As trainers, we cannot underestimate the value of a horse’s confidence. Each time I swing my leg over my horse's back, my primary goal is the level of confidence my horse has at the end of that training session. Even if the exercises we do feel boring to me, I have to remind myself that it’s not about me. It’s about my horse. The progression of our training that day isn’t about what I wanted to get done that day. It is about what my horse needed from me that day.

On this episode, I’m sharing some training philosophies that will help you continually build your horse’s confidence and progress consistently with each ride. Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast.

In the horse training business, there are ample opportunities throughout the day to get frustrated and throw in the towel. There are times when you’ll be tempted to quit and take an easier path. There are situations where you may stop short of success because you’re afraid of failing. But if you remain faithful in the process, you will never truly fail.

On this episode, I’m sharing a few philosophies that have helped me stay faithful in the process and continue pushing forward in my training career. Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast.

How many good things have you missed out on because you didn’t have the courage to move forward?

As human beings, our brains are wired to avoid situations where we feel challenged or uncomfortable. If we allow these tendencies to control our actions, we allow fear to paralyze us from moving forward. If we do this, we will never see the blessings and victories that are on the other side of fear. 

In this episode, I’m sharing a few daily practices to help you develop a mindset of courage so you can push past your fears and step into your full potential.

Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast.

One of the most common mental blocks I run into as a trainer is maintaining realistic expectations when I’m working with multiple horses. After almost 40 years as a professional trainer, I’ve gotten to the point where I feel like I have a solid, established training program that should work the same for every horse. But, that is simply an unrealistic expectation.

On this episode, I’m sharing some perspectives that have helped me maintain realistic expectations when training multiple horses and the daily steps I take to ensure consistent progress with each horse.

Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast.

One common perception that causes many trainers to get stuck has to do with a horse’s age.

It is easy to get caught up in our own perceptions of what a horse should or shouldn’t be able to do by a certain age. In reality, a horse’s age has nothing to do with its abilities. A horse’s abilities are nothing more than a reflection of our own knowledge as trainers.

In this episode, I’m sharing a few tips on how to take control of your perception of where your horse “should be” and, instead, building a training program that is focused on continually furthering the understanding between horse and rider.

Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast.

What do horsemanship and entrepreneurship have in common? In both in ventures, hard work pays off.

In this episode, Phil is joined by two of his past clinic students, Emma and Gracie Pearson, who have built a name for themselves both as trainers and young business owners. What began as a means to pay entry fees has now turned into a full-time business venture for these 12 and 15 year old sisters. Tune into this week's episode to hear how these young cowgirls have found a balance between barrel racing, halter braiding, and business ownership.

Support their business at facebook.com/mightmaverickmerchandise.

One of the biggest limiting factors to success is the feeling of needing to prove yourself to others. When you are in the public eye, it is common to feel added pressure to perform well. This extra pressure you put on yourself when you are in the public eye causes self doubt, which often causes you to stray away from your game plan.

On this episode, I’m sharing a few philosophies that will help you overcome the pressure to prove yourself to others and feel confident in your preparation. Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast.

Our human instinct for instant gratification often causes us to rush our training. When we rush our training, we often neglect the key fundamentals of horsemanship that keep our horses performing consistently.

In this episode, I’m sharing a few perspectives that will help you learn to appreciate each part of the horsemanship journey and improve your consistency as a trainer. To access the training methods discussed in this episode, head over to philhaugenhorsemanship.com/courses.

My dad always used to say, “you can’t see the forest from the trees.” For years, I never understood what he meant by that. As I’ve progressed through my career, it has finally begun to make sense.

Sometimes, as human beings, we can’t see the answer because we’re trying too hard. Most of the time, the answer is pretty simple, but if we are too close to the problem, it can be hard to see the obvious solution. An outside perspective can give us the one piece of the puzzle we were missing to help us make a change.

In this episode, I’m sharing a few philosophies to help you find that missing piece and improve your consistency as a trainer. To access the training methods discussed in this episode, head over to philhaugenhorsemanship.com/courses.

Horses are naturally programmed with a defense mechanism that kicks in when they sense fear. As trainers, we must constantly work to reprogram our horses’ minds to default to trust and confidence rather than fear.

On this episode, I’m covering a few triggers horses commonly react to, and how we can provide comfort for our horses during these stressful situations and activate the "thinking" side of their minds.

Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast and check out the Foundation & Fundamentals course mentioned in this episode at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/courses.