Pressure

I watched a situation today at a barn that reminded me of a mistake that I fell into as a young trainer.  A  woman was working her horse in lines.  Things were progressing fairly well up to the point where the young woman discovered she had an audience.  Unconsciously this caused the woman  to up the ante.  A little too much pressure and too much whip  caused the horse to get nervous. The horse lost cadence and balance almost immediately.  It wasn't pretty.  So what's happening at a deeper level ?  Our authentic self actually gets highjacked by the ego.  The ego feels insecure and whats to impress.  The brilliance that we want the horse to express is sabotaged and disorder is reflected back. Our focus was lost, it shifted from supporting the horse to making sure we look good.

Of course this is a common mistake especially in performance areas. You can break this loop in your head that is reacting subconsciously.  Ultimately,  you will want to catch yourself before your body tenses and reacts.  Stay present and focus on the horses needs.  Remind yourself that you are there to support the horse emotionally, mentally and physically.  The horse will gain trust in you that you are there for them.  When things get tense the horse will have learned to look to you .  Knowing that you are authentically empowered.  This is the key to teaching a horse to use his full power.