Be Consistent

Whether you want a champion level horse or simply a horse that small kids can feel safe riding, you have to work on training with consistency.

When you look at someone else riding a horse, you might at first see that horse following all the riders' cues, or better yet, thinking ahead of the rider to what they will ask next. This kind of connection only comes from hours of working together as a team. Once you are more advanced in years of experience with horses, you will be able to develop the connection much quicker with each horse, but you still must be consistent.

When you ask the horse to stop, get a complete stop, or you might find that your horse is really only slowing down and not stopping at all.

Recently, with Shine, I have been asking him to keep his head slightly inward. Really it's not about his exact head position, but his whole body shape. He'll be faster at turning around those barrels, turning tight around the last pole bending pole, or even just quicker at picking up his feet and turning to keep the cow away from the gate. If his body is already in the correct position, he will just move easier and quicker.

These might sound like western disciplines, but the same goes for dressage, jumping, etc. Be consistent with the basics and you'll see improvements in the more advanced moves and disciplines as well.

Now, think back to that rider and the horse who seemed to read their mind. That connection probably seems a little more attainable now. You also might start to notice that the rider and horse duo do have a few inconsistencies in their own training. If I see this in others, I make a mental note to help it make me that much better in my own training and riding.

How does being consistent work for you? Have you noticed anything?