The Whoa Podcast

About Horses and Horsemanship

Listen to the Podcast NOW

Support the Show. Become a Patron!

  • Home
  • Podcast
    • My Favorite Podcasts – Audio Only
  • Every Podcast
  • YouTube Videos
  • Support the Whoa Podcast
  • Horse Tips
Home » Dealing with Obstacles

Dealing with Obstacles

May 5, 2017 by John Leave a Comment

Dealing with Obstacles

Dealing with obstaclesRecently, I hosted a clinic dealing with obstacles.  The folks attending had a desire to learn and comprised a number of different skill levels.  My task was to not necessarily help them over just one obstacle but to offer my philosophy on dealing with obstacles in general.

Our location was at the Cameron Ranch in Rosamond, California.  The Cameron Ranch, home of the trainer and Extreme Cowboy Race judge, Bill Cameron, has a number of different obstacle courses, and just about every obstacle imaginable.  As part of my program, I offer a 20-30 minute “philosophy” talk, then turn the students out on the course.  Many people move right to the most difficult challenge to “see if my horse can do it”.  Often, it does not.

Many people move right to the most difficult challenge to “see if my horse can do it”.  Often, it does not.  This forces the horse and rider to move to an easier obstacle and begin the day with a loss.  I encourage folks to start with a win.  Find the easiest obstacle, one you know your horse likes to do, and tackle that.  Then, even another easy one would be even better.  Get your horse say, “I’m glad we made it out here today.  I’m having fun.”

Build on Success

Dealing with obstacles is building on that success.  Each “win” gets your horse more confident of his abilities and more trusting of your judgment.  After a few success, take a break.  Let him soak up his awesomeness.  After all, he deserves it and so do you.  Sometimes as humans, we want to rush from one success to another.  Like the blackjack player who wins a hand and doubles his bet on the next one.  Let your horse savor the wins.

After a few minutes break, go back to the obstacle where he performed the best before moving on to more difficult obstacles. He is  primed for success now and I bet you find the more challenging obstacles much easier.
Become a Patron!

Filed Under: Helpful Horse Tips Tagged With: competing, Fun Stuff, horse tips, Horsemanship, Inspiration

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Subscribe to the Whoa Podcast

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen On Google Music

Click To Amazon and Support Us!

Check out My YouTube

John Harrer & Horses Whoa Podcast Jana Goode
 

Tell Us About Your Horse

Email Us ~ John@WhoaPodcast.com

Artwork For The Whoa Podcast Provided By Jana Goode
Whoa Podcast Jana Goode
 

This Week’s Featured Podcast

horse care

Horse Care With Madison Seamans

Horse Health with Dr. Madison Seamans Looking for expert insights on horse care? Look no further than this podcast episode featuring our special guest, Dr. Madison Seamans, with over fifty years of experience as a professional horseman and equine veterinarian. Our guest is in an exclusive equine practice for 37 years and has even instructed at the prestigious UC Davis Veterinary Medical Center. But what really sets him apart is his … [Read More...]

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in