Discover your next step with your horse.

Quiz Questions

• 1.
  Do you plan to show or compete with your horse this year?

  • A.
    No
  • B.
    Yes
• 2.
  Have you felt worried, anxious or fearful during your last 30 rides?

  • A.
    Yes
  • B.
    No
• 3.
  Do you highly value variety in your sessions with your horse?

  • A.
    Yes, I like mixing things up.
  • B.
    I'm planning on showing, so I see the variety inside the focused work.
  • C.
    Does recovering from spooks count as variety?
• 4.
  Do your rides challenge your horses fitness level 1-2 times per week (his breathing rate is elevated)?

  • A.
    No, I mostly walk with occasional jogging
  • B.
    I'd like to increase his fitness (and mine) but I feel guilty
  • C.
    Yes
• 5.
  Do you sometimes feel lost as to what to work on next?

  • A.
    Yes.
  • B.
    Not really, I have a plan.
  • C.
    Well....I have a plan....but I struggle to follow it. I'd rather go trail ride!
• 6.
  Does your horse seem inconsistent, changing in different environments...and it scares you?

  • A.
    Maybe a little inconsistent, but not enough to be an issue.
  • B.
    Yes.
  • C.
    My horse is inconsistent in our normal environment....
  • D.
    Nope. My horse is steady as a rock.
• 7.
  Does your horse display symptoms that make you uncomfortable (head tossing, spooking, rushing, refusing to move forward) ?

  • A.
    No
  • B.
    Yes
  • C.
    Sometimes
• 8.
  Do your work sessions involve detail oriented focus time? (specific patterns, detailed plans)

  • A.
    Yes
  • B.
    Not really
  • C.
    I've tried some but I'm not consistent
• 9.
  Do you average five rides per week during your training season?

  • A.
    No
  • B.
    Yes
  • C.
    Yes, during my riding season but not during the 'off' season
• 10.
  Do you notice you're not enjoying your rides, or sometimes you skip riding (because of anxiety, worry, concerns)?

  • A.
    Yes
  • B.
    No
  • C.
    Sometimes.

Quiz Outcomes

• 1.
  Your result is… Yellow.

  This result is a combination of your current knowledge level and your horse’s current training level. It is important to remember that there is no one category or result is better or worse than the other. In this stage, one or both of you feel insecure, which can create safety issues. When a horse and a human come together, both are learning how to communicate with another species. That’s a big deal! There are several ways people end up in this category: By choice, by accident, or by design.By choice:‘By choice’ include starting a horse under saddle, or you bought a challenging horse with the goal of improving their life. If this is you, then you signed up for the adventure of navigating the stage. This is where I am every time I start a young horse under saddle, or help someone with a horse that is struggling.By accident:If you find yourself in this category, but this wasn’t part of your desired plan, it can be a bit of a shock or disappointment. WARNING: If you didn’t choose this adventure, you will have a strong desire to rush out of this stage. The most common way people try to rush out of this stage is to pretend it’s not happening, brushing it off as a one-time thing, or some version of this. If you feel unsafe, you MUST develop a plan for how you will handle what has happened, or what you fear will happen. You may be in this stage because you have noticed certain behaviors with your horse that you are unsure how to address. Issues like head tossing, spooking, lack of forward motion, rushing, nervous or anxious behaviors are often reported when a rider is in this category. Horses often return to this stage if their foundation training was incomplete, or if they have had large amounts of time off, or if they are confused.You are in this category because you have safety concerns. You may have had a recent scare, a spook, or an ‘unplanned dismount.’ Even without an incident occurring, you may feel worried, anxious or fearful just knowing that these things are a possibility.By design:Some people experience doubts and concerns as a result of stretching their current comfort zone. That could include buying a new horse, riding in new location, or anything that triggers your brain to consider possible safety issues. In this situation, you may notice that you have no ‘evidence’, and while this may be true, the fact that you feel unsafe, or unsure is enough to warrant developing a plan.The important thing to remember is that the safety stage is a stage. When a horse and a human come together, both are learning how to communicate with another species. That’s a big deal! While goal is to move past this stage, there is no shame in being here. To accomplish this, you must learn how to support your horse, and yourself, as you navigate your current challenge. When riders learn how to best support their horse in the current stage or category, they both become more confident. ----------------------------------Your strength: You are aware of your concerns. You are willing to admit that you are struggling with your horse and you are seeing help.Your challenge: The safety stage involves powerful emotions. Fear can point towards two things: fear of physical harm or fear of emotional harm. Many people fear public speaking even though the physical risk is very low. This is an example of fear of potential emotional harm (potential negative thoughts from others or yourself).When riding a horse and dealing with fear, it is important to address both areas. You need a plan to keep yourself, and your horse, physically safe. In addition, you will benefit from learning how to handle strong emotions such as fear, self judgements, and doubt.Your biggest challenge could be that, in the future, you may decide to ignore or pretend the emotion ‘doesn’t matter’, especially if your horse doesn’t have symptoms. Your next steps: Evaluate your skill set and decide if you need to slow down and apply what you know, or reach out for more knowledge and support.Create a specific plan for how you will ride proactively to prevent the problem, rather than waiting to see if it occurs again.Identify three emotions that are showing up in your body and contributing to this issue.Create a plan for how you will handle these emotions when they come up again, and what emotions you’ll need to generate to move forward. Remember that even if your horse doesn’t have symptoms, it’s still important to develop a plan. Your horse feels your reins, your legs, your seat, AND your emotional state. Plus, you deserve to enjoy your time with you horse!
• 2.
  Your result is… Orange.

  People in this category like to get ‘out there’ and do things with their horses. They often desire variety. They will consider the idea of doing some focused riding, but they’d rather be putting those skills into action; riding out on the trail, going to ride with friends, doing obstacles, trying something new, etc.The orange category is often my favorite, and I intentionally keep horses here, or return here regularly. I love trail riding, and I put it in this category.People typically end up in the orange category in one of two ways; buying a horse who is capable of this, or training their horse to this level. It is important to recognize which path got you here because there is one main challenge with this stage.The main challenge with the orange category riding is this: staying consistent with your habits and cues. Often times, riders crave this stage because of the variety, but without a solid foundation , the communication between horse and rider can become muddy over time. Your ability to remain in this stage is dependent on two things; your knowledge level and your horse’s current training level. If you trained your horse to this level from the beginning, and you feel safe and are satisfied with your level of communication- ride on! You are living someone’s dream.If you purchased your horse and jumped into this pattern of riding, be mindful of any changes in your horses' behavior that might alert you to problems. The most typical concern is the horses' training seeming to ‘erode’ and regress back towards the safety line. Whether you trained the horse to this level, or purchased a horse at this level, the dividing line between here and the safety line is your ability to feel safe when riding. WARNING: If you feel a loss of safety with any measurable frequency or intensity, you must consider that you are dipping below the safety line in those moments. It is important to remember that there is no one category or result is better or worse than the other. When riders learn how to best support their horse in the current stage or category, they both become more confident. ---------------------Your strength: You know yourself well enough to realize you like variety. Rest assured, with the proper foundation, variety can strengthen the understanding between horse and rider. Your challenges: Maintenance, or potentially problem-solving.While this may seem like the ideal stage, horses in this stage will require maintenance. One of your potential challenges could be that you have a resistance to doing ‘boring’ things. Remember, variety can be fun, but it can also hide developing problems.Your next steps:Evaluate your steering, transitions between gaits, and ability to stop easily and stand still. I recommend you record this 5-minute ride now and once a month so you can decide if the communication is improving or declining. If you find something you would like to improve, decide if you need to slow down and apply what you know, or reach out for more knowledge and support.Examine your willingness to do 15 minutes focused work 3x per week or each time you ride.The key to remaining happy and safe in this stage is to do regular maintenance. During these short, focused rides you can discover any hidden habits you have that may be confusing your horse during your less ‘real world’ riding. A little bit of maintenance goes a long way, and this will allow you to live happily ever after in this stage. (if that's what you choose)
• 3.
  Your result is… Green!

  People in this category know what they want, and are willing to put in the time to get there. You may choose this stage for a show season, or a lifetime. People typically enter this stage through a desire to show, but that isn’t always the case. This category represents a mindset, so a rider could be in this category because they have a strong desire to learn, or to overcome a challenge.It is also common for people to move in and out of this category. An example of this would be someone who focuses on showing or advancing for the summer months, and then loosens up and enjoys the rest of the year. It could also be someone who is navigating a particularly challenging season of growth with their horse. When I start a horse under saddle, I often have one foot in this category, and the other in Yellow.When you are in this category, it reflects your desire to achieve measurable results. It is important to remember that there is no one category or result is better or worse than the other. In fact, the determination and focus that is often found in this category, is very similar to what is needed to move through the yellow stage. Riders in this category frequently focus on the ‘final product’ and may find resistance to revisiting the foundation. While it is true that mid-show-season might not be the best time to go all the way back to the beginning, it is also true that, “Mastery of the basics creates success.”--------------------Your strength: You have a desire to achieve, and the willingness to do the work to get there. Your challenges: Refining and 'polishing', while also remembering the basics.While these may seem like contradictions, they are not. The basics should improve as you continue to refine your, and your horses, skills. When you return to something more basic, it should feel easier, or be more achievable: quicker, with more balance, or more rhythm. Although you may ‘check in’ with something more basic: a trot to halt, or lope to halt transition. You must remember ride with refinement. Often times, riders accidentally equate ‘basic’ with ‘less precise’. This is a thought error. Basic means less complicated, not less refined.Your next steps:If you haven’t already, set a clear goal. With your desire to accomplish, it is important for you to set measurable goals, written in a way that it will be easy to identify when you have reached the goal.Remember to explore the interconnectedness of the movements, especially things that have contrast, for example, how upward transitions and downward transitions are related. Seek to understand on a deeper level both the basics and the ‘side effects’ of each technique, pattern, and tool. For example, it is possible to ride 20 upward transitions and 20 downward transitions in one ride, and yet create different results depending on what you emphasize. To truly Aim High is to be willing to look at the detail and the interconnectedness in everything you do with your horse, and to value the relationship as well as the results.