3 Obstacles to Horsemanship and Humanship | RES 075

Ride Every Stride | Horsemanship and Personal Growth with Van Hargis

As you all know, we love getting listener questions. By far the most common questions we get revolve around confidence, anxiety, and a slew of other mental barriers that get in the way of our horsemanship. Everyone experiences these kinds of roadblocks, even me. At every clinic I’m at I tell folks the only difference between them and me is that I’ve had more practice, I’ve just screwed up more than them. And that’s it. Everyone at times feels like they aren’t normal—like they aren’t failing by doing X or Y. But the truth is that’s completely natural, we are all trying to figure this out together, although a lot of people don’t want to talk about it. But that’s the focus of this episode—the three roadblocks between you and your horsemanship and humanship.

Key Takeaways

Our Past: often times we let what’s happened to us completely dictate what we do in the here and now. People get sucked into dwelling on their past, and it puts a damper on the present. But you shouldn’t do that—you should reflect on the past to learn, not to mope. Especially with our horses. Plenty of people have told me, “Ah well my old horse did this” or “So-and-so’s horse did this to me.” But that was a different horse. Don’t let your baggage from the past interfere with a new horse, it’s a different animal!

Judgement from Others: we have to learn to know when to take advice and when to reject it. We shouldn’t do something, buy this saddle or this horse just because we are afraid of what people will think of us if we don’t. For example, a horse very near and dear to my heart passed away tragically one day. I considered that horse one of my best friends—and immediately people told me what I should do about it. Oh, bury him in a pretty place—or move on Van, just go get another horse and get back on that saddle. No one understands my experience with that horse, I couldn’t let their judgement of my grieving process get in the way of what I needed to experience. Don’t let other’s judgement become a wall you are afraid to pass.

Restricting our Beliefs: what I mean by this is that you shouldn’t be afraid to believe in yourself. To believe in your dreams, goals, and success. If you limit yourself to what others tell you you can and can’t accomplish or focus too much on the obstacles, you will draw those negative things to you. But if you believe in the unlimited you’ll find that every stride of the journey comes with its own success and beauty, and the more you appreciate those moments in the here and now, the more that dream of yours will peer over the horizon at you.

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