riding far blog
Our goal is to raise riders' awareness of the importance of mental and emotional skills in equestrian sport. We help equestrians achieve their personal riding goals.
WE SUPPORT, CHALLENGE AND INSPIRE EQUESTRIANS
We hope you will enjoy our insights in the forms of Casual Conversations, videos and articles aimed at helping the equestrian transform their relationships with their horses. We are passionate about sharing our knowledge, tips, tricks, and experiences.
July 29, 2018
In all honesty, I am not a particularly obsessive person. I am typically a “go with the flow” kind of guy and I endeavor to enjoy and appreciate what life brings my way. But, every once in a while I find myself driven in the pursuit of excellence of one kind or another. There was that time in graduate school where I was in search of the perfect blueberry muffin recipe. Almost every weekend for months the house was filled with the sweet aroma of baking muffins. I had to master new techniques, expand my knowledge of the science and art of baking, and above all resist the temptation to mix the batter too much (a surefire way to generate a tough muffin).
Then there was the search for the world’s best fish and chips that began on a trip to Nova Scotia. During that trip I ate fish and chips at least once each day, exploring the nuances of the dish at each restaurant; haddock vs. cod, the cut of the fillet, texture, flavor, lightness and crispiness of the batter. There were a number of things that surprised me during that trip. First, in a land filled with fresh and delectable seafood and perhaps the world’s best potatoes (it was harvest time on Prince Edward Island), more than once I was served frozen processed fish along with flavorless mass-produced fries. I was amazed to find such mediocrity in an otherwise magical place. Second, after sampling the fare at several fine restaurants and highly touted pubs, I found fish and chips heaven at a small nondescript kiosk on the wharf in Halifax…amazingly fresh haddock with a light, delightfully crispy batter that was cooked to absolute perfection. The fish was so outrageously good that I honestly don’t remember the chips (which may have something to do with the amazing poutine kiosk next door).
I was reminded of this fish and chips adventure last week when I audited the Ecole de Légèreté Instructor Training course in Newville, PA. I had the pleasure of dining with the master instructor Bertrand Ravoux in nearby Shippensburg. We both ordered the fish and chips as I told the Nova Scotia story. This first restaurant was pretty bad. The batter was nonexistent and the fish was cooked so much that it had a tough and chewy texture. As the training progressed, it became a running joke every evening as I was compelled to order the fish and chips at each new restaurant we tried.
While I never found anything more than a mediocre fish and chips, I was touched deeply by the parallels of my obsession with fish and chips and the journey of each and every student in the training. I had the pleasure meeting a group of individuals deeply committed to their pursuit of horsemanship at the highest level. This was not about winning ribbons or achieving fame. Their pursuit was about honoring the horse and ultimately being in a position to pass on their knowledge to others and the next generation. And, unlike my culinary experiences in Shippensburg, they had found the horsemanship equivalent of that amazing kiosk on the wharf. Bertrand Ravoux and the Ecole de Légèreté Instructor Training course demonstrated a commitment to excellence and principles which, in my experience, are rare and to be treasured. I look forward to the next time I ride with them. Perhaps I have found my next obsession in Ecole de Légèreté.
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Typically, when a rider seeks out my assistance, they have a problem and are looking to get it fixed. Often their problem involves a strong emotional reaction to a specific situation that interferes with their riding, such as anxiety as they enter the show ring or panic as they approach a triple combination. Many are surprised, after they have described their problem, when I ask them to take a step back and look at the broader picture. Like most of us, my clients are highly focused on the problem and often believe that the solution lies in directly addressing that problem; changing some specific thing about themselves that causes the problem to vanish.
In order for this to be true, we have to subscribe to a simple mechanistic view that involves simple cause and effect. Isolate the broken part, replace it, and the machine works. This view point is extremely appealing in its simplicity, efficiency, and imagined effectiveness. This perspective or belief is also highly seductive (think Sirens from the Odyssey) in that periodically we find situations where this seems to be true. We make a small change and VOILA! everything gets better. It seems like magic and, I have to admit, I love being the magician.
The reality is that very few of the problems we face in our riding are that simple. Even if we find a simple fix, something that helps in a dramatic and immediate fashion, it is not the whole picture and is very unlikely to fix the problem once and for all. It is helpful to think of our thoughts, feelings and actions as influencing the probability of any specific outcome or event rather than thinking about them in terms of simple cause and effect. (This is the difference between Quantum and Newtonian Physics which carries me back to my days as a student of physics. I am constantly debating as to whether to write about this or not. I could be talked into it if there is enough reader interest :-) ) In this way, we allow for the changes we make to effect the probability of desired outcomes to a greater or lesser degree. At the same time, we understand that even a positive change might not invariably lead to the outcome we seek.
We may find a “fix” that dramatically increases the probability of a desired outcome. At the same time, we can commit to a wide range of changes that increase the probability of what we want, even if the changes in outcomes are incremental. We invest time strengthening our mental, emotional, and physical fitness. We commit to advancing our knowledge and skill. We connect to our core motivations and create well formed goals with a clear and measurable plan. And, we nurture those relationships that help us advance toward our goals in a positive and affirming way.
Dedicated horsewomen and horsemen around the world rail against the short cuts taken that adversely affect the physical, emotional and mental welfare of our horses. Yet, we are often happy to take similar shortcuts with ourselves. The next time you run into a challenge in your riding, by all means look for possible efficient solutions; however, at the same time take a step back and explore the larger context. Take the time to look at the forest, as well as the trees.
June 30, 2018
