robinsonequine

If you show, things are not always going to go according to plan A. Often things out of our control will cause our horses to struggle. A big topic and Mikal and Noel chat through some of their thoughts.

Life with horses and their learning process do not follow a linear path. Part of horsemanship is listening to the horse and supporting them accordingly. Having expectations on our horses can be an important element of growth however if we are too rigid in our expectations it can be detrimental for all involved.

Horses, having their own minds, often have some of their own ideas of what they feel they should be doing, whether it be a spook or loss of alignment. The sport world gives us fairly clear ideas of what is “correct” but how we deal with the deviations on our way to creating correctness is an important piece of horsemanship.

While all horses may be a bit quirky at some point in their lives, some horses tend to be that way all the time. While that quirkiness may be frustrating occasionally, with the right approach these horses often offer us the most. Another intriguing conversation between good friends and fellow horsemen Mikal Robinson and Noel Clark.

Often thought of as nature vs nurture, maybe horses help us see that both are important and are deeply interconnected. Another interesting conversation with good friends Mikal Robinson and Noel Clark.

A life with horses comes with its ups and downs. Mikal and Noel discuss the value of taking ownership and how horses can be our best teachers, if we’re willing.

Don’t move the mounting block; while it has value in the literal sense, it also has great value as a mindset. After a little time away another thought provoking conversation about becoming a better horse person.

Whether we are consciously communicating to our horses before our ride or not, the horse is receiving input. This can play a valuable role in the outcome of our ride. Regardless of what our pre-ride entails, the why might be the most important.

Having a great deal of information on horses, it can be easy to get stuck looking for perfection. Remembering progress with horses takes time can help us work through bit size pieces each day and move on. Building in those little bite sized progression add up to big change over time.

Time with horses is not just a physical endeavour, it is also cerebral. Sharpening our mental game is an important element for improvement. Quiet confidence may be a valuable thought point to help boost our mental game.

When we apply an aid, are we trying to tell the horse “no” or are we offering a redirection. While subtle, these two options tend to lead to lead to different results.

Horses, like humans, are individuals. Therefore, when educating, we must have a broad approach with a willingness to be flexible. Flexibility of mind helps to allow one to see the opportunities in every situation. It also gives the horse respect and empathizes with their struggles. This gives us the ability to recognize opportunities of growth.

Mikal and Noel try something different in the first “Bridging the Gap Great Debate” with each of them debating both sides of ripping the bandaid off. Should you just rip or should you take time pealing it off. An interesting conversation to force one to look at both sides of a concept.

Being proactive can play a big part in creating a more harmonious relationship with our horses. That leads to the horses offering us more of their athleticism through increased trust. Mikal and Noel discuss and try to better understand what being proactive looks like when it comes to leadership with horses.

Learning about horse education is a life long pursuit. Once we recognize just how much there is to know and do, it can become daunting. Just as with most other arenas in life, chipping away and laying one brick at a time is how we work towards our dreams. Mikal and Noel discuss how this concept helps keep things in perspective and moving forward with their horses.

In every situation that arises there are multiple directions it could go. If we only look at one side of a situation, we may be ill prepared for many possibilities. In one of their more free flowing discussions, Mikal and Noel start with the simple concept of the two sides of the coin and follow where the discussion leads.

Intitially, whenever we take a horse out of their environment or when we ask something new of them, there is some stress associated. Small stressors are an essential part of progress but require appropriate support. Mikal and Noel discuss how this relates to educating horses.

More on the subject of patience. Recognizing that patience is far more than just waiting, Mikal and Noel discuss some components which help patience to produce change with horses and ourselves.

Mikal and Noel discuss why patience is so important with horses and some of the cost when we lose it. Horses can teach us patience but they also require patience.

Understanding the thought, or lack there of, behind an action goes a long way in helping to educate a horse. Mikal and Noel explore the benefits and the costs of horses responding and reacting in an attempt to better understand the responsibility of the human. (There is reference to a podcast on “patience” however there has been trouble uploading that episode)