Confidence is Key

The latter part of our first week of Horsemanship has been all about focusing on our confidence and being consistent with our horses. One of the wonderful things about working with horses is that they are very attuned to how we are feeling. For instance, if we aren’t sure of what we want to do, then they aren’t sure of what to do as we are the one’s providing them with direction. To this end, when we are not confident in the directions we are choosing, the horses feel this uncertainty. This can be really frustrating as a rider, but campers have learned that the best thing to do is to stop the horse, take a breath, and try again.

Some things we can do to help our confidence is positive self-talk, taking some deep breaths and reminding ourselves that we are capable of more than we think we are.

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We have also continued to work on developing compassion towards the horses and fellow campers. When we are all on the horses we function as a team with other riders and with our own horses. As a result, it is incredibly important to have patience with ourselves, our fellow riders and understand that if something isn’t going the way we expect it to, it’s okay because we are all learning.

As campers learn new techniques, we are also learning that consistency and persistence are important skills that they develop alongside their horses. Throughout the week, we’ve discovered that it’s okay to struggle, because struggling means growth.

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We hope you have a wonderful and safe week. We look forward to seeing you all next week for another great session!