Back to school!

This week, like so many other folks out there, I went back to school. I started taking a very comprehensive equine anatomy and physiology course, which will expand my knowledge of how the horse works as a physical entity, and help me to provide better care for my clients.

I noticed several things early on in the process, among them, that it is harder for me to study now than it was a "few" years ago when I was in college; that my brain works on this stuff even when I am asleep; and that we all learn and process information in different ways.

Like our horses, I can get stuck when learning something new. Some of the terms that I am trying to memorize are definitely more challenging and less intuitive than others. Some of them take only one read-through and I have them down. Some of the ones that I thought were so challenging, I wake up in the middle of the night, reciting them in my head. If I am in just the right mind-set, learning is so easy! But if I am distracted, looking at the clock, not in my quiet place (whether mentally or physically), it is an absolutely uphill battle.

We are so much like our horses! Except for memorizing Latin medical terms, our horses have the same challenges when trying to learn. A gifted equine athlete may find flying changes easy, but another horse may really struggle with them. Some horses are easily distracted and easily bored, and need to mentally challenged more than others. Some horses benefit from a lot of repetition, others find this to be mind-numbing and frustrating.

And sometimes, we project our own learning styles on our horse. We might say "Oh, Poopsie just hates ring work! She gets so bored!" when the reality is that Poopsie is just fine in the ring, but WE are the ones bored with it.

It all comes down to the same thing. Whether we are the ones trying to learn something new, or we are working on something new with our horse, we have to get out of our own way, and really listen to what we or our horses need. Set yourself and your horse up for success. Create situations where learning can really happen. Remember to give yourself a pat on the back, and your horse a pat on the neck, when you've overcome a challenge, even if it felt small. We can all use more encouragement! Take breaks, and allow yourself and your horse to feel a sense of accomplishment. Don't be too hard on yourself or your horse if that lateral movement wasn't just picture-perfect, but don't settle for second-best and laziness in yourself or your horse, either. Ask for more, and then allow yourselves to enjoy having achieved it. And don't school yourself, or your horse, into the ground. Make learning fun for both of you! The rewards are infinite.

I wish you joy in your time spent with your horses, and in the time spent with yourself.