Now we get to the fun part – Creativity!!
I have had the opportunity to work with a large number of horses over the years, and no two have been the same.
I love a challenge and I am known for taking on horses that other people can’t seem to get through to. The biggest thing I have discovered is that a little creativity goes a long way.
Training sessions are always designed for success even if it is just the tiniest bit of progress. Sometimes I have to sit for a moment, and figure out how to communicate in such a way that they will understand because they are very much individuals just as people are.
In my life coaching practice I approach every client as an individual, why would I not do the same with horses?
In life there is never a “one size fits all approach”. Every single situation is worth looking at from various perspectives. Oh yes, sometimes you have to think on your feet and make a snap decision, but if it isn’t working, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board.
I give all of my life coaching clients homework at the end of our sessions and this homework is totally dependent on how the coaching session went, what was covered, and I never pre-plan what their specific assignments will be.
In essence, each session is flowing, moving and the homework assignment always comes to me as the session comes to its conclusion. The assignments are always designed for success. I never give a person more than I know that they can handle. I want them to find it easy to move forward and make some progress, otherwise they will become discouraged and go back to their old ways.
There are many self help gurus out there, both in the horse world and for people and they offer many great step by step solutions to many problems.
The biggest rut that people get into is following everything to the letter and then they are surprised and discouraged when things don’t turn out as well as they hoped.
There are variables, such as personality, environment and other outside factors that can completely turn the outcome upside down.
I believe that there is great value in some of the self help teachings out there but you must always remember that creativity and instinct should also come into play when you are applying any of these methods. If doing things to the letter isn’t working, then you need to sit back, and using the knowledge that you have gathered throughout your life and of course your intuition, and tweak, or adapt them to better suit your current situation.
Every single horse teaches me something new. I strongly believe in giving them time instead of rushing through everything. They end up being far more dependable partners with this approach. I don’t believe in throwing too much at them when they are not mentally ready.
I don’t find it necessary to tie them up for hours on end as a yearling. What is the point? Instead, I teach them to be soft on the end of the lead rope, which is the basis for the rest of their life and their future training.
I teach them to not be fearful of a rope wrapped around their legs and to give to pressure when they step on their rope or when I apply a little pressure. They don’t need to wear a saddle or all of that other stuff until later. In fact, I like to turn them out with the herd to further their learning as they can learn far more from the big horses than we can teach them when they are little.
As adults, they are calm, confident and very trusting horses. In fact, they stand out in the herd because they have been fully allowed to express their personalities as long as they are respectful. They have not been subjected to fear based learning, Instead, we operate on mutual respect.
When I am presenting something new, quite often I will break it down into very small steps in order to create a comfort zone. I often do this with my coaching clients as well. As their comfort level increases, I add pieces to the puzzle until they have the entire picture. It is far less overwhelming when you approach something that is daunting in this way.
Needless to say, without using creativity, I wouldn’t have gotten very far over the years.
Using our right brain and accessing our creativity is fun and empowering. So the next time you encounter a problem when you are working on something, take a step back, sleep on it and try to view it from different angles.
You will be surprised at the ideas that will begin to flow forth.
Contact me if you would like to learn more at http://www.kellykaycoaching.com/contact