Hats Off to the Horse Council

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Determining the Lead at a Canter - part 2

As promised in my previous blog post, here I'll reveal a technique to determine a horse's lead that is safer for the rider and easier on the horse and lends to being more communicative to the horse. As a bonus, this technique presents a prettier picture of equitation to those who may be watching.

First, let's consider the lope. As a gait, the lope is a three-beat rhythm. Since the horse has four feet, we can deduce that the lope is unbalanced. This means that two feet hit the ground independently (1-2) and two feet hit the ground simultaneously (3). This makes the three-beat gait rhythm.

Now, let's introduce the word canter. More frequently associated with the English riding discipline, in my opinion it's best to use the word canter to help riders understand more clearly what's going on with your horse in this gait. The root word for canter is cant. Cant is a synonym for slant, angled or offset. All of these are applicable to what's going on with your horse as it is cantering. Even though it may be traveling in a straight line from point A to point B, it is doing so canted or slanted or angled slightly, depending on what lead the horse is traveling in while in the canter.

Now that we understand that the horse travels canted at the lope even when traveling in a straight line, we can easily determine what lead the horse is in while loping. If the horse is in the left lead, its body will be canted or angled slightly to the left. This means that if you were loping down the rail of an arena, the horse's hips would be slightly further away from the rail than than its shoulders. One might deduce too that if the horse's body is canted due to its footfall, and if the saddle is on its back and we are sitting in the saddle, then we too must be slightly canted as well. An observant rider will notice that her left foot will be slightly closer to the front cinch than her right foot. Her left shoulder will be slightly ahead of her right shoulder. These two things will be natural because you are straddling a saddle that is canted, which is cinched on a horse that is canted, while traveling in an unbalanced three beat (1,2-3) rhythm at the canter/lope. 

Finally, to safely, effectively, and attractively determine which lead your horse has picked up at the lope, simply feel for a moment how your hips are canted  and which foot is slightly in front of the other. If your left foot feels as if it is slightly ahead of your right foot, then your horse has chosen the left lead.

Hopefully this knowledge will empower you to determine your horse's lead at the canter/lope without placing you in an unsafe riding position by leaning and looking over your horse's shoulder.

In my next blog post I will help you use this knowledge and understanding to teach your horse how to pick up the lead that you want.

Until then, vaya con Dios and adios. 

Van

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Determining the Lead at a Canter

A question I'm frequently asked by advancing horsemen has to do with how to easily determine what lead a horse is in at the canter.

After some experience at riding a horse at a canter, riders somehow learn to lean forward and look over the horse's shoulder in an attempt to determine what lead the horse has chosen. Though this lean-and-look technique may be helpful in determing the lead a horse has picked up in the front, it does not lend itself to detecting the horse's lead in the rear (which might well be different from the front lead). Another adverse effect of the lean-and-look lead detection is that the rider actually will be out of balance while leaning over the horse's shoulder. This is not only dangerous for the rider, but it also hinders the horse's ability to lift and elevate its shoulder, the one part of the body it needs to lift in order to pick up its lead. Remember -

When asking our horses to do something for us, it's always a good idea to make it as easy as possible to do.

In my next blog post I'll reveal a technique to determine the horse's lead that is safer for the rider and easier on the horse, and lends to being more communicative to the horse. And, as a bonus, it presents a prettier picture of equitation to those who may be watching.

Until next time, vaya con Dios.

Van

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PEACE

PEACE: This is one of my favorite words.

Read the phrase below and share with me what peace means to you and how peace plays a role in your horsemanship.

PEACE

It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.

Unknown

Van

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Nothing Beyond the Basics - Part 4 of 4 (Three Steps to Stopping)

As our series on Nothing Beyond the Basics continues, we finally get to the area where a lot of people have concerns. It seems that so many folks for various reasons want really good and responsive stops on their horses. The concern of stopping stimulates more inquiries at our clinics and seminars than any other topic. It seems that each question and answer session we conduct is dominated by questions about bits and stopping. Undoubtedly a good stop on a horse is one of the most important areas in safe horsemanship. The good news is that it is also one of the easiest things to teach the horse. Training the horse is the easy part. Training the rider tends to be a bit more challenging.

The first thing to understand is that the horse wants to stop. The problem usually is in the way a horse is asked to stop. In fact, most of the time asking does not enter the picture at all, but instead abrupt pulling or jerking on the reins demands it. Because the horse gets no warning before the bit makes its sudden assault on the tender tissues of the mouth, he hesitates to stop because he is preoccupied with trying to protect himself from the pain of the bit.

So how do we stop our horses? Pull on the reins and say “whoa”, right?

Well, before we answer that let’s consider what is causing our horse’s movement. As discussed in previous blog posts, the horse is moving because of our rhythm in the saddle. Therefore, the first step to stopping is to quit the rhythm. Stop riding. To do this, simply sit heavy in the saddle so that the horse feels the difference between riding and the dead weight of a passenger. To exaggerate this first step, I like to use a heavy relaxed posture as if to exhale all of the air from my lungs. As you ride at a forward gait, sit up with your back straight, your shoulders over your pelvis and your feet below your pelvis. To relax and quit riding, simply allow your back to hollow out a bit, exhale all the air from your lungs, and allow your feet to move slightly forward. This change of posture is not only easy for the horse to feel, but also prepares the rider for an abrupt or sudden stop.

The second step to stopping is to say “whoa”. This step is very important. Unfortunately, the word “whoa” is one of the most overused words in horse riding. It is my opinion that “whoa” should be used to ask for a stop and at no other time. Too often I hear a rider say “whoa” when wanting the horse to relax, slow down, or stand still. Choose another word for that cue, such as “easy.” Remember whoa means whoa. Whoa means Stop. Create a good habit by saying whoa only when you want your horse to stop. As a result, the horse will have one less thing to confuse him.

The third and final step to stopping is to support with the reins. To do this and to complete the stop, gently pick up the reins until light contact is made on the bit or headgear. It is now that you need to become very conscientious of your horse’s efforts to stop. Be very attentive to the amount of pressure you are applying with the reins. Resist the temptation to pull harder on the reins if your horse does not stop at once. Simply continue to relax, repeat the word “whoa” confidently over and over until the horse comes to a complete stop. Again, resist the temptation to pull harder on the reins. The objective is to get the horse to respond to lighter and lighter pressure. In fact, if these three steps are followed consistently your horse will begin to stop before the reins ever come tight.

Now that your horse has come to a quiet and relaxed stop, the most important thing you can do is to release the pressure you have been holding on the reins. The horse will feel the release and this, as well as getting what the horse wanted all along (to stop working), will be his reward for a job well done. If your horse happens to be one of those that just won’t stop, it may take several repetitions of this simple yet effective method before he begins to pick up on your new soft and gentle approach to asking for a stop. Eventually, he will favor this approach and become more relaxed and appreciative of your new skills.

Good luck in learning to communicate the Three Steps to Stopping to your horse:

1. STOP riding
2. SAY “whoa,” and
3. SUPPORT with your reins.

 Drop us a note in the comments section to let us know how it’s working for you.

Until next time, vaya con dios and adios.

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Nothing Beyond the Basics - Part 3 of 4 (Manipulating Forward Movement)

Several years ago on the South Island of New Zealand in a region known as Nelson, I met an influential old gentleman named Laury McVicar. One morning, while Laury and I were riding a few green colts in an arena, one of the adolescent equines spooked and bolted with me in the saddle. As I passed Laury on the runaway colt, I asked him in a slightly excited tone to please close the arena’s open gate so this colt wouldn’t leave the arena. In his aged and infinite wisdom, Laury replied, “Shel-be-right mate,” (for those of you needing help translating the South Pacific slang, “She’ll be all right, friend”) “if he leaves the pen, he can’t get off the island.”

Rarely does a day pass that I don’t recall that incident. Not only did I find the humor in Laury’s words, but I am reminded too of the importance of having control of a horse. I had forward movement on the colt that day, but I lacked the ability to turn him or change his speed. In other words, I could not manipulate his forward movement.

As important as it is to get our horses to move out, it is equally important for us to be able to manipulate that forward movement. Manipulating and controlling a horse’s forward movement is simply controlling its speed through transitions. Transitioning from a walk to a trot, trot to a lope, a lope to a long lope or gallop, and back again from lope to trot and trot to walk, are very important skills we need in every horse under saddle.

This concept may seem over-simplified, but I see so many horses and riders that lack the communication skills to accomplish these transitions smoothly and easily. Perhaps it is so basic that it is easily overlooked. Perhaps many riders take speed control for granted. After all, if we lack speed control we can quickly and easily remedy it by spurs and big bits, right? (Please don’t misunderstand -- I am not opposed to using spurs, nor am I against the use of various bits. I am, however, opposed to using them in place of, or as an excuse for, a lack of horsemanship or communication skills.)

As referred to in the last blog post, we must know the horse’s gaits and must learn to establish a rhythm with our horses to aid us in accomplishing efficient and effective performance. Our goal in manipulating our horse’s forward movement in speed control is to refine communication with our horses so that transitions in speed occur smoothly and effortlessly and without stress to the horse. As we refine this communication we should be able to make the transitions from one gait to the next without obvious visible signs to those who may happen to be watching.

Another area of manipulating forward movement is direction. Again, this may seem so obvious that it hardly needs mentioning. Nevertheless, I happen across folks all over the country who have a difficult time asking their horses to do something as simple as a turn on the forehand or a turn on the hindquarters. Can we quietly and effectively control our horse’s hindquarters at a standstill, a walk, a trot, and a lope? Can we ask our horses to side pass, walk, trot, and lope diagonals?

Why is it so important to be able to do these things? Controlling a horse’s direction, and being able to do so smoothly and easily without the use of heavy spur and big bits, has challenged horsemen for centuries. Think about how simple it seems to lope or canter a circle. This task seems simple enough, but if you try it and critique yourself on the circle’s perfection of shape, chances are you’ll discover that loping a perfect circle is quite difficult. There is a reason why reining competitions and dressage tests incorporate the performance of circles in their list of required maneuvers. Again, the idea is to perfect forward movement and to be able to manipulate the forward movement by establishing a better line of communication between you and your mount.

By systematically learning to communicate with your horse through your body, seat, and hands, you gain safety, harmony, and enhanced performance.

• Safety results from having control of your horse’s hindquarters. If ever faced with a runaway as I was in New Zealand, controlling and disengaging the hindquarters can prevent the horse from bolting and/or bucking. I haven’t been bucked off a horse in eight years despite the fact that I start hundreds of colts under saddle each year at home, clinics, demonstrations, or expositions. I firmly believe that this is attributed to my attention to controlling the horse’s hindquarters before I mount the colt.
• Harmony is enjoyed when you and your horse trust and understand what is being asked and expected of each other.
• Enhanced performance is achieved as the refinement of manipulation of forward movement leads to accomplishing smooth lead departures and flying lead changes. Both of these are nothing more than lateral movement with forward movement added to them.

The South Island of New Zealand may not be as big as the United States but I wouldn’t want anybody running loose on a green colt wondering just how big an “island” we live on. Think about and study the benefits of manipulating forward movement and perhaps you can avoid the runaway and enjoy safety, harmony, and better performance.

Happy horsemanship, and until next time, vaya con Dios and adios.

Van

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Nothing Beyond the Basics - Part 2 of 4 (Forward Movement)

At some point during every colt-starting demonstration, I have to take the inevitable first step in the stirrup and eventually ease my way into the saddle. Most of the time, this part of the first ride is fairly uneventful. There have been times, though, that I wished I could just sit in that position and never ask for another thing from a colt. We all know that if we want our young horses to develop into performance prospects, we must ask for forward movement. On a young colt under saddle for the first time, though, that forward movement may be a little unpredictable. If we ask a colt to move forward, then anything he does is right, as long as he is moving forward, right? In my opinion this is true. Therein lies the anxiety on my part. I’m sitting there for the first time on this youngster wondering if he is going to give me an uneventful ride or the ride of my life. I suppose one must be careful of what one asks for.

It seems at almost every clinic or training demonstration I do, I am asked how to get better stops and better turns on horses. Stops and turns are created by first establishing a solid, comfortable, and relaxed way of moving forward. Moving forward – huh, how hard can it be? Right? Just jam your hat over your eyes and ears, take a deep seat, raise your legs about even with the brim of your hat, and kick ’em in the belly and hold on. You’ll darn sure get some forward movement. This type of forward movement isn’t exactly what we are shooting for here, though. We want our horses to simply move out at a walk initially. As the horse is walking out, we should be doing nothing more than just feeling the rhythm. The walk is a simple four-beat gait. We should be trying to feel each footfall and count its cadence. In the beginning of a horse’s training I am happy to have the horse move out at a walk, but as time progresses and the horse gets used to the weight of a passenger, I begin to expect a cleaner cadence and more rhythmic footfall. When I am confident that the young horses is comfortable with the walk and I have established a working rhythm with him, then I progress to the trot.

The trot is a two-beat gait. I get tickled at folks just learning to ride and sit the trot. They tell me it’s the hardest, roughest gait a horse has. I personally like the trot. The trot is the horse’s most efficient gait, so I train a lot at a trot. The trot is also a horse’s most balanced gait. At a trot a horse’s body weight is almost evenly distributed on the front and rear feet. At a standstill or a walk, the weight is about 60% on the front end and 40% on the rear end. At a lope the weight shifts. A loping horse will have about 60% of its body weight on its rear end and 40% on its front end. The trot is almost an even 50/50. Each diagonal stride of the horse can be counted 1-2, 1-2, 1-2, 1-2. Again, when I first ask my horse to trot, I am not picky about the speed of the trot, just that the horse is trotting and keeping the 1-2 rhythm. After a good deal of time I can begin to work with my horse in establishing the rhythm. Before long, my horse will trot only as fast as I am establishing the 1-2 rhythm. In other words, the horse will learn to work only as hard as I am asking him to, and that being in rhythm with me is easier than being out of rhythm with me.

Finally, the lope: loping, cantering, or galloping is a three beat gait. When I start asking my young horses to lope with me for the first time, I am not expecting them to pick their leads up immediately. That will come soon enough. Most of the time leads will happen as a means of the horse doing what is comfortable for him. For now, I simply want the colt to move out in a lope and establish a comfortable three-beat rhythm with me. Just as in the trot, the horse will seek out a feel for the rhythm. If he is loping too fast I want to concentrate on counting 1-2-3, 1-2-3 a little slower than the horse is traveling. This will help me slow my rhythm down, and the colt will slow down to meet me just to be a little more comfortable.

Perhaps the best way for me to describe how a colt seeks to be in sync with its rider is to ask you readers to think about riding double on a bicycle. Think about how difficult it is to balance a bike when your passenger on the back is wiggling around and moving out of sync with you. You have to work harder at keeping the bike balanced. The colt is the same way. When we are out of sync with our horses, we are making them work harder than they want to. Eventually the horse will match our rhythm in an effort to reduce his workload.

Here we have discussed only a little about forward movement. I could write an entire book on nothing but forward movement. For now, though, let’s just keep it to knowing that it is important for us to know and establish gait rhythms with our horses. The walk is a four-beat footfall, the trot is a two-beat, and the lope is a three-beat. Regarding that colt in the first paragraph, well, let’s just say all we can do is ask for that first step. As long as he moves forward, he’s right. Next time we’ll discuss how to manipulate his forward movement. Until then . . . Happy Horsemanship!

Van

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Nothing Beyond the Basics - Part 1 of 4

Grade school taught us many things. But three things in particular were repeated constantly – the three R’s: reading, writing and arithmetic. Teachers, parents, grandparents, advisers, along with many others, reminded us of the importance of having a thorough understanding of the three R’s. It was these three things that seemed to be the absolute foundation to our continued learning and the pursuit of our successes. The three R’s are the basics – the basics to everything to come.

For the last few years I have worked very hard to reduce my horse training program to its simplest form. I’ve tried to establish the most fundamental necessities without which I could not progress toward successful performance with my horses. I call these four basics the ABCs, an acronym for Absolute Basic Criteria. The four most important requirements we must have with our horses are:

1. Respect,
2. Forward Movement,
3. Control or Manipulation of Forward Movement, and
4. Stopping Forward Movement.

Before sharing this fundamental view of horse training with others, I consulted with many trainers in as many disciplines. No one disputed that we must have forward movement with our horses. Whether it is a walk, trot, lope/canter, gallop, or run, we must have our horses move out in order to perform. We all know that our horses are quite capable of forward movement without us. We simply have to get them to move forward when we want them to and how we want them to. This applies to moving at liberty, at halter, and under saddle.

My colleagues also agreed that we must also manipulate forward movement. This means we must be able to control our horse’s speed and direction. Controlling the speed and direction of our horses is important in both safety and performance. In other words, if we ask our horses to move forward, it would be nice to know that we could avoid immovable objects or at least approach them at a speed just short of scaring us to death. So eventually we’ll have to train our horses to move forward in the direction and the speed we want.

Finally, unless we want to ride our horses forever and ever amen or dismount them while they’re still moving – which may not be all that bad for those steer-wrestling types – it would be a good idea to train our horses to stop on request. Actually, this issue of stopping is the least of my worries as a horseman. Granted, it is extremely important for our safety, the safety of our horse, as well as the safety of those around us. The reason I have little worry about training my horses to stop is because stopping is the one thing the horse actually wants to do.

Surely it seems that by simplifying this horse-training thing to only four components I have left out so much. Many of you may question things like flying lead changes, sliding stops, half-passes, or overcoming spookiness. How in the world will mastering these ABCs help my horse do more complicated maneuvers in high-skill events? Well, for that answer you’ll have to read the following blogs as I cover in detail each one of these Absolute Basic Criteria. For now, I would like to leave you with these questions:

• Could you ever have learned to read Psalms without first learning to read Dick and Jane?

• Could Abe Lincoln have written the Gettysburg Address without first learning to write his name?

• Could NASA have sent a man to the moon and beyond without first understanding how to add, subtract, and multiply?

You see, no matter what we do, we must have a solid foundation and understanding of the basics before we can apply those basics to tasks that lead us toward accomplishing things beyond our wildest dreams.

Van

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IF IT AIN’T BROKE, FIX IT

If It Ain’t Broke, Fix It is a new project/program designed by Van Hargis Horsemanship to help every horseman or aspiring horseman learn and understand:

The ABCs of Fundamental Horsemanship

     A = Absolute

     B = Basic

     C = Criteria

I personally invite everyone interested, on any level, in horses and horsemanship to join me on the journey of mastery of basic horsemanship.

At age four I started riding horses daily, and by the age of twelve I began riding horses for the public, starting with a small two-year-old filly for the wife of world renowned saddle maker Billy Cook.

Those days were filled with opportunities for me to meet some of the best horsemen in the industry. Fortunately for me, those men and women were more than generous with both their time and knowledge of horsemanship. Because of my interest in discovering more ways to enjoy horses and training them in effective and efficient ways that they could understand, I soaked up like a sponge the information shared with me by the masters. Then, because of the circumstances in which I was raised, I was able to get in plenty of practice and exposure to a lot of different horses.

From the information I obtained from the generous horsemanship masters and the vast amount of hours training, re-training, conditioning, and rehabilitating thousands of horses and from numerous hours of objectively observing wild horses and large herds of ranch horses from the age of twelve until now, I have learned that there is Nothing Beyond The Basics.

No matter the problem or the circumstance involving horse and human interaction, in order for this relationship to be safe and productive, four criteria MUST be present and understood and, yes, mastered. These four criteria ARE the foundation to any successful horse-human relationship, regardless of whether the horse is a yard or pasture ornament or a world class dressage champion. Start with and master these four ABCs – Absolute Basic Criteria of horsemanship – and you will have the skills to interact with and train any horse at any level.

What are these ABCs?

They are:

•      Respect
•      Forward Movement
•      Control of Forward Movement
•      Stopping of Forward Movement

In your journey with Van Hargis Horsemanship, you will learn all the aspects of the ABCs of horsemanship and how to apply them to levels beyond your expectations. You’ll learn that the ABCs are fundamental in both starting young or older horses at lead or under saddle and in rehabilitating practically any behavioral issue. You’ll learn the four questions you should ask yourself before you ask anything of your horse. Learning how to apply the ABCs will give you confidence, satisfaction, and gratification beyond your wildest dreams.

I invite you to join me and afford me the opportunity to guide you through the never-ending journey of horsemanship and personal discovery by learning and understanding that there is Nothing Beyond The Basics. Become an accomplished horseman by mastering the basics. Learn IF IT AIN’T BROKE, FIX IT.

Van

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Five Rules for Leaders

Some horsemen think that being a boss is all cracking whips, swinging ropes, whacking deadheads, and lounging in the saddle. Maybe some get a sense of satisfaction from thinking that there’s a horse out there acting on his every whim, doing the things that normal horsemen want to do, but can’t.

Unfortunately, what you see on TV is only about one percent of the life of being a “good” horseman. In between those public moments, though, being a leader requires a lot of administrative tasks before I collect a smidgen of leadership respect from my horses or colleagues. The only reason I ever get to spend a single minute with great horses is because I’m always practicing a favorite quote of mine: “everything comes to he who waits…so long as he who waits works like hell while he waits.” Among other things, I’m also wearing out boot leather and shining saddle seats with the W’s of my Wranglers.

A good horseman never has a day off and is on call 24 hours a day. Becoming respected by your horse, and gaining the respect of others in the horse industry that are in a position to help you develop your horsemanship and leadership skills, takes time and dedication to the task. Nobody gets to be a leader by sitting in a comfy chair all day staring at the “horsemen” on TV or sitting in the barn hallway watching others work, ride, and have fun. Those wannabes rot in the lower ranks of mere horse ownership when action would help them achieve a feeling of accomplishment and, of course, respect. First, self-respect; second, the respect of their horses; and last, because of the confidence and behavior exuded by the first two, the respect of their peers.

Like so many before me, I took risks to become a respected horseman, some calculated and some not so much. I encourage all who come to me claiming to want to be good horsemen to consider the leadership traits of those whom they most respect in the horse industry and to objectively observe the leadership techniques of the horses they experience. The best horsemen I’ve known are good leaders. To help those of you who want to become better leaders, I’ve put together Five Rules of Leaders. I hope that these will help you on your quest to become a better horseman, a journey that is never-ending.

1 - If you want respect, give respect. (In order to Get you first have to Give.)

A rule of thumb in our program – or any program worth its salt in the horse world – is that kindness and respect go a long way. This is true with both the horses and the folks around you that are offering assistance in your quest to becoming the respected horseman or leader you want to be. Respect given is seldom not returned. Horses sense this early in our relationships with them and size up our spirit and intent. A few individuals can bypass the structure, get by a situation or a horse or two by ignoring this rule of thumb occasionally, but most people can’t. Most people have to climb the ropes. We all do sooner or later. Gaining respect through the proper channels of time and experience and proper education is more sustainable than trying to demand or conquer your way to the leadership role. Showing a horse respect by understanding it for what it is and treating it with respect and dignity will result in its respect, support, and loyalty. Hmm, isn’t that what we truly want in our relationships with our human partners too? Funny, huh? Our elders appreciate this behavior and the younger admire it and love to discuss the men and women in charge and how they got to be there.

Remember that showing respect does not mean being weak or chronically passive; it means being assertive and attentive to the needs of the horse, those around you, and, of course, yourself and your mission or goal. Be as soft as can be but as firm as need be.

2 - A wrong decision is better than indecision

Attempting to gain leadership all at once can have polarized results. In some cases, a major decision in life brings recognition, possibly even glory. Caesar made his name by crossing the Rubicon and entering Rome. On the other hand, Brutus made his name by betraying Caesar. Clearly the difference between the two men is only one thing – victory. If Brutus had ousted his enemies after the betrayal, he could have tweaked history to his liking, but his decision resulted in unending infamy.

If you are struggling with a decision, some impatient horses might try to make it for you. As a leader, you must keep enough confidence in the actions you do know so that those around you – horses or humans – won’t begin to question your position. If someone undercuts you, the situation must be purified by forgiving the horse or the person for misunderstanding your position. Then it is imperative that you get back to taking some sort of constructive action toward your goal. Using leadership and control doesn’t have to be authoritarian, but it has to be crystal clear as to who is the leader. Horses are thankfully more forgiving than humans. If you make a wrong decision, then be humble enough to learn from it and move forward. The horse, because of its keen survival instinct and its firm anchor in the NOW, will soon adjust and will respect your change and later your consistency.

3 – Be Firm But Fair

An effective leader weeds out the progress-choking processes or behaviors. Your trail as a leader may be littered with obstacles, habitual behaviors, or even condescending people who misunderstand or perhaps even doubt your goal. Nothing cramps progress or confidence like attitude or negativity, regardless of its source. As a leader, you must keep the gears greased with whatever it takes. A great way to keep progress and focus is to be consistent in your treatment of those who are impeding your journey. In other words, treat everyone the same, from the CEO to the stall cleaner, from the champion to the barn dink.

This does not mean you should put on a plastic face; it means be a likable bulldog. When someone is stalling, encourage him. If he still stalls, apply pressure. On the third stall, apply more pressure. I refer to this as my AST method; Ask – Suggest – Tell. Don’t be afraid to be a leader. And remember: sometimes being a leader means you have to be firm and assertive to get things done that you know are best for the team, even if the team is just you and your horse. I prefer to be as nice as the situation allows and will always Ask for something at first. After a reasonable amount of time I will follow up by Suggesting that what I asked for be done (or at least an attempt at it; we can build on a try). Finally, I can get very firm and Tell my horse to do the task (or, again, make an attempt).

Though this is an everyday practice with my horsemanship, I place this into action with my humanship as well. Through consistency, those around you – horse or human – will learn that when you ask for something, you expect action and progress. Therefore, in order to prevent you, the leader, from having to be more assertive than necessary, “they” are empowered to perform in a timely manner and keep the situation from escalating to the level of Suggest or Tell. Be firm but fair and consistent.

4 - Take chances and call the shots

Reaching the position of leadership is where you will feel the squeeze of responsibility and constant challenge. There are crossroad moments when an individual takes a chance on a great idea or becomes a footnote to someone else’s history. In fact, history is the compilation of crossroads between those who made the right choice and those who made the wrong choice. To have a name, you must be the one calling the shots, setting the pace, and raising the bar (did I leave out any clichés?). Challenge yourself, your horses, and those around you to push beyond their expectations. This may result in a failure or two, but get the heck back up, mount up, and try again. Failures don’t define us. It’s how we handle those failures that counts. Gain respect of those around you by challenging yourself and your team to push ahead. Heck, fail! Learn from the failed attempts, even if it’s nothing more than learning where your strengths and weaknesses are. Then use your new knowledge to succeed and help all you encounter to do the same.

For example, the Arch of Constantine was not built by Constantine, but to earn his own massive rock monument outside of the Coliseum, you can bet he made a lot of major decisions. To be the leader, you must take chances, and you will therefore have failures. Do you think I didn’t make at least a few blunders along the way? Of course I did. It comes with the territory. The reward? A champion.

5 - Work harder than anybody else

Without hard work, you will never be a leader. Unless you are a child movie star, getting recognition takes at least 20 years. If you are always willing to do more, always working toward a goal, then the hours you’ve invested create an opportunity for you – and once you become a leader, everybody wants to be you and be around you. Horses will sense your confidence and want to be with you. People will acknowledge your successful journey and want to know how you accomplished your goals. At that point, though, you must remember: they are all looking at you, so you’d better keep your head on straight and be working, because respect disappears quickly. Some may say that you’re lucky to have accomplished the things you have accomplished. Some may claim that you’re an overnight success. For those, share with them two of my favorite quotes: “everything comes to he who waits…so long as he who waits works like hell while he waits” and “the definition of luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” Both of these quotes have had a keen influence on me for multiple reasons. Among other things they both inspired me to work and work hard.

You’ve earned your position so keep it. Be mindful of your actions. Look at Caligula in Rome: He squared away his whole life until he had power, and then he lost his marbles, so to speak. It happens. So remember that even when you get the recognition as the leader, you have to keep working or you’ll lose it faster than you gained it.

One Last Thought: Work On Your Personality

You can go from a 20-year struggler to an “overnight success” if you work for it, but you also need a personality. Strife is necessary to make your life memorable. Leaders live in an arena of risk. They go against the grain and take bold steps into a pasture of opposition. One thing that will surely help give your reign as leader a lasting legacy is to do the things that other people are afraid to do. This type of courage comes with having a bold character.

Van

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