It is inevitable. All riders find themselves there at some point in their riding journey. The point where progress stalls and the comfort of the plateau is no longer what they are looking for. Recognizing that you are feeling a little stuck is the key to making the necessary changes to ‘unsticking’ yourself. The key to starting working towards progress again.

Before we dive into this topic, I just want to point out that this happens to all riders. It is absolutely inevitable. If you were never to reach a plateau, you would burn yourself out and become exhausted with the constant ‘effort’. However, remaining there leads to feelings of boredom and ‘same old, same old’.

A Plateau is Often Necessary

I love hiking. I especially enjoy it when there is a sizeable hill or mountain involved. One of the reasons is because I feel that it ‘tests’ me a little. There is a climb. The discomfort and effort involved in actually moving up to where I want to go. And then there is the feeling of relief and accomplishment when I reach the next plateau. The plateau almost compliments the climb necessary to get there.

Horse riding is very much the same. There are feelings of discomfort when you’re learning something new. The feelings of ‘gosh, maybe I should just turn around and go back to where I was comfortable’. The doubting. The necessary focus and concentration. Your ability to ‘dig deep’.