July 08, 2024

Inspiring You to Become Intentional in Your Riding & Training

13 minutes

Are you happy with where you are right now in your riding journey? If you’ve been feeling a little stuck or ‘behind’ regarding progress for you and your horse, today is the day you can begin changing all of that; whether you make it to the yard right now, or not.

The key to feeling better about yourself as an equestrian is to take action and actually do something. However, you might find that you’re at this point where the action is the issue! It simply doesn’t feel fun, exciting, or interesting anymore!

One of the major reasons riders stop riding is due to their riding and interactions with their horse beginning to feel ‘same-old, same-old’. Becoming intentional in your riding is a surefire remedy for this :)

This is Your Responsibility

As riders, we can often forget that horse riding, just like everything else in life, has a ‘honeymoon phase’ to it. The initial few weeks or months where it doesn’t really matter what happens, it’s all good and you love it! And calling it a ‘phase’ is very intentional because this season of your riding journey will come to an end. Sooner or later.

Are you guilty of getting caught up in the initial ‘novelty’ of riding or having a horse, only to begin wondering what’s gone wrong now that the ‘newness’ is fading?

No matter where you are as a rider, one of your top responsibilities is to keep the conversation and the work fresh for you and your horse. Looking for ways to weave intentional curiosity and challenges into each interaction. Finding methods and exercises that will keep you both learning and developing.

Becoming intentional in your riding is the most effective way of keeping you and your horse interested in the work – and in each other.

When the Novelty Begins to Wear Off

So, in order for you to become intentional in your riding, you first need something to work towards. A goal or a specific outcome of sorts. This ‘something’ needs to be both achievable and realistic for you and your horse when combined with your current resources and seasons of life.