I have met a number of people who I wish would take their horse’s emotional state a LOT more seriously. I wish they would step up and stop doing certain things that are bringing them fulfillment but negatively impacting their horse. Or start doing things that involve change and hard work, and would greatly benefit their horse.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are a lot of us who take our horsemanship so seriously that we get to a point where we are so afraid of making a mistake or confusing our horse. We become paralyzed or rigid or timid. These feelings often result in self-deprecation and lack of levity that negatively impact not only ourselves but our horses too.

There is a balance between understanding the importance of clarity, consistency and helping our horses find emotional calm – and a willingness to experiment, make mistakes and ENJOY the process. Yes, our horses would benefit if we all became perfect horsemen tomorrow – with a smoothness and nuance to our feel that they could accurately respond to – but that isn’t going to happen. It won’t happen tomorrow or even in twenty years. We will always be imperfect.

When we find ourselves in a state where we want to cry, and can see our horse is really struggling, we probably need to take a step back and find someone who can offer us guidance. But don’t mistake simple ups and downs for disaster. It’s part of the process. When we are having fun, fluid physically, open mentally, operating with good intentions and able to laugh at ourselves – that is when the magic happens.