After writing yesterday's blog post about my anxiety about expectations and the fear of being judged, I watched a video of Eric Dierks doing an open house at his farm in Tryon. I'll post the video here, but it's the part beginning at 36:49 that really drew me in. Eric had just gotten off a green horse, and at this point he is transitioning to a more advanced horse. The conversation he has with the audience is nothing short of touching for me!
Here's what I take from that brief conversation.
1. Expectations can be my worst enemy. I think I confuse goals and expectations. It's good to have goals, to have benchmarks that I want to work towards. However, when I start laying on top of those goals the expectations that say I have to achieve them by a certain time or in a certain way, I basically set a trap for myself.
2. As a rider, I need to know that I'm not being judged in a lesson environment (at a show, of course I'm being judged!). When Eric mentioned that that's his goal when working with a rider, I wanted to cry. That's exactly the kind of attitude I want to have as an instructor...and it's exactly the kind of attitude I want/need from any instructor that I ride with (and I definitely don't feel judged with Debra).
3. The horse needs the rider to chill, to slow down the brain, and to remember the important steps of strengthening and stretching rather than just cranking. This makes the horse feel comfortable, physically and mentally.
And the last thing I took from this video....
I WANT to work with Eric Dierks! I'd love to set up a lesson with him sometime. I have no idea how expensive that would be, but he's only 45 minutes away. It would seem a shame to not utilize such an invaluable resource that's so close by!
Tonight, when I ride...my goal is to work on stretching and balance and pace to help make Obe feel comfortable physically and mentally. However, I will check my expectations at the barn door and ride through a two-way conversation. Yay, Eric!
No comments:
Post a Comment