Your most important training tool: Mindset

The most important tool you have as a trainer is always with you.
It costs nothing and is available to everyone, at all times.

This tool makes the difference between simply training… and truly enjoying the process together with your horse. It determines whether you and your horse experience pleasure in training, enjoy the journey, and face and overcome challenges calmly.

The secret?
Your mindset.

From end goals to small steps

When training your horse, it is easy to focus mainly on end goals. If things are not yet the way you envisioned them, dissatisfaction can quickly arise, because it is not “there” yet, and therefore not good enough.

As a trainer, it is important to see the bigger picture.
This includes the goal you are working towards, but also the small steps in the learning process of both you and your horse along the way.

When you work in small steps in the right direction, those steps soon form a path and eventually a road you travel together. By thinking in small steps, you can be satisfied with what is going well in that moment. This is incredibly motivating, for both you and your horse.

Enjoyment creates motivation

When you are not satisfied, your horse feels this too. He notices that you are not happy, and he will experience less enjoyment in training himself.

When you turn this around and make enjoyment the starting point for both of you, you will begin to look forward to the next training session together. This makes it much easier to bring regularity and structure into your training.

Regularity, enjoyment, and small steps in the right direction create motivation and eventually lead to big steps towards your goal.

Training starts before you enter the arena

Your training already begins before you enter the arena.

Have you let go of the tension from your day?
Are you carrying baggage from previous situations?

If you notice that you are still holding onto something, take a moment to do a short relaxation exercise before you start working with your horse. This prevents your horse from being “loaded” with emotions and negative energy that he cannot place and does not understand.

Visualising your training

Once you feel calm and centred, take a moment to go through your plan for the day.

Visualise what you would like to work on:

• What does it look like?

• How does it feel?

• Is the focus on active energy today?

• Or on the first steps of travers?

What image belongs to that?
How does it feel when your horse trots with active energy?
What feeling does that give you?

When this is clear for you, it becomes much easier for both you and your horse to work towards it in training. After all, you have a clear picture of what you want.

Meeting challenges with calm

Even with good preparation, unexpected challenges can arise.

When this happens:

• Bring your horse to a halt

• Breathe out deeply

• Smile

• Reflect on the situation

What can you change?
What can you do differently?

Be gentle in forgiving imperfections, be clear in what you ask, and generous in rewarding. Allow your horse to think, explore, experienceand feel proud when things come together.

That is how both of you begin to look forward to the next training session.

In conclusion

As your horse’s personal trainer, you are working not only on his physical development, but also on his mental growth.

And it all starts with you. 🌱