One thing I take a small amount of pride in, is that over the years I have learned to be an efficient trainer. Now, this does not mean that I rush things or work in a hurry because that is most definitely not the case.
What I mean is that I don't waste time on things that have proven to not get the results I want. I have learned to let my horses tell me when to move onward, or add a level of complexity. I have carefully honed my skills so that the techniques I use get results, and, of course results are the
ultimate key to success in anything you do.
I'm constantly assessing and re-assessing every ride to make sure there is real progress. I am quite happy with slow progress but progress none-the-less. I believe the turtle most often wins over the hare and that if you hurry and rush, often you must go backwards to "fix" a problem that has arisen. I see this happening frequently to people.
To be truly efficient, you cannot try to teach a horse something he is not yet ready to learn. For example, don't begin trying to teach a side-pass if the horse isn't yet willing to move his rib cage off your leg. Or, don't start to teach a horse to spin before your horse easily crosses over in front. Don't try to teach a horse to back between poles before he backs readily and straight without poles. I think you get my point....
I hope these thoughts help you consider how you might make your program more efficient and get results! Talk to you next week, JD
