Stop Out-Pacing Your Horse & Avoid the Breakdowns

5 Subtle Cues to Accelerate Progress & Sustain Success in the Saddle

I know it’s tempting to do all the things. Believe me, I suffered from severe FOMO for most of my life and didn't realize it. Despite my best intentions, the fear of missed opportunities ended up crippling my progress, stifling my performance, and risking the mental and physical soundness of my equine partners.

Now, you get to learn from my mistakes so you can avoid the unfortunate delays and accelerate your progress to secure your success in the saddle. In this article you will discover five subtle—yet destructive warning signs to look out for and learn how to overcome them so you can avoid the breakdowns, and enjoy your horse for years to come.

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When I was training competition horses I felt that if I missed a lesson, show, or clinic I would fall behind. Little did I know that trying to fit everything in actually slowed down my progress at a tremendous rate. Lame horses and body breakdowns are merely the devastation that comes after…

When you reach the point of obvious physical wear and tear it’s already too late. But there are subtle signals that you can tune into so you can change course before disaster strikes and actually reach your goals sooner.

Below are five subtle cues you're bypassing your horse and how to avoid the pitfalls:

1. You don’t want to miss out on the fun!

Horse shows are so much fun or we wouldn’t go to them! They're exciting, packed with like-minded equestrians, and 24/7 horsey snuggles. And, if you season is short and fleeting like mine was here in the PNW, their occurrence is oh so precious. But horse shows are like the energy supply of a 3 year old thoroughbred—endless.

Sacrificing one show now just might save you from missing out on an entire show season down the road.

The Way of the Wise: Practice the art of selectivity and your horse will progress faster than you ever thought possible. Narrow each month down to two, or even one event and place your focus there. Whether they’re horse shows, clinics, or camping trips, each outing has its own reward that is capable of a much larger payout than routinely received. When you place greater attention on fewer things, you magnify their potency—accelerating progress and amplifying their effect.

2. You experience physical tension in yourself

Dread, anxiety, overexcitement manifest in the body, often as tension in the gut, back, neck or chest. These are a clear sign you’re doing too much too fast. Don’t let this confuse you with normal horse show jitters—especially if you or your horse are moving up a level.

Deep down, you know the difference—you’ve just gotten used to holding onto chronic tension. Learn to let it go so you can weed through the “noise” and get the clarity to know when to stay and when to go.

The Way of the Wise: Practice relaxation! How can you know what it feels like to not feel tension when you don’t practice not feeling it? Set up a daily “Relaxation Ritual” for yourself. Take 1 minute intervals throughout your day and sit, lay, or even stand still. If you’re able, close your eyes and scan your body for any sign of tension. Whenever you come across tightness, take a deep breath and practice letting it go with a conscious exhale.

3. You see physical tension in your horse

Despite what has been normalized, tension in your horse is a natural sign that something doesn't feel right. Whether it's physical tension or emotional tension, any sign of it is a giant signal to back off. Their girthiness isn't a learned habit to shrug off. Take the time it takes to pay attention to their needs and you will save yourself (and your horse) time in the long run. When tension is spotted, secure your horse a moment of your attention and place your hand gently on them. Breathe softly until you feel their body soften.

The Way of the Wise: Give your horse a spontaneous day off. Practice flaking out on your rigid agenda every once in a while and just hang out with your horse. Spend an afternoon as a member of their herd, or surprise them with a quick agenda-free visit. You might be surprised by the wise insights your horse will offer up when you dare to do nothing.

4. You don't want to let others down

Your trainer insists that you go, your best friend begs you to join them, you are afraid your competition might get the edge on you….

When you base your decisions based on what others might think, you put your horse and yourself at risk. Get comfortable disappointing others—it’s in your horse’s best interest. You are their only ambassador—not your trainer, your competition, nor your best friend. Only your horse knows what’s best for them, and you are the only one in the position to tap into that knowing.

The Way of the Wise: Develop self trust and your horse will deepen their trust in you because they know you will not lead them to their downfall. Self trust is developed by taking risks. Try to do something each day that makes you slightly uncomfortable. Every time you do something outside your comfort zone you strengthen the muscle of self confidence. The best way you can truly honor your horse is to think and act outside the box by following your own heart instead of the herd.

5. You think you need to keep your horse fit

Your horse requires movement in order to develop strength and stamina. But of equal importance is rest, and rest is by far neglected. Bodies need rest as well as minds—integration does not occur without it.

When you are continually on the Go-Train, you cannot experience the Whoa-Train. It is in stopping that you can reflect back on what you learned and actually think ahead as to how to apply it. Your horse does the same thing!

I will never forget a 3 year old I started. I put 90 days on her then sent her back to her owner. Not having the time they thought they would, the horse sat in the pasture for 6 months. Eventually they realized it was time to put her up for sale, so they brought her back to me for another round to tune her up and market her. To my astonishment, the mare was significantly better than where I had left her. It’s like she was practicing in the field on her own when no-one was watching. Her psyche had gone to work with all the downtime as she integrated her prior experience, her body strengthened and came back with even more stamina than before, and she was excited to show me what she remembered. Now, eager to discover what comes next I had a happy and enthusiastic partner to play with.

The Way of the Wise: Give your horse downtime. You might think that it takes too long to bring them back, but that is not the case. Both mind and body need to recover and when you actually allow it to happen, you just might be surprised by the learning, growth, and accelerated fitness that will greet you at the other end of rest.

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The next time you look at your calendar to book an outing, be sure to check in with yourself. Evaluate how you feel and ask yourself why this specific one? Learn to be selective, allow your horse recovery time, and give yourself permission to flake out. With balance and conscious choices, you and your horse will progress faster than you ever thought possible, and sustain your success for years of horsey enjoyment!