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Training the Mind of the Horse and Rider

Training the Mind of the Horse and Rider
Click on Logo (Original artwork by Lanie Frick for Messick Quarter Horses. Not permitted to be copied)

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happy New Year’s Trails

“As 2013 comes to an end, so does the old paths.  2014 will bring new paths, new choices, and a new way of life.  What will you chose for 2014?  Will you stay on the old path? Maybe with new direction? Or will you take a totally new path?  Will your priorities stay the same or change?  Will you focus on the same issues or decide to focus on something that is more important now, due to where you are in your life now?  I know I will.


As we ponder the New Year, we can let go of the old year.  It doesn’t matter what we didn’t accomplish, what we could have done, what we did but shouldn’t have.  But then, maybe these things do matter.  It’s all in the context of what you did or didn’t do, the meaning of your thoughts, and the reasoning behind what you did or didn’t do.  Yes, I’m sure I would undo some of the things that I did.  I would try now to do some things differently or with a different mindset.  But, regardless, it is what it is.  And we can take what we know now, learn from it, and move on.  Change for the better.  Maybe some areas of our life don’t need to change, and that is great also!


That was my point in my New Year’s Eve Blog about new paths and new choices.  I wasn’t so much asking the questions for myself, because I knew some of my answers.  I was asking them for you to ponder about also.  We all have choices and sometimes we follow different paths, for different reasons.  That’s ok to go off the original path and follow other paths/distractions/goals.  Our lives change constantly and we need to change our paths to best suit where we are at the moment.  I try to do that. I try to change when I need to, but sometimes I’m slower than I need to be.  Sometimes, I want to change faster than the situation needs.  Sometimes I change, but not in the way I should have changed. The point is, be open to change when the time comes.


So now, on New Year’s Day, we are on the 1st day of our 2014 path.  And now, we can ask ourselves the question, “what path do we want to take this year?”  Is our path based on a new personal goal, a change in last year’s goal, a life changing decision to try something totally different?  Or will we continue on our same goal with some different choices, and by following different paths, will that lead to the same goal?


I think I will revise the goals that always seem to be part of my yearly decisions.  Family needs to be prioritized.  We are trying to go to church as often as we can in off season, as sometimes horse competitions and rides takes us away from church.  During those times, I think of God in the beautiful surroundings around me as I ride. God’s country is beautiful!  Sunrises, sunsets, trees, hills, mountains, and in all the lovely scenery!


I am thinking of where I want to go with the horses this year. I will be breeding more Rushcreek bred endurance Arabians and I will have more foals this year.  I need to handle last year’s foals and start my coming 3 year old and a coming 5 year old.  I need to start 2, 3 year old QH’s as well as ride 2, 6 year olds.


I need to decide what my riding goals will be.  The last 2 years, I have pushed for miles on the Horsetrailriders Distance Derby, but this year, I don’t want to push for the miles.  Instead, I need to spend more quality time with the horses that I haven’t done so with this year.  I need to spend quality time with my riding horses also.  A plan may be riding one day, ponying the next day, then doing some arena and slow work the 3rd day.  I do need to keep 2 horses in competition mode though, and do some fast, longer miles.  Maybe I’ll work on interval training with longer, faster distances then slower work.


Wherever life leads me this year, wherever my horses take me this year, whatever happens in my family life, I know that I can turn to God for answers and to help me through any choices.  But one area in my life is constantly changing, and that is to be the best person and horse person that I can be.  My horses are my life, my soul and my being, and I will always do what I can to protect the horses in my care and to learn as much as I can  about thinking like horses.


“Embrace the Journey”!

"TRAINING THE MIND OF THE HORSE AND RIDER"

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