Positive Thinking

Riding and running colts can be a humbling time.  Well, really horses in general can be a humbling experience.  They always keep you on your toes but it seems with futurity age colts, you have to ride the lows to be able to get to the highs and then when you least expect it, you hit the lows again.  This roller coaster ride comes with the territory and isn't limited to just colts. Not everyone can handle it, which this includes myself sometimes.

Whether you're naturally a pessimist or an optimist; when things aren't going right, it's easy to get into that "Negative Nelly" kind of attitude.  However, you won't ever get ahead of the game if you keep that kind of attitude.  When you have a negative attitude, you've beat yourself before you ever make it to the arena, and many times before you even leave the arena.

It's easy to come out of the arena and think of all the bad things that happened.  Your horse tipped a barrel, you sat down too soon, he shouldered, etc. etc.  In fact it's so easy to think of all the bad things that it's hard sometimes to think of the good things.  When these negative thoughts flood our minds when we leave the arena, they start to infiltrate our minds before we go into the arena next time - setting us up for failure.

We've all heard about the power of positive thinking, but how many of us put that to use?  There are many exercises to do to help you achieve a higher power of positive thinking.  I'm by no means an expert but here is one thing that I will leave you;  Instead of thinking of all the negative things that happened in a run, I want you to also make sure you count and credit the positive things too.  It might be as simple as I stayed on! or my horse was quieter at the gate.  It doesn't matter how big the positive it is we need to make sure we acknowledge it.

Now, I'm not going to say that we are supposed to forget the negatives.  Looking back on what went wrong in a run is just as important as what went right.  We need to look at the negatives so that we know what we need to work on to turn that negative into a positive the next time.  However, too often we focus solely on the negative.  Try to have a time frame after your run that you're allowed to dissect and think about the negatives AND the positives.  For me, I will allow myself five minutes.  It might not be right after a run since often times I'm riding more than one horse, but I will pick out five minutes when I will go through my run.  I'll pick out all the negatives, not forgetting about those positives too, and will form a game plan for the next run or what I'll do in the time I have until the next run to turn those negatives into positives.

Too often we overlook the positives.  My challenge to you is the next run you make, as soon as you come out of the arena, think of at least one positive thing in your run BEFORE you think of the negatives.  Get yourself out of the negative mindset and start working towards one that is positive!

Photo by Tina Graham

Don't Settle

The past couple of years I have had the pleasure of having one solid horse and the rest  have been colts.  Thank goodness for that solid horse that allowed me to keep somewhat what's left of my sanity.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE riding and training colts.  It's what keeps me going but if I never get to jump on those solid horses, I can't keep myself up to snuff and it allows me to breathe and just enjoy the moment.  My solid horse right now is one that went through the ranks here as a just started colt to futurity colt to now my solid #1 horse.

Now, what do I classify as a solid horse?  Well, for me it is one that I can spend most of my time riding to get in shape.  There is little to no tuning and the pressure is taken off as to if I need to get to the barrel race early and exhibition, see the arena, how many times have I gotten to the barrel patch since the last race, etc.  The mare that I have now is definitely one that I know will show up to work as long as I've gotten her in shape.  It doesn't matter if I get there too early before hand to see the arena and she allows me to spend more time on my futurity colt that does need those things.  She allows me to breathe.

However, I have found that although we clock, there are still mistakes being made.  We are not at our full potential and as solid as I thought she was, I'm realizing that she has her holes.  In my time on my colts and needing that breather, I've become lenient. I've over looked this or that because well she was further than anything else that I had (and still was pulling checks).  I've spent most of my time just riding her and not fine tuning things that are rough around the edges.  I settled.

I think about how well we've done despite not being completely tuned up and realize how lucky we are to pull checks despite this. Just think of what could be if we were as tuned up as my colts were? If my colt were to come into a barrel and get stiff, you can bet that I'd be doing something about it.  Why don't I hold the same standards to my solid horse?  The answer is that I've been lazy.  I've taken the easy way out and just went to ride rather than put in the extra effort.  Now, don't get me wrong, those solid horses don't need to be tuned and tortured and those quiet rides are great for them, but they need to be tuned enough that they hold the same standards as your colts.

So, my poor, sweet, beautiful mare that thought she had this whole game figured out has come to a world stopping reality check that although she may be "all that", she's not quite "all that and a bag of chips" just yet.  No more free passes no more get out of jail free cards.  If I expect to be better, then we need to go the extra mile and take the extra effort.  In the last few months of working harder and figuring this and that out and just holding her to a higher standard, it's been fun and rewarding to see the changes.  Not only has it helped her but it's helped me grow as a horsewoman.

My challenge to you is to not get lazy.  Don't settle. It's okay to go out and breathe and enjoy the horse on a nice ride because those horses need that too, but don't forget to put in the work and reach for the stars!

Stay True To Yourself

Barrel racing is my passion.  Besides my family, I live and breathe it.  I watch barrel racing videos, read articles, talk to people and basically try to learn everything that I can.  At a barrel race you will see me watching people work their horses, trying to pick up any tidbit that I can. I'm not afraid to ask people for advice and as far as I'm concerned, I can never learn enough. Every day is an opportunity to learn.

I've never participated to a barrel racing "clinic" although I have years of private instruction from my great friend and mentor Mary Ketchum.  The foundation she gave me is incredible.  However, in my quest to learn more, I decided to go to my first barrel racing clinic.  At the time, I was in a very low spot in my confidence and having trouble.  I was willing to change everything because what I was doing just wasn't working (in my low self esteem mind).  

I learned a different style and changed how I worked my horse.  This style is proven through and through with champion after champion winning from it. However, it wasn't me.  The rest of that summer I tried and tried.  I worked and worked.  In my desperation, I flung almost everything I knew out the window and adopted this new style.  Now, I'm not going to say it screwed up my horses or me, but it just wasn't me and it wasn't working for me. 

I see fads all the time in barrel racing.  People will flock to those that are winning and just like me, forget their foundation in a sheep - follow the flock - type of mentality.  There is much to be learned from everyone from those winning to those that are not. I decided to go back to my roots and incorporate tidbits that I'd learned from the clinic that I felt would be useful to my style.  The reality of things hit me like a slap in the face. I realized that I needed to stay true to myself.  After all, my foundation was what got me to where I was - I was just needing help to build to the next level.   

My training is made up of my foundation from Mary Ketchum and has been tweaked and tuned and turned into my own through trial and error and learning from other people and horses. What I've realized most is this; Be the best version of yourself and never quit working or most of all learning. Find what works best for you and throw out what doesn't.  Don't be afraid to pick up bits and pieces from someone else to help fill in the cracks or to build you to the next level, but never lose track of your foundation. I'm excited to go to another clinic, work with another person, work with Mary but I'll always keep in mind this - Stay true to yourself and don't become a victim of a "fad". 

Disclaimer: I am by no means saying or meaning anything negative about any clinician, especially the clinician that I went to.  They are a wealth of knowledge and their clinic is a great opportunity to take their knowledge and apply it to our own.  

The Greatest Competitor

Barrel Racing as we all know is a very competitive sport. The magnitude of how far barrel racing reaches world wide is simply amazing.  One of the reasons why I was drawn to barrel racing was the fact that it was not a judged event. The only thing that I had to prove was going to be reflected on what the timer said.  Barrel racing should not be political or judged, however I've found over the years that behind the scenes that it is more and more.  With making a business in our horses with raising, training and selling barrel horses and prospects, it is hard not to worry about what another person think's about our program. After all, if no one likes or believes in our product then we are out of business.

As our young program is growing and reaching new stages, the importance of our performance is directly correlated in the future of our program.  Our first foals are reaching performance age and we will be hitting the arena.  Although I believe with all my heart in these colts, it's hard not to feel that outside pressure of what other people will think of them as well.  Remember, this is our business.  

I was really beginning to feel that pressure as I was sitting on the sidelines waiting until I could get back on my colts. I watched all my friends and fellow competitors making their strides with their colts and thought there was no way that I could catch up.  As I worried about where I'd end up with my own colts I came across this quote.

"If you continuously compete with others, you become bitter, but if you continuously compete with yourself, you become better." ~unknown 

I've always believed in this idea, but it's hard not to get caught up in the politics and have the "What did she think?", "How did he do?", "What time did they run?" etc, etc going on in the back of your mind.

Since getting back on my colts, I've focused mostly on myself and trying very hard to make up for lost time.  It's been great just seeing the difference in my colts after getting to ride them consistently as well as the change in myself.  I have tried hard not to put my thoughts on others and what they are doing.  They may be my competition on the weekend, but day in and day out, my biggest competitor is me! Myself of today is competing against myself of yesterday.  

If I can make improvements each and every day, I won't have to worry about the competitors of the weekend.  That doesn't mean that I will win the barrel race, but it does mean that I will beat my main competition (myself) and in that, is a win win situation.  If you continually better yourself, then the results will be reflected in the results of the barrel race.  As one of my favorite sayings goes, "The proof will be in the pudding." 

Broke Or Too Broke?

I have always been one of those people that thought that you could never have a horse "too broke".  Especially when it came to barrels.  I wanted to be able to move my horse this way and shape him that way and be able to do it with just my finger tips.  Last winter I spent most of my time focusing on just getting my 2015 futurity horse "broke" and being able to ride her where ever I wanted her to go.  I have to admit, my time was well spent and she's become one of the handiest horses I've ever rode.  We work well together with willing submission being the cornerstone of our foundation.  With her, I got one of the biggest compliments that I've ever received, "If you're not careful, she's going to be too broke to run barrels."

At first I just took it as face value that it was a compliment and to me, a dang good one.  However, as I'm returning to riding after my maternity leave and like you've heard me over and over trying to find my feel, timing, and balance again, I'm realizing that it might not have been the greatest thing to have this little mare this light and "broke".

Obviously if you've followed my blog, you know that returning from having kids is a struggle and something that I talk about a lot on here.  It's the story of my life right now and one that I wouldn't have changed for the world.  I envy those that can just jump back on after having kids and ride off like they've never skipped a day. However, in the effort to get it all back, I'm learning and appreciating things so much more than ever before.

I'm fortunate enough to live just a mile from an indoor arena that although I try not to work my young horses on the barrels in there due to it being so narrow, I do have plenty of room to set up drills and work on stations.  I realize the importance of working on barrels, away from the barrels if you know what I mean and on those cold days that I wuss out from riding outside at home, I take full advantage of working on these drills.

One of my favorite drills is just using a single barrel and setting it up anywhere in the arena and I can approach and turn it like it's the 1st barrel, 2nd, 3rd, from any direction of the arena.  Reiterating to my horse to listen to me and follow my body to turn the barrel.  I'm realizing that the more time in the saddle is the best thing for me, but with each horse I'm having to figure out my timing and balance again.

I decided that I was going to work my mare as if it was a first barrel.  Going slow she nailed it. Staying balanced and smooth.  I added some speed knowing full well that things weren't going to be quite as nice as they were going slow.  What I didn't realize was the fault would be solely on me!  I added some speed and came into the barrel in very good position and on the backside I barely moved my hand, (I'm talking an inch at most) and she spun around like it was a reining competition.  Whoa! We went through this process several times before I realized that by moving my hand an inch or less is what caused the reaction.  She wasn't being bad (which I knew she wasn't, I just couldn't quite figure out why she was doing it), she was just doing what she was asked to do.  So finally with my good friend Amanda coaching me, I made the turn and focused solely on my hand and not moving it.  She came around the turn smooth and effortlessly just like she had when we were going slow.

"If you're not careful, she's going to be too broke to run barrels" came flooding to my mind. Sure enough he was right about that that particular day and situation.  However, I still strongly believe that no horse can be too broke to run barrels.  The problem lies with the rider such as myself.  When the horse is cued into our every thought, movement, and feel it just makes it that much more important to be at the top of our game in order for the horse to be at the top of theirs.  Horsemanship can be summed up riding a horse with willing submission by mastering feel, timing and balance. Every day that I saddle up, I try to work on these things with my horses. It's a team effort.  However, we need to realize what we're asking our horses to do. Right now my horse is holding her end of the bargain and I need to uphold mine.

 To me, a broke horse isn't a horse that it on auto pilot. It is a horse that when watching it with it's rider, you see a dance.  A horse reading the rider and the rider reading the horse so that the horse puts the slack in the reins as you take it out.   So no, I don't believe a horse can be too broke to run barrels, but I do believe that as the level of brokeness increases, the importance of the rider's feel, timing, and balance increases as well.

One of the best feelings I ever felt was in this run where Holly and I were running on willing submission  - a team. Holly is the dam the my 2015 futurity colt that I talk about in this blog. 

Snow Into Sand

We've all heard the popular saying, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." As many of my friends are in the warm weather of Arizona, playing in the sand and going to barrel races left and right, I was really wishing I was in their position.  The past couple of weeks with below zero temperatures have made me a little bitter about being here.  It's just too darn cold to ride, even to go to the indoor arena.  Seeing those Facebook statuses and pictures of my friends kicking back and riding in the Arizona sunshine sure didn't help my mood either.  Yes, I fully admit, I'm jealous! However, rather than sulk about my residence in cold country Montana (which I love 8 months of the year) I decided to make my snow into sand - sort to speak.

Of course there is no possible way of making snow into sand, I can make a not so fun situation into something productive.  Ironically, my favorite way of legging a horse up is by long trotting through a good 10-12 inches of nice soft, puffy snow.  I loved the winter time while attending college at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT.  Located by the mountains, there was never a shortage of snow and it was always soft, puffy and evenly laid across the pasture. No need for an aquatred, mother nature gave me the perfect situation to get my horses in shape and I took advantage of it!

Unfortunately Eastern Montana isn't known for that soft, beautiful snow, or the tolerable temperatures either for that matter. With it's relentless wind, snow turns into drifts, which turn into bigger drifts, which turn into monsterous drifts (see where I'm going here) and when it's all said in done, the snow's turned into something so hard that the horses can walk on top of snow that is a few feet above the ground.

As I rode this morning I got to thinking, it's really not all that bad. I get a little creative trying to dodge the drifts that I know that are hard and take full advantage of the few areas of soft snow that's like nature's aquatred.  My horses are getting nice and responsive to me picking them up, counter arching away from those pesky drifts and learning how to keep their feet under them when they hit the occasional patch of slick ground.  They're learning a lot on how to work on auto pilot as I'm bundled up in 15 different layers, so many that my range of movement is limited.  Sometimes I think that we as riders think too much for our horses and not let them think for themselves.

The real perks of riding this time of year and in this kind of weather is the sledding. Every year our kids beg us to go sledding.  Life generally is so busy that when it's nice enough to be out with them, we're busy doing something else or when we do have time, it's too darn bitter cold to be out! However, we try to take time to go sledding a few times every year. Now, I'm not talking in sledding as grabbing a sled and going down a hill.  We don't have the best hills or enough even snow to do that much.  I'm talking about the piling the kids in the sled hooked with a rope and dragging it behind a horse. Talk about get a horse a real workout as well as multitasking as a babysitter!  The smiles and the giggles make it a memory that lasts forever.

So I guess it's not all so bad to be up here after all.  Sure, I'm not getting to go barrel race but I'm getting to spend time with my husband and kids, working colts and taking advantage of what mother nature has thrown at me. Which when you come to think about it, snow isn't so bad after all!

Frenchmans Elvis and Philip taking our son Cade for a spin. 

The Bridle

It hangs on a rusty old horse shoe, likely the very shoe of it's partner.  It's made of good harness leather with the only "bling" on it is the plain silver buckles that fasten it. The bit is starting to rust little by little and the purple reins that adorn it are getting stiff from the neglect.  It hangs dormant now that she's gone.

It's been almost a year now since she's passed. A day doesn't go by that I don't think of her and see her big doe eyes. I see her bridle hanging on the wall every day I walk into the tack room.  Each time it reminds me of the miles we rode and the barrels we turned together on that little gray mare.

The bit, just a nothing special "roping" bit was her favorite.  It was enough to control her powerhouse moves but yet light enough to let her do her job. It has never felt right on anyone else but her so there it sits.

A bridle around my place that is not used after a certain amount of time is always in danger of being disassembled and put on a different bit, one that is being used.  The reins, always a hot commodity are left, keeping it all intact. Just how she liked it.  Many times I've gone to the bridle, searching for that missing part to make my new head gear complete. But I just can't bring myself to taking it apart.  It was her's.  It feels like one of the last things that I'll ever have of hers and I'm just not quite ready to let that go just yet.

Today I held the reins, feeling that familiar feel as I slid my hand from knot to knot.  I closed my eyes and was taken back.  Taken back to a time where all felt right, a sweet gray mare between my hands and under my saddle getting ready to turn that first barrel - the complete thrill of the ride and her effortless turn.

I miss her more by the thought of her and all the memories that come flooding back every time I see that bridle hanging on the wall.  I'm not ready to give that feeling of her up just yet.  So there it will stay, hanging on the horse shoe; so that any time I need a reminder or to feel her, I can just grab the reins and she will take me for that ride that always took my breath away.