’m being honest with myself, do I REALLY want those things?”.   Maybe you really wanted them a few years or months ago.  But now, if you’re honest with yourself, circumstances might have changed or you’ve changed.  This usually results in what you really want to make happen to change as well.
    So check in with yourself and think about if that is indeed what you still want.

    Creating Fun Actions

    From there, I suggest making things a little more fun and exciting in your riding than what they are currently.  Because if things were really fun and exciting, you would be getting those 5 things done wouldn’t you?
    So how could you add a bit more fun and excitement to your riding?  
    Exciting can mean different things for different people.  I want you to think about what’s exciting for YOU.  For you, this could be trotting without stirrups.  Or Cantering across an open field.  It doesn’t matter if your ‘fun’ thing is not that exciting for another rider.  I want you to focus on what you enjoy.  On what’s exciting for you!
    My idea of ‘fun’ has changed a lot throughout the years, but when I’m thinking about what I find fun, I think about what I’d most like to do with my horse if there were no restrictions.  
    And then I try to incorporate this activity into my day-to-day at the barn.  For me (now go ahead and have a little giggle to yourself), I find detangling tails to be so much fun at the moment. I’m not quite sure why, but I find it so satisfying.  I’m beginning to think that it could be because life has been a little ‘frazzled’ the past few years with bringing 2 new people into the world and moving continents, twice!
    Another thing that I really enjoy is lunging, I love it! I love the connection with the horse and seeing how far you can take it with your more subtle aids.  That’s my fun.  For you it could be jumping, perhaps ground poles? What is fun for YOU?

    Being Mindful of Your Day to Day Experience

    I think that this one ’tweak’ has the potential to change a lot for you and your horse.  Being mindful means that you are focused on what you are doing, and making adjustments so that you are really enjoying the experience.  Every minute of that experience… I know, pressure right?!
    Let me clarify a little.  What I really mean when I say ‘mindful’ is that you’re not thinking about the house that’s a mess, a project at work, the children’s vaccines, or any of the other one thousand and ten things that are inevitably going on right now in your life.
    When you’re with your horse, you should be thinking about your horse
    At the time of writing this post, I am also busy creating content for our Groundwork for Riding Program.  A big part of the program is mindfulness.  Just 10 minutes of being really focused, present and mindful about the little things that we tend to take for granted.  In this case, how we are communicating with our horse.  If done right, and when you really get into the nitty-gritty, 10 minutes can actually feel quite long!

    Stay Inspired

    I strongly suggest for you to keep circling back to ‘Fun and Excitement’ when it comes to your horse.  Couple this with simply enjoying your time with your horse.  By going back to basics and simply enjoying the whole conversation with your horse and how that feels, you are opening the door for so much more inspiration.
    This is really an investment of your time, and certainly not a waste of it.  Spending time being present with your horse (even if it’s only 10 minutes!) and making time to do the things you really enjoy, will pay off in the future.  It will spark ideas and help you understand what you really enjoy and what you really want in terms of your riding. And that can be great!
    Also, keep in mind that you can always change paths if you want to, in order to better align with the rider you are right now. Pay attention to what you enjoy and what inspires you to take action, and then simply make a point of doing more of it in your day to day riding. 

    Finally, Simply Go & Take Some Action!

    So, if you have been feeling like the handbrake was never really released for you in your riding, I am going to challenge you today.  I want you to make a commitment to yourself to get into the saddle within the next 48 hours.
    Remember, once you take action, momentum begins to build and it becomes a lot easier to keep moving forward.  My suggestion for getting you out of this stationary state, and into action is to simply do something.
    Even if this ’something’ is not truly aligned with the goals and plans that you have made, do it anyway.  This is simply to get into the saddle!  From there, look for what you enjoy and let that lead you to create goals, and from those plans, that will have you keen to take the next step.
    So I’m going to challenge you to commit to yourself to get into the saddle within the next 48 hours.  2 days, can you do it?!  Let me know inside of my free group HERE
    Happy Riding,
    Lorna

    Additional Resouces for You:-

  • Weight Aids & using them with Intention & Focus

    Weight Aids & using them with Intention & Focus

    Weight aids are often overlooked and underused by many riders.  I want to help you begin to see how powerful your weight aids have the potential to be in your riding.  I also want to use your weight aids to see demonstrate how power intention and focus have on your goals as well.
    Less is more where your weight aids are concerned.  Unfortunately, many riders seem to throw everything they have behind a weigh aid when they think they should apply one.  All this serves to do is unbalance both horse and rider.
    [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1126-Weight-Aids-Intention-and-Focus.mp3″ title=”Weight Aids and Using them with Intention and Focus” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”I’m going to challenge you here; I want you to see the connection between how you approach your weight aids in the saddle & how you approach your goals…” hashtag=”Equestrian” twitter_username=”Strides_Success” ]
    Your goals are similar.  If you put all your focus and attention on a single goal, you will soon find that life, in general, will become unbalanced.  And this can go against how many of us feel when we set goals.  We get all caught up in the initial enthusiasm of the potential outcome, often to our own detriment.

    Finding Balance

    Balance means that you have a center point where you feel happy.  As everything is moving and you are moving with it, you will make continuous small adjustments to make sure that you return to ‘balanced’ all the time.  Small little ‘course corrects’ that helps everything work together.
    In riding, I call this the ‘balance of aids’.  Yes, there may be a ‘leading aid’, however, all the other aids have supporting roles in order to keep the balance.
    Life is the same.  If you choose a single goal and decide to just focus all of your intention and energy on it, the rest of your life will suffer.  It may be able to sustain for a while, but sooner or later, things will begin to show the strain of this unbalance.

    How Most Riders Apply Their Weight Aids

    Next time you’re in the saddle I want you to do a little experiment…  I want you to ‘weight your inside seat bone’.  This is something most riders will have heard and tried to do at least once or twice in the saddle before.  What usually happens is riders go about weighting that inside seat bone with great gusto!  They literally throw everything they have onto the one seat bone.
    The result is that the now completely disregarded and ignored ’ non-weighted’ seat bone is just that – bearing absolutely no weight at all.
    In fact, I have seen where the ‘unweighted’ side of the riders ‘bum’ has daylight between it and the saddle…  This is definitely not a ‘balance’ of aids.  It is applying too much focus and directing too much attention at one aid.  Resulting in all the others being ignored – until they can’t be ignored anymore…
    The lack of balance caused by this overweighting of the seat bone also usually results in the rider twisting their body in order to remain upright and in the saddle.  They have lost alignment.  Their body will, automatically and without conscious thought, work at keeping them in the saddle and off the ground!

    Versus How You Can Apply Your Weight Aids…

    Okay, once you have experienced the thrown everything bar the kitchen sink approach to your weight aids, I want you to now try the opposite.  Sit back up straight in your seat.  Make sure there is an equal amount of your body either side of the center of the saddle; meaning you’re not crooked or leaning.
    Become aware of how your seat is in contact with your horse.
    Use this to shift your awareness to your core. Pay attention to how, if you engage your core, you can begin having a subtle, but real, effect over your seat bones. Bring your attention to your shoulders and hips.  Keep them aligned and focused on where you are going.  You can also think about your legs and heels.  Feel how the weight is distributed.
    Invest some time playing with how, by engaging specific areas of your body in a conscious, yet subtle way, you can weight your seat bones while still allowing the rest of your aids to play their roles.

    Approach Your Goals the Same Way

    Enthusiasm is great and will often help you gain momentum on specific goals, especially more difficult ones.  However, just focusing on one thing for any prolonged period of time will enviably result in you ignoring or neglecting other areas of your life.  I see this happen with many riders; particularly when the new year rolls around.
    Riders create goals that demand too much of their time, attention and resources if they are to be achieved when and where they want them to be
    This ‘lopsided’ approach ends up in the riders being unable to maintain their focus for any real length of time.  And this is where riders complain that they are not able to ‘make progress’ or ‘reach their riding goals’.  It is important that the goals you are setting are goals that both support and will be supported by the rest of your life. Your current lifestyle, resources, and schedule.
    The key to creating successful goals as a rider is to choose your equestrian goals so that they work with the rest of your life.  Rather than compete with the rest of your life…

    Go Find a Swing to Practice On…

    Here at Strides for Success and on the Daily Strides Podcast, I devote a lot of time helping riders to understand how to channel energy in the saddle.  How to direct the energy they are creating with their horse in a way that gives them the outcome they desire.  It is a pretty basic element of riding and one that must be refined if you are to make progress with your horse.
    Your weight aids are a great way you can begin to more effectively ‘channel’ the energy you and your horse are creating when you ride.
    I would love it if, sometime in the next 24 to 48 hours, you can go sit and ‘play’ on a swing.  A real-life ‘seat with two ropes tied out of something high’ swing. Notice how, first of all, you don’t actually need to ever put your feet on the ground to get you going, stopping or just swinging.  Your body, and more importantly, your weight, can do all of that if used effectively and correctly.
    Also notice how, if you ‘weight’ one of your seat bones, you can twist the swing.  The twist can be a little or a lot depending on how much weight you’re throwing on that seat bone and when you are doing it.  Once you have noticed all of this and you experience firsthand how powerful your weight and focus can be, begin ‘playing’.  Engage your core.  Make the movements more subtle.  Work with energy.  Then work against it.

    Take This Knowledge Back With You In the Saddle

    All of this can also be achieved by you in the saddle.  You just have to first believe it and then actively begin practicing and working on it.   When you’re on the swing, pay attention to how you are using your body to make those changes happen.  What muscles you are engaging in and in what sequence and combinations.
    Play and experiment with how much change you can have over the swing and the energy by just mindfully using your intention and your weight.
    Then do the same thing the next time you are in the saddle.  Play with your intention.  Experiment with your weight.  Notice how your horse responds and look for ways you can refine things with each ride.  Also, keep in mind that if you have been ‘throwing your weight around’ up to this point, your horse might just ignore those more subtle requests initially from you.  He simply won’t know he is supposed to pay attention to them. This is, again, where your balance of aids is so important.
    Use your other aids to tell your horse that the conversation has changed and that you are now focusing on being a little more responsible where your weight aids are concerned!

    Responsible Goal Setting for Your Riding

    My goal with this episode is to show you how, sometimes, being a little too enthusiastic with our riding goals is actually the reason we fail to achieve them.  I want you to think about your weight aids and how less is more.  Apply this same approach to your riding goals and see what happens.
    Maybe you can ‘stretch’ the timeline a little further.  Or it might look like setting a goal of riding 3 days a week, rather than 5.  It could even be a goal for spending one day a week just enjoying your horse’s company.
    Whatever your goals are for the coming year and beyond with your horse, I hope that this will help you to set ones that you enjoy working towards as well.
    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    Resources to help you with this topic

  • Which Type of Rider are You?

    Which Type of Rider are You?

    I believe that every rider or equestrian can be put into one of two categories. I know, a pretty big generalization!  However, from working with thousands of riders, I have yet to meet someone who does not fall into one or the other.

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    Knowing which category you fall into will help you to get clear on what your ‘next step’ is when it comes to developing your skills as a rider.  I have named the two different types of riders as being either:-

    1. Passengers
    2. Influencers

    You see it all comes down to your focus when you’re in the saddle. You can easily figure out which of the above you are by noticing where you are focusing your attention in the saddle for the majority of each ride. Is the focus on you or is it on your horse?

    Passengers

    Riders who are focusing on themselves and what they are doing fall into the first category. I call them passengers. You are a passenger if you find yourself thinking about your heels or your hands the majority of the time while riding.

    ‘Are my heels down?’. ‘Why can’t I sit up straight?!’ ‘How can I keep my thumbs on top?!’ are just a few examples of thoughts that may be flying through your mind if you are a passenger in the saddle.

    When you’re a passenger, your predominant thoughts will be around ‘what am I doing and how can I make myself continue to do that’.

    The Passenger’s Horse

    Horses that are being ridden by passengers are, for the most part, just ‘carrying on’. They are not being asked too many questions, other than to go or stop. Slow down, speed up and turn. The rest of the time they are left to their own devices.

    These types of horses allow you the space you need to really focus on you and what you are doing in the saddle.

    They are dependable, reliable and an absolutely essential part of the ‘horse riding journey’ for all riders. By them just ‘carrying on’, you get to begin working on the parts that you ‘need’ to put on autopilot when it comes to your riding.

    Passenger’s hosers are not really ‘working’ when they are being ridden. They are rather doing what they do so that you have this vitally important opportunity to focus on you in the saddle.

    By giving you this space, you can build more of your aids and put more things on autopilot. You are building to eventually having real ‘feel’ in the saddle.

    What are Passengers Working On?

    Passengers are working on the basics when they are in the saddle. Their position is a big part of their focus and requires effort in order to remain consistent and effective. They are also working on their aids. Usually the more obvious aids.

    If you are a passenger, you are learning the basic building blocks that will begin to develop your skills as a rider.

    How your horse is going is not really important. You just want him to ‘go’ when you ask him to and to stop or slow down when you ask him to. You’re not too concerned about how well he is going and how well he is using himself in each gait. Right now, the fact that you can get him into a trot and he stays there is all that really matters 🙂

    And this is exactly what you need right now in your riding journey. All riders have been here at one point or another and I would strongly suggest remaining here until you feel comfortable and confident enough to begin shifting your focus.

    Influencers

    The second group of riders is those that I refer to as ‘Influencers’. These riders are spending the majority of their time in the saddle focusing on their horse and how their horse is going. In order to do this, they obviously have to pay attention to their own actions and aids.

    However, it is all about the cause and effect their aids have over their horse and their horse’s way of going.

    If you are an ‘influencer’, you have already put a lot of the basics on autopilot in your riding. You no longer have to think about your heels being down, or your lower leg shooting forward or backward. Your position is consistent for the most part and you move with the horse with ease.

    At this stage in your riding, a lot of the application of your aids is like performing experiments. You do things in order to see if it has an effect on the horse and if that effect can be made more positive by tweaking things.

    The Influencer’s Horse

    Your horse can be anywhere on the training scale, it doesn’t really matter to you. What matters is that you are working together to develop and grow in your riding and training. Many influencers find themselves with younger or green horses. Horses that they have committed to ‘brining on’ and developing.

    Many influencers also ride more experienced horses. In this case, both horse and rider are working together to reach the next level on their riding journey, be that competitively or just in their relationship together.

    Whichever level your horse is at, when you are an influencer you predominant focus is on being able to develop your horse’s natural skills and talents each time you ride.

    You are committed to being a positive influence on your horse’s way of going. Sometimes you may have to revisit the basics, but you realize that this is a natural and normal part of the riding journey.

    Creating a Plan for Your Riding

    I really feel that the first part of creating a plan for you and your riding is figuring out which type of rider you are. Are you an influencer or are you a passenger. This will then allow you to work on exercises that will help you get results.

    Asking a passenger to help develop their horse’s overall straightness will be frustrating and even dangerous for both horse and rider. Asking an influencer to focus on their heels or legs will result in equal frustration for that rider, resulting in the horse experiencing the same.

    Knowing which type of rider you are will also help you to make better decisions around the type of horse you are working with and riding.

    The Type of Rider You Are Matters to Your Horse!

    One of the more common reasons for riders to reach and then remain stuck on a plateau in their riding progress is due to riding the wrong horse. It is frustrating for both horse and rider when this happens. It is also essential that the riders figure this out and make necessary changes!

    Some horses are just not suitable for ‘Passenger’ riders. They often don’t have the confidence to ‘stay going’. They become worried and anxious if the rider bumps about and becomes unbalanced. Sometimes, they can even be a little naughty or become frustrated with such a rider and they openly let their feelings be known!

    The same applies when we are looking at suitable horses for ‘Influencers’ in the saddle. Horses, just like us, have their likes and dislikes. They have areas they are talented in and other areas where they just don’t enjoy or excel at. Meaning that no matter how much the rider wants to develop them, they just won’t or can’t reach the riders expectations.

    Part of being a ‘team leader’ for you and your horse is being open to the fact that you never were or no longer are a good match for each other.

    So, Which Type of Rider Are You?

    Knowing which type of rider you are will help you to become really clear on what your next steps are in your riding journey. You will know where to focus your efforts and it will help you to feel more comfortable with where you are at that exact moment.

    Knowing which type of rider you are will also allow you to make any changes to remove things that have possibly been keeping you stuck.

    Remember, hard decisions are just that; hard! But often they are essential if you and your horse are to be happy and begin enjoying riding again.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    Other episodes & resources to help you with your riding:-