There are a variety of skills equestrians develop as they train. One we have previously discussed is confidence: How the development of confidence is beneficial not only working with your horse but also in everyday life. Another valuable skill for equestrians is the control of one's own emotions.

You've heard of road rage, and the horrible outcomes, right? That's when one or two people lose control of their emotions and as a result, one - or both - of them make very bad decisions. When its all over and someone is hurt or even worse; they look back and usually don't see the value in their actions. In fact, the result is anything but valuable! At the very least it can mean a fine and at worst death or prison. Losing control of one's emotions at work can have devastating consequences as well! An example might be: You're in the middle of an important meeting and frustration is mounting. Someone is talking too slowly or they keep interrupting. Before long, you've lost control and are shouting at everyone in the room. This type of behavior can have serious consequences for our career.

There are lesser examples in everyday life where losing control of one's emotions results in negative outcomes. For example, let's say that you get into an argument with your parents about something minor. Suddenly, you've lost control of your emotions and the argument becomes a shouting match. You may say something that you really never feel. You may not even remember what the original argument was about! Sometimes we snap at a friend over something small, just because we're nervous about something else! But Everyone will remember your behavior and it will color how they interact with you, whether parent, co-worker or friend. These are examples of why control of emotions is of great value in everyday life!

Okay, okay already! You get it! But what does that have to do with riding? Well, if you're not aware of it, scientists have studied horses and have determined that they have a memory span of at least 10 years. They also remember people who smile rather than frown and react differently to each.

So if you're out training and something happens (you fall, you fail to approach a jump correctly, or maybe you don't hold your body correctly when doing a flying lead change). If you lose control of your emotions and lash out at the horse, yell, scream and shout, not only will you lose the trust of the horse, but he or she will remember your reaction. He may become afraid of that part of your training and react to you worse the next time you try the same thing! That is why control of emotions is such a big part of training.

So how do you go about developing this skill? There are a variety of ways. Some people might like meditation as a way to remain calm. Others may count to ten before allowing themselves to respond to a situation. Its really up to you to find what works best.

My opinion is, when working with my horses; I want to have a plan and I want my students to have a plan

Our Goal Setting and Planning Guide that we use here at Little Pine helps our student a lot. you can find it on our web page or find it here:

Know what you are working on, and how you intend to pursue it. Know what might be a problem and how you will address it. For example: A horse might have difficulty picking up the right lead because his shoulder is under developed or he is tight on the right side from lack of work. So rather than asking for the right lead, and then being angry at the horse when he doesn't pick it up right away; I may plan on doing horse yoga with the horse every day. I may plan on asking for a canter in a smaller 20 meter circle, I may do a month of work to develop the shoulder and rear muscles... the point is I have a plan. And if the horse doesn't perform it correctly I know that he's not 'bad'. Rather, I know he tried and couldn't for one of the reasons above. I may try again, or I may choose more development work. The opposite of this approach is emotion: failing at the task, getting angry or frustrated and unfairly taking it out on the horse, as in the earlier examples. Its a bad lifetime trap to fall into.

nstead, choose to know what your intent is, and know your horses' abilities and weaknesses. When these situations come up, you simply deal with them. I find the more my students do this, the more they forget that they even could be angry or frustrated! They're too busy dealing with the situation logically! This skill will benefit you throughout your life and help you make better decisions along the way. Often when I was beginning my training career, people would see me deal with a horse at a competition and would approach me later, because of how they remember I dealt with it. It actually got me more work. That is how this translates into a valuable life skill that you can take with you away from horses. This is important in every aspect of our lives, but it is especially important when we are competing or working with horses. If we can stay calm and focused in difficult situations, we will be more successful both with horses and in other areas of our lives. Learning to keep our emotions under control takes practice, but it is worth the effort. Staying calm and focused under pressure can make all the difference in achieving our goals. Let us know what you think!

See you here again, at Little Pine Stables!