Winning Follows Creation

There’s one simple rule: you will never win unless you’re willing to walk on the edge.

The edge of your riding skills.

The edge of your horsemanship.

The edge of your ability to perform.

Now, this might sound like just another motivational slogan meant to push you into discomfort or risk-taking. But it's not. Motivation is not the issue. I know you’re motivated. You’re here, reading this blog, working on improving your mindset and your horsemanship. You don’t need me for motivational pep talks. What I offer is practical advice to help you advance your skillset and your perspective so you can achieve success - whatever that looks like - with your horse.

When it comes to winning. We cannot chase it, because the win is never fully up to us. What is up to us is creation. What do I mean?

Can you create a perfect run?If yes, then you can win.If not, that’s okay.

But here’s the real question: are you here to put down a respectable run, playing it safe, or are you here to give it all you’ve got, ride gutsy, and  challenge the judges to give you a higher score?

If you choose the second path, then the work begins with learning how to judge yourself. Physically. Technically. In your horsemanship. And, of course, mentally.

That challenge shouldn’t feel like

discomfort. It should carry something else: quietness. Patience. Feel.

Think about someone walking a line over a creek. Can he go wild? No. He must move with focused, internal silence. The same applies to us.

We need to find that silence to connect with our horse. To practice as though we have countless days ahead. And to show as if there’s no tomorrow. To trust fully in our feel, our knowledge, and the connection we’ve built with our horse.

Because in the end, the mission isn’t to win. The mission is to create. And how do you do that?

The Art of Creation

If your goal is to have the perfect run, setting you up for the potential to win, we must take steps toward creating it. Here are a few guidelines that helped me a lot, and some of them might help you too:

• Be brave to let go. Let go of your horse and observe where it wants to go. Let go of old habits that hold you back, encouraging you to control rather than allow it to happen. Let go of perceptions and assumptions that blind you from seeing other opportunities and potential

• Make room for silence. Ride completely undistracted from your horse - no phone, no interruptions, no chatting with friends. Silence is a powerful force. Yes, silence can make us feel lost, but that’s exactly where growth begins. It allows us to notice our horse, ourselves, and where we need growth.

• Let your goals serve a purpose, not a finish line. Goals shouldn’t be measured by external, objective features alone. They should represent something deeper - your purpose in the saddle.

• Build two new habits - and stay disciplined. Discipline creates change. Change opens opportunities. And opportunities lead us toward self-fulfillment. Rather than completely overhaul your riding, choose two new habits and focus on them with discipline and consistency.