More Fun! And Why it's Important

not allow myself to become personally frustrated or place blame on my horse when I do not achieve the desired outcome. I consider my horses reaction to what I am asking of him to be feedback for what I need to do next. Rather than becoming angry or upset I become more vigorous in changing my approach until the horse understands. Often youll need to take a step back for a moment. Think about how to approach the situation instead of reacting. Sometimes you may decide to do what your reaction would have been but the key is that you choose. When riders blame their horses get frustrated and then discipline their horses it leads to a terrible downward spiral.  Horses do not rationalize discipline and consequence in the same way that people do.
Do Something Different
Start small with something just a little different. I want to encourage you to change your routine to teach your horse to be more flexible. On a daily basis it is amazing how much you can make a difference and have your horse look at you and ask what are we going to do next? with the simplest things. For example when you are leading your horse you could do it from the other side or have him follow behind you. You could groom and tack your horse in a different spot. I want to encourage people to be less predictable. Avoid doing the same routine day in and day out.
Here is another example that you could try for a bit of fun the next time you put your horse in a stall or a pen try backing him into that area. First teach your horse to back up by the nose then back between an obstacle like two barrels and finally back your horse into the stall or paddock.
Remember your chosen attitude is key here because these new ideas you try wont always work out perfectly each time and if you have the wrong attitude it certainly wont be fun for you or the horse. Dont have a time limit or expectation that its going to work on the first try. You may need to do this over several days and build up your horses confidence.
Lynn is a retired sheriff from Los Angeles California who took up riding recreationally later in life. When I met Lynn she was dealing with a very pushy horse