The message of this episode comes from a quote I encountered during my childhood: Everything comes to he who waits, so long as he who waits works like Hell while he waits. While this may seem simple enough on the surface, it took years of personal growth for me to realize the different meanings hidden there.

Let’s start with the first part of the quote, everything comes to he who waits. The reality of working with horses is that you have to be patient. At the same time, no one is going to come along and dump gold on your porch while you wait for things to happen. You have to find a way to be proactive and productive in the meantime. Patience is one of the biggest obstacles people have to overcome while working with their horses. Today’s society is one in which people want everything and they want it now. However, when master horsemen are discussed one of the key elements used to describe them is patience. But what is patience? It’s having realistic expectations while putting things together in a slow and systematic way. Learning how to multitask can help keep you on a productive path while waiting to reward specific behaviors you want your horse to exhibit. This process is made easier when you learn to celebrate the small achievements you and your horse accomplish. That can be as simple as rewarding the horse when it relaxes. Being satisfied with these small improvements is crucial to maintaining energy and focus while you wait for larger milestones to arrive on the horizon.

Key Takeaways:

Be slow. Be deliberate. Take methodical and productive steps to avoid making mistakes from rushing your horse.

Trying to take shortcuts with your horse will cause you to lose forward progress with your horse. When that happens you and your animal start moving backwards, and it ends up taking even longer to reach your goals.

I was once asked if I could improve a colt’s performance by 1% a day. While my immediate answer was yes, I quickly came to realize that this was impossible. No horse is going to be made perfect in 100 days. No human can perfect themselves in that amount of time either, not even over the span of a year.

Sometimes being busy doesn’t actually get anything done. You can run your horse around in circles until they’re exhausted and still accomplish very little. There needs to be a method to your madness. Sometimes working hard requires being still and mentally working out a plan in your mind. Working hard isn’t just about activity, it’s about working with purpose and intention.

Those who have mastered their craft often look like they are doing very little, but are actually accomplishing a lot. It takes a lot of time to reach that kind of skill, and the road to get there doesn’t always look pretty. Staying productive while waiting for your goals to come nearer is how your journey through horsemanship becomes more efficient, more rewarding, and more enjoyable.

​What do you think?

We want to hear your questions, comments, and suggestions. Share them in the comments section below, reach out to us on the Van Hargis Horsemanship Facebook page, or email me! We want your suggestions for topics we can address in future episodes, so if there’s a particular area where you’re struggling, or just curious, let us know!

We’d Love to Have Your Help Spreading the Word

If you enjoy this podcast and think others would like it too, please share it with your friends and consider rating and reviewing Ride Every Stride in iTunes. It helps make the show more visible, so more people can find it, and the feedback lets us know if we’re on the right track. Thank you–your support is so appreciated.

Learn More About My Co-Host

My co-host, Laura McClellan, is a wife, mom to five, and attorney who also hosts The Productive Woman, a podcast about productivity for busy women. Check it out!

Next Time on Ride Every Stride

We’ll be sharing more practical tips for better horsemanship (and humanship). If you don’t want to miss it, be sure to subscribe in iTunes or on Stitcher.

Thank you for listening. Until next time . . . remember to Ride Every Stride!

Van

Van Hargis Horsemanship