We’ve heard that from people for years. Probably our parents were the first ones to say that to us. Do we always learn? Not often enough. There’s another saying – “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” I’ve caught myself doing that, have you? Then the old light bulb goes off and I think of what to try next to get the outcome I want. With horses, each horse perceives things in a different way of how we explain it to them.

Now, we all love to compete our horses. We love to show what we’ve taught them and prove (what we already know) that our horse is the best.

I’ve mentioned how the word testing can put a person in a tail spin, but most of the time we compete for fun. Right???

We take lessons, go to clinics, watch videos, read books, and watch others to learn new techniques. Did you ever think of competing as a learning experience? If you haven’t than you are missing out on a great lesson opportunity.

I’ve seen children come out of a ring elated or crying, and some adults, angry, but wait, if your judge is nice enough to tell you why you placed the way you did (and you can ask), it’s a lesson that you have earned. I always told, especially the children, why I pinned them the way I did. I instructed them as to what they needed to do to place higher in the next class. Did they always make the necessary changes, no, most times they were too nervous to even hear what I said. Sometimes they did take my advice and pinned better in the next class.

Now I usually tell them to check with their instructors what I have just told them. Usually the instructor will agree with me and encourage them to make the corrections. I never want to undermine their instructors, but sometimes it gives the instructor food for thought as to something they may have missed, or to the person or parent, if their instructor is giving them the right information.

It’s not just a matter of Yay! I won, or pooh I lost, it’s a matter of learning from our mistakes.

Riding competitions highlight our strengths and weaknesses, use the information wisely.