Menu
Motivation doesn't always come on its own, and that's perfectly okay. Especially during the dark winter months, it can be challenging to maintain enthusiasm and feel the same joy in visiting your horse as in the bright and warm summer half-year. Fortunately, there are many things one can do to keep their motivation alive
No matter what level you ride at, you can always set goals - both big and small. It's a really good idea to write down your goals on a note and hang it somewhere you see daily. Remember to also set a date by which each goal should be achieved. For example, you might want to be able to jump a 110 cm course by April, or be able to ride alone in the forest on your horse when summer vacation is over - or something completely different. The most important thing is just to have something to tie your training and yourself to.
Read also: Boarder – Which type are you?
For your goals to motivate you all the way through, try setting some sub-goals. Let's return to the wish to ride alone in the forest. Say your horse is completely inexperienced in venturing out beyond a riding arena. The first step could be to walk for 5-10 minutes together with another along the road. The next step might be to also take a trot and maybe be away for 20 minutes. This way, you can continue setting sub-goals until you achieve your final goal. Once you've done that, you can set completely new goals and thereby keep the motivation going.
It's also important not to rush things. For both you and the horse, one bad experience can take longer to correct than if you had been cautious from the start.
You must never (and we repeat: never!) be hard on yourself. You are your own worst enemy, and nothing destroys motivation like a round of unconstructive self-criticism. Everything you do, you do as well as you possibly can, and that's more than good enough! You must always remember to hold on to that.
By thinking positively about yourself and your horse, you will be better at overcoming adversity. It's simply impossible not to experience setbacks at some point. Here, positivity should be the tool that helps you keep going despite everything. For example, if you find that you can't meet your goal, try not to be disappointed. Instead, tell yourself that you did everything you could, but maybe the expectations were just a bit too high. You are never completely hopeless at anything. There will always be something that succeeds, no matter what, and this you can build upon. Remember that, and the motivation will surely persist.
If you make your training and positive thoughts a habit, while still remembering to listen to yourself, it will usually also be easier to maintain motivation. Many people – especially women – tend to analyze every aspect a bit too closely. Of course, you should sometimes sit down and think things over. But if you spend the entire winter thinking about how dark and cold it is outside, and how much you therefore don't feel like going out to ride, you slowly dismantle your motivation. Therefore, the positive thoughts must once again be brought forth: Yes, it's cold and dark, and the horse is probably filthy, but how wonderful it will still be to see it, feel it, and sit up in the saddle in the fresh winter air.
But if you really struggle to find motivation in the dark, we can reassure you that we are fortunately heading towards brighter times sooner or later.
Read also: Dressageriders: Why we use nosebands on horses
