Strides for Success

Tag: schedule

  • Horse Riding as a Parent – How to Make It Work

    Horse Riding as a Parent – How to Make It Work

    [fusebox_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1278_Horse_Riding_as_a_Parent_Making_it_Work_for_You.mp3″ title=”Horse Riding as a Parent – Making it Work” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Blending horse riding and parenting… This might help you :)” hashtag=”horseriding #parenting #equestrianpodcast” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]

    Can I tell you something funny?  Years ago, before I had children, I was one of ‘those’ people. You know the ones that say “when I have children, I will have them at the stables with me all the time because nothing will change”.  I usually followed it up with something offhand like “they will fit in with my schedule”.  Ha, ha, ha!! Oh, how naive it was back then!

    If you are trying to juggle horse riding and parenting, you will know all too well that they can often clash. The time, focus, and attention that is necessary to really improve as a rider can often leave us feeling like we’re stealing time from our children!  Or that our children are stealing valuable ‘riding time’ from us!

    Finding time to devote to your riding when you are a parent can truly be a challenge

    However, by setting a few healthy boundaries, becoming more disciplined with your time, and a lot of luck, it can be done 🙂

    Horse riding as a Parent

    Before I had my children, I had this wonderful story in my head of how things would be if I became a mother someday… This generally involved lots of laughter, riding together in nature, peace and tranquillity, and little people who were very capable from the get-go. I know, if you have small children, trust me we are laughing together other now!

    For me, the biggest challenge has been merging the consistency required for horse riding as a parent with the responsibilities of being an actual parent!

    I have found that no matter how well I plan or try to cover all of my bases with regards to ‘what might happen’, children are wonderful at creating new scenarios that I never even considered up to that point!

    Couple this with them wanting to accompany me to the stables ALL OF THE TIME, and then help them work with their ponies… Time spent in the saddle really does begin to take a knock. And this is not even mentioning being able to focus and physically ‘ride’ after a couple of hours of broken sleep. Or squeezing rides in between meals, car drives, and all the other wonderful things that life with children introduces!

    However, after speaking with other brave souls who are committed to horse riding as a parent, and blending their advice with what I have found to work, I have become a lot more successful in making this happen.

    1. Be Flexible – and Expect the Unexpected!

    This has probably been the most useful advice for me as I continue to navigate the whole horse riding as a parent journey. You see, I would find myself feeling more frustrated than compassionate when unexpected things showed up.

    By shifting my focus to appreciating the days when the plan worked, I found I was much more relaxed when faced with the days that it didn’t!

    I realize that gratitude is a word that has been bandied around a little too much over the past few years. However, noticing and appreciating the days that I was able to ride really did help me shift my mindset.

    Being grateful for the days I got to ride also helped me to be more focused, disciplined, and intentional with my time in the saddle as well

    2. Have a Plan for Your Rides

    Once I got over the frustration of not being able to stick to my plan, I began to plan a little differently. And I would highly suggest this way of doing things if you have a schedule that may also change suddenly.

    I began to keep a list of things that I wanted to work on or do during my ‘riding time’. There were 3 ‘groups’ of topics depending on how much time I found myself at the yard

    You see, once I began to truly embrace horse riding as a parent, I realized that there was value in the smaller pockets of time in my life. 10 minutes alone took on a whole new meaning for me! So, I began to plan accordingly!

    My list had things I could do in 15, 30, or 1 hour or less. Each of those groups had riding, groundwork, and stable management items on them

    By doing this, I found I always had something meaningful to do, even if my plan changed at the drop of a hat. It also allowed me to make the absolute most of the time I did have with my horses. Get a list of 80+ Topics to do with your horse HERE

    1278 - Horse Riding as a Parent

    3. Get Support & Set Boundaries

    Support can be a tricky one, especially when young children are involved. It can be as simple as asking a grandparent to watch the children one afternoon a week, to paying a babysitter. Support can also come from your partner or the child’s other parent.

    What I suggest doing is creating a list of all the ways you can free up some pockets of time for yourself to ride your horse, from the easiest to maybe some less ideal or likely situations. Then begin asking…

    I also found that making my horse riding a ‘non-negotiable’ really worked for me. Seeing it as an important appointment that I couldn’t just cancel on a whim. This helped me to prioritize a little better, which often meant creating stronger boundaries.

    You can create boundaries for both yourself and those around you. And keep in mind, your boundaries will only be as effective as how well you decide on them, communicate them, and enforce them…

    4. Involve Your Children

    This might not always go to plan, especially if you have this perfect picture in your head as I had before children! However, if you are realistic and patient, this can really be worth your while. Be realistic with your expectations of each visit to the yard with your children. They will most likely want it to be all about them and their pony, so allow for that.

    Plan activities that you can do together so you can spark curiosity in your child. Think about things that are safe and also a little mentally or physically challenging for them

    Remember, this won’t be the day that you will get a huge amount of focused, uninterrupted riding time in! However, it might just be a stepping stone for your child to begin becoming an independent equestrian in their own right.

    It’s also worth remembering that as your child grows, they will have their own opinions, likes, methods, and beliefs about horse riding – and they might not always line up with yours!

    Try not to crush their enthusiasm by dictating the terms of their relationship with their horse. Rather see your role as a guide. At the end of the day, they are on their own journey as a rider. Encourage rather than cut down and stifle.

    5. Be Patient… This Will Also Change

    My final piece of advice is to simply be patient.  And, most of the time, accept the situation you find yourself in. Horse riding as a parent can either be one of the things that will propel your riding and your development forward. Or see you being endlessly frustrated and annoyed with your current circumstances.

    Be honest with yourself; some days your responsibilities as a parent will mean that you won’t get to do what you wanted to with your horse

    And that is okay… I like to think of my life as a series of seasons. Different areas are in different seasons at any one time. And this means that when I’m experiencing summer and growth in one area, there will be winter and hibernation in another.

    By getting truly clear on your priorities, and your values, and then creating goals that align with those, you can make horse riding as a parent work for you and your family.

    Happy Riding

    Lorna

    More on this Topic

    More Training & Support

  • Planning Your Month to Make Progress in Your Riding

    Planning Your Month to Make Progress in Your Riding

    [fusebox_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/dailystridespodcast/1224_Planning_Your_Month_to_Make_Progress_in_Your_Riding.mp3″ title=”Planning Your Month for Progress in Your Riding” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Here’s how to plan your horse riding this month…” hashtag=”podcast #horseriding #equestrian” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]

    Planning.  I love making plans.  They are always so exciting to create, but often fail to deliver the necessary results when we try to act on them. This is usually because we are not planning correctly when it comes to our rides.

    This is a system you can use to help you plan your months in your riding that will help you move things along…

    This episode of the Daily Strides Podcast has been plucked from a week of lessons from Daily Strides Premium called “Planning for Progress in Your Riding”. The full week of lessons are available right now when you join Connection

    Start Slow with Your Goals

    I am all for big goals.  I love them.  You know the type of goals that make you think “Really, could that happen? Is it even possible?”.  However, if you are new to the whole ‘planning your month for progress in your riding’, I am going to suggest something more ‘doable’.

    What is there, right now, in your riding that is pretty doable for you and your horse to achieve or make happen this month?

    Think of things that, given your current set of circumstances, won’t have a lot of resistance show up along the way.  Now, initially, you may think ‘but that is too simple’.  However, I am going to ask you to trust me on this one…

    Trust me, if you can reach that small goal over the coming 4 weeks, you will also begin to achieve something else – MOMENTUM! 

    Your Current Circumstances & Lifestyle

    Having a goal of riding 4 days a week for the upcoming month is great.  Except if you only managed 2 days the whole of the previous month.  Or, even worse, you didn’t make it into the saddle at all the previous month!

    Your current circumstances probably won’t magically transform overnight because you have set a goal that requires them to do so. So it makes sense to set goals that work with how things look right now…

    It’s also helpful to realize if your current lifestyle or circumstances are not helping you when it comes to planning your month for progress in your riding.  This will allow you to begin making small shifts and changes, month on month.

    By gradually changing what your ‘current circumstances’ look like over a longer period of time – you can be in a completely different place 12 months from now. 

    Creating Stepping Stones

    What makes progress possible is the daily, consistent, little steps you take to improve your conversation with your horse. These are what matters.

    Set the intention that every ride this month will have a focus that leads you towards your bigger goal – then do just that.

    By remaining consistent in your approach, both you and your horse can build the momentum you need in your training to really and truly make the coming 4 weeks count for you in the bigger picture.  

    And, doing that 12 months in a row… Who knows where you can be, come this time next year

    Happy Planning!

    Lorna

    Planning for Progress in Your Riding

     

    This episode comes from a full week of lessons on this topic.  In this group of lessons, I will show you my proven, step-by-step monthly practice that I use with my riders, which will result in you actually beginning to see results in your riding.

    When you join Connection; my monthly online membership for equestrians, you will the full week of lessons on this topic.  You will also get weekly audio horse riding lessons (5 per week – each 12 minutes long) to use in your riding. 

    Guided audio horse riding lessons, weekly bonus live training, personal accountability, monthly challenges, and so much more… And all of your training is available on a private podcast feed so you can listen while you are with your horse :)

    Find out all the details and join today HERE

    Extra Resources for Riders

  • Considerations for an Ideal Jumping Training Schedule

    Considerations for an Ideal Jumping Training Schedule

    Considerations for an Ideal Jump Training Schedule

    What this episode is all about & how it can help you:-

    • It’s all about the bits ‘inbetween’ the fences
    • Think about conditioning – both mentally and physically
    • Notice where you & your horse’s strengths and weaknesses apply
    • Make each ‘jump day’ count

    [smart_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1040-Considerations-for-a-Jumping-Training-Schedule.mp3″ title=”Considerations for a Jump Training Schedule” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Not sure of how often you should be jumping your horse? Here is how you can create a training schedule for your horse and your jumping” hashtag=”equestrian #jumping” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]

    This is perfect for you if you have “dipped your toe” into the jumping part of horse riding and are loving it!  The next question for many riders is ‘how do I go forward from here?’.   Many riders want to jump every day, because it is so much fun.  We are going to cover this – and more – today.

    Creating a training schedule for jumping with your horse is essential if you want to begin seeing progress in this part of your riding.  A couple of episodes ago we began the jumping conversation, by focusing on ‘Introducing Jumping to Your Riding”.  If you followed my advice and suggestions, you have hopefully made it over your first fence!  Don’t worry if it was only 20 cm, it is still a fence.  Well done!

    But now you need to have something in place to work forward with.  This episode will also be helpful if you are jumping with your horse and you want to keep on progressing and working up over bigger fences.  It will help you to create a plan going forward.

    It’s All About the Bits “In Between’ the Jumps

    Contrary to what we all initially think, jumping really depends on what happens between the jumps!  A lot of riders don’t want or like to hear this, because, well, that is not the fun part for them.  They want to focus on the jumping of the fences themselves.

    If you want to be successful in the consistent conditioning and improving of your horse, and your own riding, you need to focus on what is going on between the fences. 

    If the ‘between the jumps’ part is not correct, you will have limited success over the fences themselves.  True, initially this won’t really be obvious; success over small fences is not that difficult.  However later as you start building up and the fences start getting higher, the lack of attention to details between the fences will become evident.  It will not be so much fun when you struggle to leave all the poles up!

    Apply the 80/20 rule. The 20 is the jumping and the 80 is between the fences.  The jumping is of course important, but the 80 is just as important to keep things moving forward.

    Think About Conditioning – Both Mentally and Physically

    Conditioning your horse should be a holistic process, both mental and physical.  Everything that you are doing in the arena, will come back to either developing your horse in a positive way for jumping, or un-doing the things you are trying to achieve!

    Make sure that everything you are doing is working towards the goal that you have. For example, I see a lot of riders who will trot aimlessly around the arena and then suddenly they decide that because there’s a jump, they will jump it.  It is literally a ‘point and go’ reaction to a split second thought they have had.

    Firstly, they could not possibly have a whole lot of rhythm in that approach.  Secondly, they are training their horse to look at a fence and then proceed to run flat-out at it.

    There is a reason that people do opening circles when they go into an arena before they jump the fences.  It is to establish things on the flat, the things between the fences, first.

    It is difficult at first, but please try not to allow yourself to get all caught up in the jumping only.  Focus about establishing everything, the basics, and then work on being able to maintain that as you go through the jumps, or around the course.

    Being able to maintain what you have established is important.  In doing so, you will condition your horse physically because he must remain balanced.  This will require a certain amount of development through his body.  But you are also conditioning him mentally to ‘wait’.  A lot of horses don’t like to ‘wait’, and this is usually because the rider, at some point, also did not like to ‘wait’!

    Make sure you consider this every time you are jumping or preparing to jump.   Everything you do is either adding to your horse’s abilities or taking away from it.  There is no neutral.

    Notice Where You & Your Horse’s Strengths and Weaknesses Apply

    This seems pretty simple, however if done correctly, it has the potential to change everything.  Learn to notice where your horse’s strengths or weaknesses lie.  For example, your horse may be a little loose in front.  Or he might not really engage through his back-end so he lacks power over the fence.  It could be that he tends to weave a little, so he kind of wanders.

    Notice where your horse’s strengths and weaknesses are, so that in going forward you are including work that is developing his strengths as well as improving his weaknesses.

    A lot of people just focus on the weaknesses.  I urge you not to.  Building on his strengths builds confidence.   Simply sprinkle the weaknesses in between the strengths in order to work on them.  Always try to build your horse’s confidence.

    Imagine for a moment something that you are not very good at doing, and you don’t enjoy doing (probably because you aren’t very good at it!)  How would you feel if you were forced to continue to do that thing all the time?  Not great I’m going to guess!  Well, the same principle applies for your horse.

    Of course, you are going to have to devote some time to working on the weaker parts of the ride and your performance together.  But, rather throw them in as odd little speckles, and in doing so this will build both of your confidence. 

    This could be your horse favouring approaching on one rein over the other, or landing on one lead over the other.  Don’t keep hammering on the bad rein / lead / side.   Rather allow the time to slowly but surely work on it, improve it and build it up.

    Keep in mind that most of what is going on over the fence, can be directly linked back to what is going on ‘on the ground’.   Remember conditioning can be done from the ground, and then later practiced over the fence.  Building the muscles, suppleness, accuracy, responsiveness and of course rhythm and relaxation.  Start on the flat and then progress to working on those same issues over a fence.

    Make Each ‘Jump Day’ Count

    Finally, try to restrain yourself from jumping the legs off your horse!  I see this happening a lot when riders get into that arena daily and jump and jump and jump.  Now, it is important to mention here that riders don’t do this intentionally from a place of ‘overworking’ their horses.  Rather from a place of being over enthusiastic about learning to jump and developing their jumping.

    If you find that you sometimes get caught up in the ‘jump jump jump’ energy, bring things back to that 80/20 rule I spoke about in the beginning.  Apply it to the days of the week you are going to jump.  2 days jumping, 5 days flat work for example.  However, in order for this to work, you must make each jump day count.

    You must create a plan, an intention, for what you will be working on for those two days.  Again, this is going to come back to understanding the strengths and weaknesses.  They will help guide you when creating your plan going forward.

    Once you have figured out your strengths and the weaknesses, you have created your plan and have scheduled your jump days there is a final step you can take to really 10x the impact of your schooling…

    Make Every Single Jump Count

    Get really clear on the desired outcome that you are looking for and set the intention for each and every jumping effort. 

    I also suggest for you, the rider, to try to get onto as many different horses as you can.  I realise it is not always possible for everybody.  But if you can, do.  Being on other horses, is firstly going to open you up to a whole different set of experiences.  In fact often it can be quite an eye opener.

    You will notice things about yourself in your riding.  Sometimes our horses can invite us to ride badly or to ride very well.  If a horse is inviting you to ride very well by something that he is doing, then there is the chance that he might just be ‘carrying’ you.  By getting on another horse, it will show that up, and you will know what to work on.  It could in fact turn out that the ‘weakness’ is something you are doing and needs work, rather than your horse.

    Riding other horses will also allow you to develop your eye for seeing a stride more quickly.  Knowing where your horse should be taking off for the fence, which will allow you to begin to gauge things a little bit better in your training.

    Lastly, riding other horses will build your confidence in your riding abilities.  It will allow you to  return to your own horse feeling that you are able to manage and cope with a lot more.

    Happy riding

    Lorna

    Links mentioned in the episode:-