My friend was tacking her horse up to lunge him the other day.  I sat on the bench and looked at her and the horse.  “Are you going to ride him today?”  Her answer was “no, just lunge.”  So I sat and thought about it for a little.  He’s a schooled horse,  needs to be reminded every once in a while like the rest of them, but he knows his stuff.  “Then why did you put a bridle and saddle on him?”  Her answer was “to try out this new bit.”  “Okay, let’s think about this.  You’re going to lunge him, but your hands are not going to be on the reins.  How will you know what his reaction is going to be to the bit?”  It stopped her and she thought.  Her reply, “I’m not.”  “Okay, why the saddle?  He’s broke, been ridden for years. ” Her reply, “I guess there is no reason.”

We do so many things without thinking of the reasons behind what we are doing.  Because it looks more professional?  Makes us look like we know what we are doing?  It looks prettier?  Or we just didn’t think of the purpose behind it.

So still sitting on the bench I asked her a few questions.

• Why are you lunging him to begin with?
• What is your goal.
• What are you trying to accomplish by putting the bit in his mouth?
• What are you hoping to accomplish with the saddle?

So I went into my song and dance.  Whenever you are going to do something with your horse, whether it be training or just riding, you need to have a goal and a purpose.  Nothing is random.  You are either teaching or reinforcing something new and good, or something bad.  Before we do anything we must have a clear view on the goal and how best to achieve it.  With her being a fitness instructor she had a light bulb moment.  Oh! it’s like work!  When I prepare to teach I always ask myself.

• What am I hoping to accomplish with this exercise?
• Is it the best way to accomplish what I am trying to do?
• What are the risks?
• If not this, how can I progress to make it harder or modify it to make it easier if necessary to help some one accomplish this particular exercise?

With this I smiled and told her, yes! now apply your work program to your horse.

Sometimes we just can’t see the forest for the trees.

It seems like too much work to think about this all the time.  We just want to throw the saddle on and go.  By all means go ahead, but be a thinking horseman at the same time.  Stretch your knowledge and ability by being conscience of what you are doing and what you would like to accomplish.  It certainly will take your mind off the stress of the day, and at the same time put you more in tune to your horse.  Do I consciously think about this all the time?  No but I end up, probably in my unconscious mind, doing it anyway.

We do so much with and around our horses that has just become second nature, we don’t even realize what we do and why we do it.  Pay more attention to you, you are better than you think, and you are worth it.