Getting an Education

At our last 3-D mini series, I observed people who believe that learning to ride well is an educational process. We had participants ranging from beginners to accomplished show riders. Some folks were more athletic than others or had horses that were further along in their training. Yet, the playing field was leveled by everybody’s desire to improve their skills and take home new knowledge.

It’s pretty clear that people who have a passion to become good horsemen continually seek educational opportunities to improve their riding skills. While it may be time consuming and expensive, they repeatedly invest in lessons, gear and the vehicles necessary to get them around. While some of these people may not have the best build for riding or a well trained horse, they are persistent in their efforts to advance beyond the basic skill of staying on. Even if it’s a gamble for them to take their horses somewhere new and receive training from an unfamiliar instructor, they do it anyway because their drive to learn outweighs their fear.

I personally place a very high value on education, whether academic or on-the-job training. While I’ve been committed to pursuing advanced training in my professional education and my career, until last year, I had not pledged the same commitment to my extra curricular activity of choice—riding. I considered my riding as mostly recreational and felt that I had no time to pursue any additional training. It was not a high priority. But after spending some time at the barn during my daughter’s lessons, something in me awakened that had been dormant for many years. While I was watching her ride, I suddenly thought, “Why isn’t that me out there? I’m dedicating my time to this, yet I had to talk her into coming here to ride tonight. What’s wrong with this picture?”

It was at that point I decided to fan the flames of the love and passion for horses that began when I was a tiny girl—not much more a baby, really, according to my family’s accounts. It was like a switch had been flipped, and I realized I had been neglecting my own happiness for a long time. I made the decision right then to step out of the confinements of being too busy, too tired or too unimportant to pursue something that meant so much to me.

I decided to take a chance and approach Marcia’s team about trading some of my professional skills for some of theirs. After joining the team, helping to put on and ride in last year’s 3-D clinics and coordinating the motivational speaker for Youth Camp, I learned and improved more than I have in the last 15 years. Even though my horse Shad and I have been together for nearly 17 years and have been fairly successful in the show ring, I was able to build on our already strong connection on several levels. I began to realize the importance of building a solid foundation through education and application as my old horse and I improved and could perform new skills.

But the real Ah Ha! moment for me was realizing the importance and cross over of the integrated system we are fortunate enough to enjoy at MM Training and Consulting. After making the decision to step up and pursue my desire to grow my horsemanship skills, I revisited the barn’s tagline “enhancing life’s relationships through connection” and thought about how it rings true in my own life. Since making that commitment, these are some of the relationship doors that have opened for me in the last year:

• I found a new church with youth programs that fit both of my girls, ages 3 and 11, and relevant classes for me
• I wrote and presented a proposal for an upgrade in my work position and attained a substantial promotion
• I received praise and commendation from my boss on my job performance, leadership skills and self confidence
• I made an effort to compete at two shows and attend four clinics (I didn’t show at all the year before)
• I bought a new horse, a three-year old AQHA gelding that I wouldn’t have considered purchasing previously without the knowledge and confidence I gained at the clinics
• I was able to afford to register my new horse for a Lynn Palm clinic in April 2006

The thing I find most rewarding about participating in MM Training and Consulting programs is that there is something for everyone, no matter the ability level of you and your horse. The foundational approach remains the same—you teach where you release. I feel I am living proof that this principle in particular can improve many aspects of your life, whether you apply it to training horses or training yourself to let go of restrictions like fear, stress, lack of resources or whatever it is that holds you back from what makes you happy.