Clover Leap Equestrian

06/04/2024

💚🖤

I read a theory about why so many riders lack a deep command of basics, and it was explained like this---

Correct basics are hard to master because there is an enormous amount of repetition involved, and if someone has tried something hundreds, possibly thousands of times, and still can’t do it, it is easy for the person to conclude that he/she is taking on an impossible challenge.

In his book “Mastery,” George Leonard wrote that on the quest to become good, there will be long stretches of “seeming non-improvement.”

Like watching grass grow, change is happening, but so slowly that it can’t be measured daily, weekly, or even monthly. But at some point, for those who stick with it, “suddenly” they can do things that before they couldn’t do.

The issue is giving up in frustration before putting in those many many many many months of practice.

That is ONE theory. I am sure there are many others, but this one does ring true.

05/29/2024

Please read:
I’ve been noticing a trend the last several years. We’ve let the next generation get soft. Kids want to ride, but they don’t want to LEARN HOW TO ride. They don’t like the heat, but they won’t get up early. They want a horse, but turn up their nose at the idea of cleaning stalls, as if it is beneath them. They want to make some money, but aren’t willing to work. They think horseback riding is something you do when the weather is perfect, and for the other 9 months of the year someone else can care for that animal’s needs. We have a problem folks, and I for one find it terrifying.
Let’s teach these kids to have a passion, and to commit to it, that in order to do something we love, it might at times require hard work, sweat and sacrifice.

05/25/2024

💚🖤💚🖤

9 Facts About Perfectionism: A mindset that must be unlearned or will ultimately bring your riding down 🧠

1. Every rider makes mistakes, even the best of the best.
It’s an unavoidable, universal experience and all a part of the sport.

2. Mistakes are learning opportunities.
You can grow from them and become better because of them.

3. Hyper-focusing on mistakes helps them happen.
They both become a self-fulfilling prophecy and take your focus away from your ride.

4. Mistakes mean you’re on the right track.
You can’t improve, learn, overcome challenges, and level up without them.

5. It’s not what happened but how you move forward from it that matters the most.
Moving on from the mistake matters more than the mistake itself.

6. Mistakes are temporary.
Work to fix and put them in the past instead of dwelling and allowing them to stick around.

7. Mistakes don’t define you.
You may have had a bad ride, but that doesn’t mean you’re a bad rider.

8. Social media only shows highlights.
Everyone is struggling whether they post about it or not.

9. Perfect doesn’t exist.
It’s impossible to meet unattainable expectations.

A perfectionist mindset and a lack of an ability to accept mistakes will do much more harm than good for an athlete’s mental performance. Mistakes are a normal part of sport and life. Everyone makes mistakes no matter how talented of an athlete they may be. Since perfect doesn’t exist, holding yourself to an unrealistic standard will only set you up for disappointment every ride. Instead, give yourself permission to make mistakes, using them to your advantage by viewing them as valuable feedback and learning opportunities. Refer to this post whenever you begin to feel hard on yourself, and remember that you are not alone! 🏇🏽💭✨
www.mindalignperformance.com

04/05/2024

🖤💚

Be kind to your trainers.

•We Loose Sleep Over Your Horses
-Trying to figure out how to get them working their best
-Stressing over them not being as far ahead as we would like
-Thinking of ways to help your riding, better ways to explain, watching videos for inspiration

•We Work NONstop
-Out at the barn more than in the house
-Making phone calls giving updates
-Watching other trainers videos
-Riding Sundays if your horse is having a hard time

•Each Horse Has Their Own Timeline
-some horses may pick something up in a week, others will take months
-they all have strengths and weaknesses
-we can not force them to do what we want, exactly the way we want, in the time frame we want. They need to accept the training and try on their own

•We Are Always Learning
-Our "schooling" doesn't have a graduation date, it's a never ending education.
-We are trying our best.
-Each horse teaches you something different

•There's Much More to Training Than Riding
-mucking stalls, hours of brushing, feeding, watering, doctoring. It never ends

•We Love Your Horses, otherwise we wouldn't do this!
-we live for that soft nicker in the barn, the moment each horse figures out what you've been trying to show them, when everything you've been working at comes together in the show pen.

-DPH





Piper’s Zoo

03/21/2024

🅂🄰🅈 🅆🄷🄰🅃 !?!
The River City Scholarship comes with over $1,000 in donated products as well as a $500 gift certificate towards 2024 RCEE classes!!

We are just about 10 days away from our April 1st deadline for scholarships. If you have not applied yet, what are you waiting for???

Head to our website rivercityequestrianevents.com/scholarship.html to apply.

02/19/2024

ANYONE WITH MORE THAN ONE HORSE POST YOUR ANSWERS!!! 🐴

-How many horses do you have? 2.5

-Oldest Horse? Easy

-Youngest horse? Sid/Maui

-Meanest Horse? Easy (only to other horses)

-Shyest Horse? Sid

-Friendliest horse? Maui by a long shot!

-Dirtiest horse? Also Maui by a long shot..

-Smartest horse? Sid

-Largest horse? Easy

-Smallest horse? Sid

-Any Purebreds? Maui and Easy

-Who do you use for your non-horsey friends?
Sid..

-Who is your escape artist? None of them..

-Hardest to catch? None

-Who has the most energy? Easy

-Who is your favorite horse to ride? Maui

-Who goes out the most with you? Maui

Your turn 😁