Well it's putting down the snow and I was thinking about some of my opinions on horses and people and the idea that came to mind was consistency or the lack thereof. I've heard many people say my horse won't do that or I don't know how to do that with my horse. I have also found myself thinking that same thing on occasion.
The thing I realized is I had failed mentally. I had tried a couple times and it didn't work so I decided in my mind that I just can't do it. I gave up mentally. But why couldn't I do it? Was it because I just wasn't a good horseman? Was it the horses problem? I believe I failed in the moment I said "I just can't do it". The fact is I may not have been able to do it at that moment. But had I really put in the time?
Say I gallop three circles and my horse won't rate it's speed. I might say, well I don't know how to train my horse to rate his speed. When the reason my horse won't rate is because I haven't galloped enough circles. I look at reining horses with their heads low and galloping so slow and it can get discouraging. The fact is, many of those reining horses have hundreds of rides and thousands of circles. They probably didn't look like that at thirty rides. They have been ridden most likely six days a week for an extended period of time. If I ride a couple times a month and my horse is fat and out of shape he will not perform like he could.
If I want a good relationship with my horse I have to spend the time with them. If I spent time with my wife once a month or once in a while the result would not be good. Likewise if I never give my horse the time to create a relationship, then we will never develop a relationship and it can be frustrating when I expect to have a relationship. What it comes down to is time and consistency. If I want to be successful I can't give up. I can't say, "I can't do it". I must keep trying until I get it right. It might not happen today, it might not happen tomorrow. The cues must be correct and consistent. Horses are very forgiving and once they know I'm serious and I'm not going to go away, they will often give the desired results.
I remember thinking how hard flying lead changes seemed to me. I analyzed and studied how to accomplish the flying lead change. I got control of each body part, I could move the hips either direction I had control of the shoulders and I could shape the horses head and neck perfectly. The problem was that I spent so much time analyzing that I never got started. I tried a couple and it didn't work like it did on TV so I said "I just can't do it". What it comes down to is just doing it. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. They're going to miss some leads, but remember that's part of the whole process. If you try flying lead changes ten times it won't work, it might work some of the time but they won't be consistent. You have to repeat the cues consistenly and try lead changes hundreds of times. As you get more consistent in preparing the horse and asking for the lead change consistently you will find success. It takes time, if you don't have it don't expect your horse to do everything right. Be consistent and don't be afraid to fail. Never say, "I just can't do it".
