CONFIDENCE WITH HORSES 

Confidence!  Some of us have it and some don’t.  Some of us once had it, but have lost it.  Some of us are slowly gaining it back.  Most of us understand how powerful and at the same time elusive the feeling can be.

Yes, confidence can be described as a feeling, a state of mind, the lack of fear or self-doubt.  It knows that you have the ability, knowledge, and savvy to “get er’ done”.  Confidence, or the lack thereof, affects our goals, motivation, relationships, and our self-image.

Success, knowledge and experience breed confidence.  However, it may also be situational, depending on the environment and circumstances.  It can be very fragile and lost in the blink of an eye.  It depends on how a person perceives things at any given moment that determines whether confidence is being built or torn down.  The more you know about any given situation and what to do about it, the more confident you will be.

Confident riders communicate effectively with their horses.  The outcome is a horse that is also confident, willing, and reliable.  Most of us desire this kind of confidence. But, how do we increase our confidence level and strengthen our self-image?

Confidence is a choice!  There are certain choices we can make which will ensure confidence building, and other choices can destroy it.  It won’t always be easy and it will take self-discipline, desire, and a willingness to persevere.

Here are some suggestions of choices you can make which will lead to more confidence.

Choose preparation and time.

One of the best guarantees for more confidence is prior and proper preparation.  This does require self-discipline and the patience to take the time it takes.  It is important to practice with progression, purpose, and concentration.  Just going through the motions won’t get the desired results either.  Skipping key elements in training is a sure way to ruin confidence of both the horse and the rider. Stick with a program it will help ensure success.

Choose consistency and realistic expectations.

Don’t expect perfection over night or all the time because this may lead to frustration and discouragement. Instead of perfection strive for consistency and excellence.  Keep your expectations realistic and only increase them with your skill level.  Remember to set you and your horse up for success.  This will build your confidence quickly.

Choose to learn from mistakes.

Mistakes are part of every journey, especially with horses.  Choose to view a mistake as a temporary setback.  If we hang on to mistakes or make excuses for them, we loose the opportunity to learn from them and therefore make significant changes for the better which will lead to gained confidence.

Choose optimism and to manage your emotional fitness.

Be optimistic.  Believe you will be successful.  Use positive affirmations when you are facing new challenges or dealing with plateaus that seem to go on forever.  Don’t forget to look back at your progress.  Stop listening to that little voice of doubt that reminds you of all of your mistakes, and tells you all the things that could possibly go wrong in the future.  That negative voice will chip away at your self-esteem causing you to question your abilities and will paralyze you from moving forward.  Fight back, take action, and start talking back with positive affirmations every time it speaks.

Choose instruction, plus share and get feedback.

The idea of Women’s Confident Leadership Camp was born after listening to story after story the past three years of how horse owners lacked confidence.  We have discovered if we surround ourselves with uplifting and inspiring people in a positive environment it will boost our confidence level.  Spending four full days with your horse and others who may be struggling with confidence will give you invaluable feedback for continued growth and learning.  The sharing of suggestions for improved confidence will be delivered in a caring environment with time for reflective evaluation and practice with your horse.  Find an instructor or study group who will support and encourage you.

Choose a good lesson horse.

Many people don’t have the correct horse at this time to help them build confidence, especially if the person lacks experience.  I’m not suggesting that you have to sell your horse and buy a new one.  But I am suggesting that you need to find someone who has an honest lesson horse you can learn from.  Then when you have more confidence and experience you will be able to be the kind of horseman your horse needs you to be.

Most of us who are very confident with horses can tell you all about the horse who inspired us to reach a higher level of horsemanship.  These great horses are exceptional teachers who in addition to boosting our confidence level also provide great enjoyment.  And isn’t that why most of us have a horse?  Enjoyment!

If you’re not having fun because you lack confidence there are people and horses that can help.  Start making some choices today that will lead to more confidence. You’ll be glad you did and so will your horse.

Happy Trails,

Sherry Jarvis