Earlier this spring, I wrote about setting goals and working toward them as the year progresses. So far things are going well, and the horses I am working with are right on track...but what about me? Am I on track? My focus on my client horses' progress and my busy life has taken my attention away from my own growth as a rider. If I had to pick a goal, what would it be?
Recently I watched the 2014 George H. Morris Excellence In Equitation Exhibition, a horse show where young riders compete against each other without their coaches' help. No coach in the warm up ring, no coach giving pointers on how to ride around their jumping course - they even take their cell phones away. The big test was for these riders to go out and think for themselves, putting their skills to the test. (I note that these riders spend most of their show ring time under the constant tutelage of their coaches, so it is no accident that they were able to perform well.) As I watched rider after rider put in near-flawless rounds, I honed in on their position in the saddle. Lovely balance, great rhythm, heels down, eyes up. Position in the saddle matters so much, and it is often the biggest challenge that we riders face. Watching them brought to mind something that George Morris once said at a clinic I attended: "When you see something good, copy it!"
For my entire riding life, I have struggled with my posture. I do quite a bit of unsupervised riding, and without someone reminding me to sit up, my position becomes less than ideal. In addition to riding without a coach, I am a full time college student, and spend quite a bit of time slouching on the couch doing homework - not very good for my posture! Well, this afternoon I saw something that made me realize that enough is enough. I saw a picture of myself from my ride this afternoon ON FACEBOOK! Oh dear. It seems I was slouching.
Tomorrow morning I shall get in my car at 6:15 a.m. and drive to Sequim to see Kenny-the-Ride-Fit-Guru to begin the process of solving my problem. My personal goal is to become a stronger rider with impeccable posture. This will make me a much more effective rider, and my vanity will appreciate that there will be no more me-being-slouchy pictures posted on the internet for all to see.
Having shared my thoughts here about goal-setting, I am taking my own advice: to articulate a specific goal is a step in itself on the path toward attaining it. There is always a next step to take. It may be a tough, and some of us may take longer to get there, but in my book, any progress is good progress. It has taken me 30 years to decide that I need to address my postural issues once and for all. Let's hope that it doesn't take 30 more to fix them!
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| Facebook tells all! Michelle's slouch... |
