It’s been called by a lot of names; Zen, the power of positive thinking, putting your best foot forward. But somewhere along the line many of us, especially women, have stopped being the Little Engine That Could – you remember – “I think I can, I think I can…” and have become the ultimate nay-sayers to ourselves. “I know I can’t, I know I can’t…”
I have seen this over and over in my friends and fellow riders. I even knew a trainer who played on it by making offhand remarks to his competitors in the warm up ring. People would often remark on how “lucky” he was. Luck wasn’t where he gained an advantage, it was just that by being prepared and knowing he was a winner (in addition to sowing that seed of doubt in his competitor’s minds) he was easily able to be come out on top so often.
I can also recall a friend, an accomplished horsewoman, telling me in years past she had trouble loading her horses in the trailer. They would frequently stop and balk at the last minute whenever she tried to load them. She had a young neighbor who was “very good with horses” who came over to help her school them. The horses walked directly into the stall without the slightest hesitation. My friend realized the only difference between the two of them was the girl had no doubt that the horses would do as they were asked, while my friend was, in the vernacular of the 60s, “giving off a vibe” of defeat. She made a conscious decision to focus on the horse walking in easily and after a little practice never had the problem again.
No one becomes a champion just by changing their mindset, it will take hard work and practice and at least some innate talent. But you can ask any good instructor and they will tell you that you should focus on what you CAN do, not on what you CAN’T ( If you must think about what you can’t do, think about what you can’t … do, YET – make it only a matter of time). Your mental attitude can have a very real effect on how well you master a skill or perform under pressure and like it or not, often what you think does become a reality.
The truth of the matter is, winning or riding well- is to paraphrase Thomas Edison – “99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration”. You need to build a solid foundation and then believe that what you have built will work for you. Instead of trying to analyze each mistake, try to visualize what you are trying to accomplish. This may be making a perfect circle at the lope. If so, see it in your head over and over until it is perfect (no cheating… this can take a while but it beats watching re-runs). You’ll be pleasantly surprised the next time you saddle up and head out to do that circle, that dang if it didn’t turn out just as you pictured it.
Michelle Kuester has a bachelors degree in equine science and over twenty years of experience working with horses. She is passionate about natural horsemanship and helping people gain the best possible relationship with their equine companions. 
