RIDER MISTAKE #1:
Being in a hurry!
Having a rushed mentality can affect your ability to think clearly about what you want to do with your horse and how to execute it.
Slow your brain down so your body can relax and you can breathe fully again.
When with your horse allow plenty of time so you are not clock watching, get impatient and tense and start rushing.
RIDER MISTAKE #2:
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes!
When you are worried that you will mess up the horse by not doing the activity by the book, you present self doubt and lack of confidence to the horse.
This sends a clear message to the horse that maybe what you are asking is not such a good idea and either doesn’t comply or offers something else.
When you have a clear plan, understand how to communicate and execute it with the horse, the result is the result.
How the horse understood and interprets what you wanted may need further refinement on your part to get the result.
All we need is to have a Plan b, c, d ….🙃🙃
Don’t beat yourself up that you made a mistake as this causes a downward spiral of confidence.
Instead learn from it and try something different!
MISTAKE #3:
Trying to work at a level above where the horse is at.
This just leads to confusion and messy outcomes.
When you teach a horse, chunk the movement down into smaller bits. Its like making sure you can walk before you start to run!
Focus on teaching the horse each chunk before attempting to put it all together.