What are some mental aspects you have found that determine success or impact progression and enjoyment? pt.1

I’ve found in my experience of coaching humans of all ages for over 20+ years that there are 3 main factors that determine what will make a life long proficient and progressive equestrian.

I’ve had many clients who have gone on to be successful professionals in the industry and some that didn’t last 3 months and everyone in between.

I want to focus on sharing my observations regarding what I believe plays a big role in lasting success and sticktoitiveness.

I’ll share the first of three today which is the mental aspect. The horse partners I admire are always learning, are humble and possess these qualities below.

What are some mental aspects you have found that determine success or impact progression and enjoyment?

Here are mine:

Having the passion for learning in order to be a good communicator with horses, not from a desire to control the horse but from a desire to be a skilled, trustworthy partner.

The desire for self development and the accountability necessary to take instruction and give it and work through challenges to acquire or impart a desired skill.

Knowing the why behind the desire for learning is what gives the motivation for learning. For eg. It’s a lot easier to want to work on core strength if you can see the why in how it will positively impact your balance in any given skill you’re mastering.

Curiosity also plays a big role, being interested in how things work, how it relates to another. It drives the desire to want to learn more and putting the pieces together becomes enjoyable and exciting.

Seeking out continuing education outside of lessons and not limited to riding but instead, all aspects of horsemanship.

Courage to be vulnerable enough to feel like a beginner even as you progress because there will always be a new skill to learn or the same skill revisited with deeper or more technical understanding to learn.

Courage to be uncomfortable, to mess up, to meet challenges and to show up no matter what.

Discipline to be consistent and reliable, no matter the many excuses others find not to be. Discipline is a daily practice. None of the above qualities matter much if you don’t have the courage and discipline to be consistent. In order to be disciplined, you have to stay very focused on your why and stay aligned with the feeling of what your passionate about or for me it’s my empathic nature of wanting to be of help whenever I can be, whether that’s a horse who will be better for it after our interaction or a human.

~JamGem~