Propel Yourself to New Levels

Last month, I went to a 1-day riding clinic which was pretty much a waste of time, but did end up propelling me to new levels of riding. It wasn’t that the instruction was so good, in fact, I thought it was pretty bad and I came home feeling like I knew nothing. After a few days of thinking I that I was just a horrible horse trainer, I decided that was not true and I began to increase the amount of time I worked with my horse Ranger, the way that we have been working, using a style that has been working for us.

I have to say, I was a little harder on Ranger and he rose to the challenge. I rode him in a bit, which is a piece of metal in the mouth of the horse and if used properly is not a cruel device at all. A bit is used by 99% of people who ride horses, but there are alternatives. Because Ranger had a rough start when he was a little guy, and because he was pretty mistrusting, I had often used a “bitless bridle” for Ranger, something that seemed to put him at ease.

Ranger rose to the challenge of having a bit in his mouth again, and did well dropping his head, tucking his chin, and moving all the individual body parts I asked him to. After several days of intense training (by our standards), Ranger began to plateau. He was cooperative, but it seemed like he was being pushed.

Horse Personality

I like my horses “alive” and to have personality. I like them to be safe and obedient, but to still be who they are. I let Ranger have another go at the bitless bridle and boy did he seem to appreciate it. Ranger was gentler that he had been with the bit, calmer, and had more of what cowboys call “try”.

My kids have both started to ride Ranger and have figured out that they can control him without getting hurt or hurting him. My son, 8 years-old, actually just started riding for the first time on his own and he LOVED IT! This just made me so happy because I love horses and invest a lot of time and family resources into them. To share the joy I get, with my family, would mean the world to me.

Lessons Learned

So here is what I learned this summer and how it can be applied to any situation in life. There will be times where some well-meaning soul will try and teach you something and tell you you’re doing it all wrong. Take what you can from these people, but never stop trusting in yourself and using what works for you. It is important to get outside advice, but I know from life coaching that as coaches we are not supposed tell someone how to do something, but rather help them on a journey of self-exploration. Look inward to judge yourself and see if you can do it better, but believe in yourself and trust in your talents.

Next, look to your team for feedback and make sure you are taking care of them the way they want to be taken care of. Sometimes there are external pressures for how you should treat your team, what they should be allowed and what kind of benefits they should get. However, if you want to really invest in your team, take care of them they by asking them what they need. A team member will tell you how they like to work. If you make a working environment a pleasurable place to work and build a trusting relationship, you will get a 100% return on your investment.

So there it is, a little tip from a Fall Northwoods horse training session. Trust in your ability and take care of your team. Next thing you know, you will be the kind of leader you have always wanted to be.

Keep leading,
Rad

I don’t know why I have a draw to horses and horse training. In many ways, I wish I did not. It doesn’t fit in with my family life, and just building the infrastructure for the horses is a constant challenge. When it comes to horse training, I have a desire to learn as much as I can and try to get better. Few things in life are this way for me. I am not particularly patient and I don’t set out for the long haul on most projects, but with horses I have and it is beginning to really open my eyes to somethings.

True Confession

First off, I kind of suck as a horseback rider. That’s a true confession. I started riding and thought I was pretty great, considering I had never been around horses in my life and I immediately went into starting (or breaking) horses. An unbroken (and yes that is a horse word) horse goes through a phase of what they call green. Just like the new rider trying to learn the basic concepts, green means you have some understanding, but there is no muscle memory, no true perception, certainly no mastering of the process. A saying in the horse world goes…green and green is said to be a recipe for black and blue…and I don’t recommend it.

Surviving green and green made me feel like I must be pretty special, but now I look around and realize I have been messing around with horses for over a decade, and that is a long time. I am very good at starting a young horse, but I don’t really know how to do anything advanced. I look at young people who have been working at horseback riding for several years and they can do all kinds of cool things. This made me realize, it is time to take it to the next level. I really want to be a good horseman who moves in harmony with the horse. I know that moving toward this will give me great pride. I also believe that even though I have a long way to go and the learning is endless, that some small adjustments to the way I am doing things will have big results.

Life Lessons Learned

So here is the life lesson. What is it that lifts us from one level to another? What does it take? Well, first, there is desire or need. Second there is the Law of Karma that states you have to accept where you are. Third, you need a goal or at least vision of where you want to go. Next you need a plan or program. Finally you need tools, teachers, and critics to evaluate you.

I realize that I am at step two, and to be honest, it kind of hurts. It is making me look at other areas of my life and questioning,  am I where I want to be? Am I where I should be? Boy, that is a potentially dark road, so how you approach it is important.

The object is not to compare yourself to others for that sake of living up to them, but to assess if you have the components of the life you want to lead. In life coaching, we break it down into some categories such as friends and family, finances, environment, health, romance, personal growth, fun and recreation, and career. All that being said, it is okay to use others as motivators of what you can accomplish. To go full circle in this article, that is why I want to get out there, to discover other horse people and see what they are doing and how I can do it to.

So, before you come out with the big New You resolutions in a few months, is there an area of your life that you want to improve? Are you ready to take a stab at it? Go for it! See what you can do to make a small tweak that can really lift you up and improve all areas of your life. We are in the fourth quarter and there is still a lot of time left in this year. Let me know what it is you are taking on and I look forward to watching your mastery build momentum.

Keep leading,
Rad

Next week: getting stuff out of the way…

Recently I was lucky enough to interview John Lyons, America’s Most Trusted Horseman. John has been a hero of mine since I discovered horses. He is very gentle, and develops willing partners in his horses. He follows the horseman’s rule and always puts the horse first. I have lots of his videos and books and I have learned a ton from him. In fact, because of him, I went from not knowing how to ride a horse at all to getting paid to “break” or better put “start” a horse for people. I can’t say enough good things about John. I have met him three or four times now. He is always willing to help by sharing advice. He has a wonderful family who often travel and work with him. He and his son Josh have a certification program and are now training leaders in the horse industry. To get the big picture, look up John Lyons online and learn more (you can start at www.JohnLyons.com).

Learning Leadership from Horses

When I interviewed John Lyons about what horses can teach us about leadership, what he said was a total surprise to me. The first thing that John told me was that horses can teach us that we must let go of our own life and let someone else take the reins. He said that this is unnatural for us, just as it is unnatural for the horse. What IS natural is to try and take the reins back. This is so true with many of us. When someone tells us how to do something, we push back and resist doing it “their way”. John says sometimes we must let go and try something in a different style, even if we don’t think it will be the best. To be a good leader we must first learn how to be a good follower.

Learning to be a good follower as a key leadership tool really makes a lot of sense to me, especially for  stronger leadership personalities, like the Bear (if you don’t know your personality type take the Animal Leadership personality test at http://animalleadership.com/). Although, the wolf and eagle too can get set in their ways and find it hard to follow a leader. In the Animal Leadership System, the horse person is very much the non-self-promoter, the one who is most apt to follow the lead of others, and sometimes even the one who assumes they are not fit to lead. The Bear and the Wolf personalities often easily believe they are meant to lead or certainly not follow. In all reality, this actually hinders their ability to be a good leader. Whereas the Horse can lead by supporting those who need them, other leadership types have the personality where followers have to keep up, rather than get supported. What John is saying is that the horse can teach us to be strong, but not necessarily in control.

The Desire of a Horse: Peace

John goes on to explain that what a horse really wants is peace. Peace above all other things is what the horse lives for. In the book Animal Leadership: Leadership Learned from Wildlife for Leading Yourself and Others, we talk about how the Horse person finds pain in confrontation, that is, they seek peace. Some Horse people may start to think they are weak because of this, but of all the animals I’ve studied prior to writing the book, the horse is the largest, fastest, and perhaps strongest. It is a testament to their personality that they let themselves serve so selflessly, and for what? To have everyone share in their peace.

John Lyons goes on to say that it is not trust that makes a horse serve its rider, but courage to face any obstacle to then have the unity of peace. John explains that as a prey species, the horse doesn’t understand that it is safe to face its own fears, but it is courageous enough to face them in service of others. I have to say, I never thought of it that way, but it fits right in with my belief of the Horse personality and leadership type.

Once I had a coaching client who said she needed coaching because she had the horse personality, but that was not it. She needed coaching because she was stuck in a trap. The horse leader when free from it traps is perhaps the strongest of all. Just look at all the loyal followers horses have developed. I challenge all of you to think of those you serve and see if you can turn over the reins. Let me know how it goes.

Keep Leading,
Rad

It has taken me a long time to get to the intermediate level of horsemanship; about 14 years. During that time I have read a lot about horses and horse training. I have watched a lot of videos. I have owned 10 different horses (I know that is ridiculous), and I have even done some training with other people’s horses. I still have a lot to learn, a ton! I know that there is way more for me to learn than I know. I am not even halfway there. I haven’t even scratched the surface. I have, however, learned a great deal.

Greatest Teachers

Horses themselves have been my greatest teachers. These magnificent animals are very honest and true. Once you learn how to read them, they share a language and it is earnest and pure. They don’t always tell you what you want to hear, but they don’t try and deceive you by hiding their feelings.

Horses operate in their own world, with their own rules, much like any other species I have studied closely, and each, having their own secrets to share with us. I have been open to learning about their world, right from the horse’s mouth if you will. I think I have done well with horses in part because of my background in ecology and conservation and the fact that I approach horses much as I approach wildlife species. I understand that it is not all about me, about us, but rather often about the horse and what they need.

Leadership Skills

Spending time with horses has actually been a great way to study leadership. Through watching these powerful animals and getting them to trust me enough to allow me to ride them, I have learned a lot about what a leader is and how to summon up leadership ability that may initially seem impossible to manifest. There are some really great lessons to be learned about being a leader from working with horses. I would make a case for those lessons being somewhat essential to people who hope to, or even already do, hold the prestigious title of Leader.

In the horse world you often hear things like, “To be a good horseman, your horse needs to understand that you are dominant.” You hear that the ultimate goal is control at every second. You hear that you must make the horse respect you. Is this true?

There are parts that are true, but I think many equestrians take this too far and lose the ability to truly bond with a horse. Others don’t believe it enough and soon find out that they are not yet worthy of leading a horse. It seems to me many leaders in human life are wrestling with the same challenges. Whether it be in an office, on a job site, in a warehouse, or even at home parenting, I think many out there are too focused on dominating, controlling, and demanding respect. Others have no idea how to earn this respect.

Lessons Learned

Although many of the equestrian teachers I follow will argue that what we want with our horses is control, I think that is only true to a point. I do want to decide what direction we go, the gate we travel in, and even the speed, more or less. But I don’t want to control the horse’s every move. If I did want total control, I would ride a bicycle instead of a horse. I get on the horse and give it a job. I don’t micromanage this job, but rather ride until the next big decision needs to be made. I don’t sit up there and say step, step, step, step. I just say “let’s go over there” and let the horse do its thing. I may steer around this object or that, but I trust the horse to do its job much of the time.

Leaders have to learn this lesson. When you are working with someone in a leadership position, it is very important not to micromanage. For one thing, it drives people crazy. For another thing, it is a poor use of your time. When putting together a good team or even just having one employee, one needs to realize that they have their own strengths, their own style of doing things. It is important to direct the task, but not direct every step of the way.

This is just one of the many ways horses can teach us about leadership. There is nothing like actually working with a horse to humble you and make you realize how much there is to learn. At the same time there is nothing like working with a horse to invigorate you and make you see your full leadership potential. When you are the one giving assignments to a thousand pound animal and it is actually looking to you for direction, things get real, fast. It is inspiring to find out that you can rise to this occasion, and if done right, build a relationship where you are seen by the horse as both gentle and caring, but also powerful and worthy of the greatest amount of authority. They would literally trust you with their lives. I know I have implemented the lessons learned from horses in my life, in the leadership positions I’ve had. So… maybe I have not been wasting my time horsing around.

All the best,
Rad

Rad Watkins and the Animal Leadership LLC team are always learning what we can from the animal kingdom and applying it to our own lives. Learning lessons from the wild can help you unlock a better version of yourself. Browse our main website to learn more about the writings and motivational seminars developed by Rad Watkins.