The Ordinary Dressage Rider

01/21/2022

What is your word of the year? We are 20 days into the New Year and at this point, 64% of us have lost focus or given up on our resolutions. So instead of a resolution, I am picking a word or theme for the year. I want to get a lot accomplished this year and finish goals that I have been putting off. So, my word of the year is PERSISTENCE.

Persistence is defined as firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. I think this is totally appropriate after the last couple of years. We all need to be persistent right now. Sometimes it would easier to walk away from those dreams and our financial responsibilities. But If we put the same energy into our financial goals, as we do our riding goals where would we be?

Changing habits of any kind takes about two months according to research. So, when we talk about financial goals we need to be persistent and give ourselves time. We need to prioritize our goals. Start small. Select one or two to accomplish first. Just like when we teach someone to ride. We can't fix it all at one time. Maybe we work on leg position to start. And then fix the hands. We all know how to do it with someone on a horse. Look in the mirror. The same applies to you and your money.

Each week set a mini-goal. For example, this week analyze the cost of keeping boarders on your property. Make sure you include all costs like property tax, insurance, and a salary for you. Next week, get that budget done. This way it is not so overwhelming. And the more of these small tasks you complete the better you will be able to manage your business.

There will be weeks that you slip. We all have those weeks. Just move your mini goal to the following week and be PERSISTENT.

Let's try it this year. Let's all be persistent in our business goals and our financial goals.

01/19/2022

11/15/2021

So True!

10/15/2021

Barn Mangers are the stay-at-home parents of the horse world. According to Glassdoor, the average barn manager makes $40K per year. Where do you stand?

10/12/2021

Learning is different for adults and children. Do you change your teaching methods?

09/28/2021

https://www.ordinarydressagerider.com/breakeven-points/

Financial Coaching Breakeven Points ByMolly Cobb September 28, 2021 And why you need to know them I have seen so many times, trainers and instructors asking what others charge for their services. This question is valid and it is good to know what the market is around you. But you cannot set your pri...

09/21/2021

https://www.ordinarydressagerider.com/rest-and-the-equine-professional/

Financial Coaching Rest and the Equine Professional ByMolly Cobb September 21, 2021September 21, 2021 Do you really understand why rest is so important to you as a business owner and facility manager?  First, let’s get a clear understanding of what rest is.  Rest is when you stop using the part...

09/14/2021

https://www.ordinarydressagerider.com/streamline-your-processes-saves-time-and-money/

Financial Coaching Streamline Your Processes Saves Time and Money ByMolly Cobb September 9, 2021September 14, 2021 Today is payday at Pony Paddock and I am reminded of how workflow and efficiency can affect your bottom line.  I have two employees and a working student who help with barn chores. ....

09/05/2021

Financial Coaching | Instructor Insights How much should I charge for hauling ByMolly Cobb September 3, 2021September 3, 2021 I am asked this question all the time.  How much should I charge to haul a client’s horse? Or is it worth it to purchase my own truck and trailer?  Or should I just pay...

08/30/2021

This is so true, especially when you are looking for a business coach. You need to work with someone who knows your industry. This question is from James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. Atomic Habits is a great book. and well worth the read.

08/25/2021

Financial Coaching | Instructor Insights The Giver Syndrome and the Equine Professional ByMolly Cobb August 25, 2021 There is a syndrome known as the Human Giver Syndrome. The Nagoski sisters discuss this syndrome in their book Burnout: The secret to unlocking the stress cycle. Most women are human....

08/12/2021

https://www.ordinarydressagerider.com/burnout-and-the-equine-professional/

Financial Coaching Burnout and the Equine Professional ByMolly Cobb August 11, 2021 What Is Burnout? Burnout is defined as the feeling of exhaustion and lack of interest in work, resulting in poor performance. Business owners who are burned out usually feel like they’re on their own and have to ...

07/29/2021

https://www.ordinarydressagerider.com/cost-of-a-bad-hire/

Financial Coaching Cost of a Bad Hire ByMolly Cobb July 23, 2021July 27, 2021 In a previous life I was director of operations for a large Home Care agency. So, I was involved in hiring a lot of staff and supervising a lot of people.  Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought about hiring som...

07/22/2021

Financial Coaching | Instructor Insights The barn environment and our struggle to preserve it. ByMolly Cobb June 3, 2021July 4, 2021 Today I had a very new experience for me.  And I just have to share.   I tried to fire a boarder today. And she would not leave. Today is the first day of the mont...

07/14/2021

Financial Coaching Using Cost Analysis for Valued-added Price Setting ByMolly Cobb June 11, 2021July 4, 2021 There is always a struggle determining the price you should charge for your services.  And there are endless ways to set your price structure. However, the first step in any pricing structu...

07/08/2021

Thank you for following me on Facebook and Instagram. I am a recovering accountant and certified financial coach turned horse trainer, dressage rider. I have earned my USDF Bronze and Silver medals on a non-traditional horse. I have coached riders through regional and national competitions. All while running a successful training/boarding and lesson program for over 20 years. And I would like to help you do the same thing.

We have all been there, working non-stop, and thinking: if I could just get through this rough time; if I just had one more training horse or if I just had XX number of lessons per week my life would change. I was there, and I finally realized that I needed to apply my "real business" knowledge to my horse business. Applying business principles and management training has helped moved my business forward and you can do the same thing.

I can help you manage your business by:
o Creating a comprehensive analysis of your operational cost.
o Build a custom budget that will allow you to become more profitable
o Improve your decision-making skills
o Improve your time and resource management skills

To schedule a 20 minute complimentary consultation, click the link below

https://ponypaddock.as.me/initialconsultation

Check out my website and subscribe to my blog at

www.ordinarydressagerider.com

Stop struggling and burning yourself out.

Let me help you develop the business you have always dreamed of.

https://ponypaddock.as.me/initialconsultation

06/30/2021

06/27/2021

Studies show that half of all small business owners don't use budgets. Yet, budgets are an essential management tool that helps a business owner focus on their goals. Some business owners think of budgets as limiting. Others don't want to be held accountable. But using a budget will help you

Evaluate your progress towards goals and objectives

Ease the decision-making process

Budgets help with price setting

Budgets improve long term planning

Budgets are part of a growth plan.

There is no such thing as "breaking" a budget. Budgets are management tools that help you identify issues, set goals and plan for the future. Without a budget it is difficult to see where your business is headed and where your business has been.

06/27/2021

04/19/2021

https://www.ordinarydressagerider.com/2021/02/03/one-moment-in-time/

Instrutor Insights One moment in time - February 3, 2021March 2, 2021 - Molly Cobb This weekend I took a couple of students to a local schooling show. We had objectives and a plan. One student had never been to a dressage show and she was riding a “repurposed” jumper. The other was an adult amat...

02/23/2021

https://www.ordinarydressagerider.com/2020/10/22/i-cant-brain-gremlins/

Instrutor Insights I Can’t - October 22, 2020February 23, 2021 - Molly Cobb I hear this a lot.  And nothing irritates me more. My grandmother would to say, “can’t never tried”.  And I think we should all live the can’t never tried rule. Because, it is so true.  If you want to do some...

09/30/2020

"Women have brought horses into their lives for a variety of reasons. Many find the connection with an animal compares to little else in this world. It’s a place where a heart and mind can clear, where the problems of the world go away. Some want horses to explore the trails, or to challenge themselves in ways no other course in history can compare to. When a rider engages in Mastery Horsemanship. That never-ending pursuit of perfection, the human soul can literally change and heal. When a rider takes her horse into the ring to teach a new task, both engage with each other in complicated and beautiful ways. Owning horses requires leadership skills, some of which need to be honed and trained. Women can be natural leaders with the ability and desire to increase their leadership skills. To better themselves. The horse is a fantastic vehicle for all of the above"... ~~ Don Jessup

09/15/2020

One of the hardest parts of my life is staying focused. Maybe this will help.

https://apple.news/Aogm0L7f_T_2T6rWMNHprWw

Finding it hard to concentrate these days? Here's how to get back on track.

09/13/2020

This is an interesting post. So many times I ask my students, How did you do that? And they can't tell me. If you can't explain how you got the results you wanted, you will not be able to repeat them. When you get what you want stop. Take a minute and think about how you would repeat it. You and your horse can use some focus time to process.

https://blog.dressagenaturally.net/focus-vs-intention?fbclid=IwAR150DJGYUucbR9kTnz3lBlNh0CWbARu84_fxD__mvwcFm_yNiYsAf8FzDw

Learn & get tips from Karen Rohlf: How to use the power of your attention, focus, and intention to help you train your horse and get the results you want.

09/13/2020

“As my dear and wise coach frequently reminds us students, it’s only going to get better by doing it and by failing more times than you succeed, initially. I think as you continue to ride, “letting it fail” is a hard concept for us amateur dressage riders. Most of us are built with a high degree of attention to detail and we know the feeling, quality and look we are striving for. To move forward—unless you are some naturally gifted sort—you have to fail often and not get defeated by the failure.”
Carolyn Healy

08/17/2020

According to Steven Pressfield, in The Art of War: The amateur believes he must first overcome his fear; then he can do his work. The professional knows that fear can never be overcome. He knows there is no such thing as a fearless warrior or a dread free artist.

And so, we face the Dressage show. We love them and they scary the crap out of us all at the same time. They are our escape and our nightmare all rolled into one. So, what do we do? We as dressage riders may not act like a child, kicking and screaming because we are scared. But our brains are doing back flips. What if I forget my test? What if I fall off in front of everyone? What if…..?

Yeah, what if, those What if never happen? And who the hell is watching you anyway? Your trainer? your husband? your kids? Come on. Those are the people who know you. They have seen you at your worst and still love you. So, WHAT if you fall off. Your trainer will catch your horse. Your husband will pick you up. And your kids will make fun of you. But you will know you tried. And next time it will be better.

As an amateur, you probably watch the open division and think I wish I had confidence like that. Well, confidence comes from courage and courage is the act of facing our fears. Fear is a feeling sometimes very intense, but we can learn to push through it. Train yourself to ride through the fear. Oh, your horse will know. And your trainer will know. Just like any other partnership, or relationship, your horse and trainer know you all too well. Your trainer is the one who encouraged you to do this. She knows that you are capable. Facing your fears will give you a since of accomplishment. And this since of accomplishment is where confidence comes from.

Perhaps thinking of the show as another lesson, will help. The judge is going to give you somethings to work on at home with your regular trainer. The judge will not give you training techniques or exercises. But they do give you things to focus on. If you can have someone video your test, read the judge's comments as you watch your ride. See if you and see what the judge is referring to during your ride. And areas that need improvement. Take the test home, read the comments. It is just another source of input on a long journey.

I have also had students who dealt with their fears by thinking of the worst-case scenario. What the student did was to verbalize what she thought was going to happen, a spook, forgetting the test, whatever. And then she and I came up with a plan of what she would do if each of those things happened. The most important part for her to remember was that she was competing against herself. Kind of like knowing what a one-rein-halt is. You know how to take control back, so it allows you to be brave and face those fears.

You need to remember that the people who are watching your ride have either been there or they love you. And some time both. Your trainer has been there. She knows how you are feeling. She can see it on your face. But she is the one who encouraged you to show. Your husband is only there because he loves you and wants you to succeed.
You are an amateur and horse showing is about fun. This is what you do to relieve the stress from work. Your livelihood does not come from dressage scores. And you are not in competition with anyone other than yourself. So don't put so much on yourself. Do your best and next time do better. In dressage perfect is impossible. And your fear is holding you back.

Ok, we get scared, own it. It is okay. Feel it. And thrive on it.

You don't need confidence you need courage. Confidence and being ready comes from experience. Experience comes from courage. And courage is facing your fears.

08/17/2020

Justifying horse shows and the stress they cause.

Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quickens, and you start sweating. Normally, we interpret these physical changes as anxiety or signs that we aren't coping very well with the pressure. For years we have thought that stress is not good for our overall health. In fact, for years, stress has been known as a public health issue. However, in a 2013 TED talk, Kelly McGonigal, a Health Phycologist, says that the way we view stress, may actually change its effect on our body. When you change your mind about stress, you can change your body's response to stress.

According to McGonigal, studies show that when you choose to view your physical response to stress as helpful, you create a physical response resembling courage. One study showed that people who experienced a lot of stress but did not view stress as harmful had the lowest risk of dying of anyone in the study, including people who had relatively little stress. Participants in a Harvard University Study felt less stress, less anxious and more confident. So, our bodies are a lot like our horses. Our bodies know what we are thinking and act according. Even when we don't know what we are thinking. We get tight and worries and our cardiovascular system goes nuts. If we learn to breath and accept that our bodies are preparing us to take on a challenge all is well. And that rapid breathing just gets more oxygen to our brains.,

In a typical stress response, your heart rate goes up, and your blood vessels constrict. This is one reason that chronic stress is sometimes associated with cardiovascular disease. It's not really healthy for your heart to beat quickly while your blood vessels contract, especially for long periods of time. But, when we view our stress as helpful, our blood vessels stay relaxed. Our heart will still be pounding, but this is a much healthier for our cardiovascular system. It actually looks more like what happens when we experience joy, courage or even exercise. Stress when viewed as healthy can actually strengthen your heart. Over a lifetime of stressful experiences, this biological change could be the difference between dying of a heart attack at age 50 and living into your 90s.

You mean, if you change your mind and how you feel about stress you can actually change how your body reacts to stress? Yes, you can. Now, think of how we can use this information at a horse show. Now you can say, that going to horse shows will help you live longer. Because you are learning to deal with stress in a healthy way.

Here is a little more info to help justify your horse show addition. When we are stressed our bodies release Oxytocin. Oxytocin provides extra protection for our cardiovascular system, because it helps our heart cells regenerate. Oxytocin is a natural anti- inflammatory, known as the warm, fuzzy hormone that promotes feelings of love, and social bonding. Oxytocin has been directly linked to enhanced communication between romantic partners especially during arguments. And oxytocin has a positive impact on social behaviors related to relaxation, trust and overall psychological stability.

Next time your husband complains about the horse show expenses. And the stress they cause. Just give him a copy of this post. And tell him you are staying healthy. You are exercising. It is helping your marriage and your communication. All in all, horse shows are pretty cheap therapy.

Your welcome.

08/17/2020

I can't.

I hear this a lot. And nothing irritates me more. My grandmother would to say, "can't never tried". And it is so true. If you want to do something you just have to keep trying. Micheal Jordon says he missed 9000 shots and lost 300 games. I personally would have given up counting, just like I gave up counting how many times I have fallen off. But my point is, If you want something you just have to keep working at it.

I have a student who said she can't do a sit up. What does that mean?
What it really means is that she has never tried. Or she doesn't want to. So maybe you have a difficult time doing multiple sit ups. But, the more you do, the more you will be able to do more.

I tell people I can't run. Well, that is a lie. I don't like to run. Seems pointless to me so I choose not to run. But if I wanted to run a marathon, I won't expect to start off running 26 miles. I would be doing that run-walk-run -walk thing. Yep, that thing that I won't' do. I can but I don't. There is a difference.

When you started riding, you probably couldn't post the trot. Not because you were not capable. But because you had to learn the motion, you had to feel the trot and you had to learn to go with it.

So, what if you can't ride a half pass. Have you tried? Can you ride a leg yield? That's a start. If you never try you never will.

I had one student whose mother would say all the time. "she can't do that. She is not very coordinated." "She has rounded shoulders". These were just excuses. They came from her mother. Not from the rider. (that's another issue). But that young lady worked her ass off. She rode every chance she got. Came to the barn, every day for summer camp, holiday camp anytime school was out. After school. She lived at the barn. She didn't care about showing. But she would ride anything. In fact, she rode Ahab before I did. And she is damn good. She is good enough that Alex Steiner said, "This is an experienced rider, on a young inexperienced horse". Yep. That's my kid. And do you know how she got there? She tried. She worked. She wanted it.

This same rider a couple years earlier was riding my fancy dressage pony (The pony has a great self-esteem, she is a diva times 2. And thinks if you don't have an outside rein it is her job to teach it to you.) Anyway, this young lady who "can't" was riding Annie. She could not keep Annie on a 20 meter circle to the right because she "couldn't keep her left wrist straight. It took her a full year to learn what an outside rein is and how to use it. But she never gave up. Every Saturday morning, she was there in the barn ready to try again. And by God she did. By the time she was ready to move to the next pony she was showing second level with scores in the mid 60s.

Before this same young lady took on the Princess Annabelle, she was determined to conquer her fears on the hunter ring. When she first started showing in short stirrup she was on a pony mare that would react to her every move. They would work great at home. But out the shows the pony was a runaway freight train. So bad that Judges would ask her to leave the ring. She would hold her breath and lock on with her legs and the pony was mock 5 before the first jump. So, we changed ponies. We put her a wonderful quarter horse gelding. (Because geldings just like our men know how to ignore hysteria. ) The following year, this young lady went on to win the Year End High Point in the Intermediate Division. I almost cried when they gave her that plaque at the banquet. She then started showing a small horse in the jumper ring in the 3'6" division. I am not much of a crier, but it was so awesome to see her work so hard to reach her goals. She made it happen.

So, when you are in your lesson or facing difficulties in life, don't say you can't. Just try and keep trying until you get it.

03/17/2020

Ten years ago this week I experienced the worse fall of my life. I was riding a client's horse in a dressage clinic. The horse had been in training with me for about a month. And he was already showing before he came to me. So it should not have been a problem. About 15 minutes into my lesson, we were schooling walk trot transitions on a 20 meter circle. And that is the last thing I remember.
The next thing I knew, someone was handing me my phone and telling me to call someone. I called my husband, (now ex husband). He didn't answer. So I called my sister. My sister lived 30 minutes away. I could remember where I was so I had no way to tell her how to come get me. I just knew someone had to come.

The time period between the call and her arrival seemed instantaneous.

I had been using an IRH helmet. And thank God I had. My helmet had a vent in the middle that ran over the top. My fall had knocked the vent an 1/8" into the other side of my helmet. I can only imagine where I would have been had I not had my IRH on.

So please, please wear a helmet. And replace it on a regular basis.