The Rider’s Mind Podcast Episode 84: Your Part in Partnership
Partnership is not imperative to win, but if you love horses, partnership is the icing on the cake. Partnership allows you to take it to the next level and compete with connection and synergy. You’ll get the most out of your horse when they feel a connection with you.
Partnership is the third pillar of my Mindful Barrel Racer Framework, along with Presence (which I discussed in episode 82) and Performance (which I talked about in episode 83).
Do you need partnership with a horse to win? No, but…
Without partnership, your success may be limited and the length of time your horse is a willing partner is reduced.
Without partnership, you might be straying from why you started with horses in the first place.
Without partnership, you’re missing out on a beautiful connection and the chances of having synergy in a run are slim.
Horses look for connection. They want to please. They’ll give us their heart if they feel connected with us.
When you have a strong partnership with your horse, you:
- end up with a horse that wants to please you
- form a mutually beneficial partnership
- have a horse that loves his/her job
- have constant communication between partners
- get to experience amazing rides and runs
Like humans, horses can feel energy.
We all give off energy through an electromagnetic field. There is an energetic field of communication between horses and humans. The Heart Math Institute has done studies showing the effect which positive and negative emotions have on our blood chemistry and its rhythm and coherence. The book Sacred Spaces from Dr. Susan Fay also relates to this topic. Thoughts, emotions, and attitudes emit an energetic field. Horses read energy through their giant electromagnetic field.
Emotions are energy– what energy are you emitting?
Why do you feel better after spending time with horses?
You read your horse’s energy too. No wonder we feel better after working with our horses!
How can you manage what your horse receives from you?
If you are always wound up, your horse might learn to tune you out, but you will affect your horses with that energy. (That’s how some people always end up with the same type of horse or same problem with their horses.)
It is imperative that you are aware of your energy.
Get in touch with yourself. Explore the emotions you’re holding. Deal with the negative emotions, whether it’s seeking a counselor, doing your own work, energy healing or whatever you choose. I feel like this is the missing link in horsemanship. We think we’ll improve by building our skills or getting our horse better broke. But you can still be limited by your own ability to feel, to relax and to communicate with your horse.
Horses are ready and willing to partner, but are you willing to be open and vulnerable and feel all that is needed to let them in?
Join the Conversation
Join the discussion in the The Rider’s Mind Community on Facebook. As a member of this community, you’ll also get tips and videos from me.
Want to connect or ask me a question? Find me on Instagram or Facebook.
Learn with Me
If you’re looking to make changes to your mindset, be sure to sign up for my free Next-Level Mindset Mini Course.
You can also join Stride, my next-level barrel racing group. This group receives video training and coaching from me and Stride members have access to special guests. We work on becoming mindful barrel racers so we can show up, be present and perform with great partnership.
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