Intro

Do you find that your inbox is cluttered with information?  Blogs, short videos, free online clinics and workshops, ads for equestrian tack, tools and clothing? What about your Audible, UTube and Spotify apps on your phone? Do you get prompts to new audio books and new podcasts on the art of horsemanship? The ‘horse world’ has caught up with all other industries these days and offers a huge variety of products for sale online.  Businesses are now connecting and using digital funnels to sell their offers across the globe.

I love it, as there is so much information available to help me learn, progress and achieve my goals. There is so much great information, if you have a way to filter through some of the rubbish. One could easily get overwhelmed with all the information received. Today’s research already shows alarming findings:

• Digital overload: Technology has become an important part of our daily lives. Our laptops, smartphones, and tablets allow us to source information immediately. Literally at our fingertips. Using these devices however can leave you drained physically and mentally. When we have trouble to process the amount of information received, it leads to distraction, causes anxiety, fatigue, or even depression.
• Digital depression: Our younger generations seems to experience this disease due to watching and listening to perfection on social media. Trying to compare themselves and achieve what others post as being beautiful and successful. It is debilitating.
• Digital Dementia: A health epidemic resulting in a sensory mismatch in the brain from over utilizing technology and excessive slouching sitting posture. This is demonstrated by a decline in cognition and short-term memory loss.
  • Interesting fact: There are also late diagnoses for dementia due to patients using technology as a tool to remember things and as a result are late diagnosed with dementia.

Based on the above, the saying “information is power” could be a myth. We receive so much information that we don’t know what to do with it.

My blog this month will focus on this topic. I share with you how to set up a balanced way to source the right information to expand your knowledge with the aim to achieve your current goal with your horse. Sourcing targeted information, structuring it to understand it and then apply it.  After all, it is in the application where we learn. Aim, Assess and Achieve is one of my training courses where I deep dive with you and set some horse riding goals over two months. This includes some of the following:

1^st rule: Gather the right information to turn data & information into knowledge. [1]

• Have a goal, an aim and describe it clearly.
• Assess where you are currently at considering your goal. What do you believe you need to learn? What is missing? Where is your gap (mind & body)? Where is your horse at (mind & body)?
• Identify and develop your questions that you might have that would close this gap.

Outcome:

• Goal is defined
• Baseline of the current state is established.
• Questions to gather the right information are defined.

2^nd rule: Structure your information

• Set up your inboxes with folders to filter your information that you receive
• Organize the information based on what you need to know to achieve your goal. Keep it simple.
• Establish ground rules. Automate the allocation of information to view when ready.
• Subscribe only to trusted sources. Sources that you know have researched a topic and share their findings in more detail and not only touch the surface – the tip of the iceberg.

Outcome:

• Declutter of your inboxes.
• Reduced stress of having to act where no value is gained.
• Structured information at your fingertips.
• Effective use of your time to achieve what you are aiming for.

These steps should assist in creating more focus on what information you might need to achieve your goal with your horse.

3^rd rule: Just Ride – Practice

• Use the 80:20 rule of spending 80% with your horse practicing and 20% online gathering and reading information about a particular exercise(s).
• Practice, practice, practice. The most valuable feedback on achieving your goal will come from your horse.
• Just ride and spend your time with your horse in the real world not in cyberspace.
• Be patient as perfecting practice takes time, so forming information into knowledge takes time.

Outcome: Data and Information applied turns into knowledge.

4^th rule: Take the time it takes.

• Time is the greatest asset we as humans have. The fact is that we all have the same amount of time each day (24hrs).
• Manage your 20% online well by seeking targeted information that is of value to your 80% of practice with your horse.
• This requires intent, focus, patience and a little bit of discipline.

Outcome: Now you are set up to progress towards success.

The following section of this blog will go a little deeper into some examples on how to go about it and hopefully assist a little more with examples.

Routine and method

Personally, I dedicate the early hours in the morning to listen and read when the mind is still fresh. I time box it from 6am till 7:30am.   The material I use is already filtered and structured to answer a particular question of mine so I take active notes by hand[2] on content. These notes assist me in retaining information fast but also effectively and efficiently converting information into knowledge by capturing where, when and how I will apply what I have read or heard.

At one point during the day, I will check in with my horse and start putting things into practice. Here I like to mention, that I usually break things down so that I can train a concept over 7 sessions (+2,-2)[3].  This allows me to give myself enough time to listen and observe my horse and assess how to progress. We often miss the signs the horses give us when they are processing and as a result, we continue down a path that leads to a communication breakdown and loss of trust. Close observation will allow us to evaluate and assess if the steps we are taking are working for the horse. Every horse will respond differently and therefore one way does not necessary work all the time.

I found that some horses require tasks to be broken down into tiny pieces before you put them all together into one task. That of course presumes you know how a task or exercise is broken up into tiny, separate pieces and then how they are put back together into one task.  Knowing these pieces and how to train them is the key to be able to put them all together into one result. These tiny pieces are often not explained enough in videos, books and even clinics unless one asks for it. I learnt by asking, practicing, observing and listening to my horse and coaches. Continuous feedback loop.

To use an example – Trailer loading[4] is the complete task and it might require the horse to work out many steps before they confidently walk into the dark and noisy box on wheels without fear and hesitation. How this task is broken down for the horse, where it feels confident and trusting can often be done without the trailer. Once the steps are all handled with ease we can bring back the trailer and put it all together for the horse and step them up into the box carefully observing. Take it step by step and reward the slightest try. A shift in weight towards the ramp, a nose reaching forward to step up, these are all signs of willingness and confidence. Often less is more. Quit on a good note when your horse has confidence and a connection with you.

Summary

The focus stays on the prize, on your goal, at all times.

• you set your goal,
• you gather the necessary information,
• you practice and observe,
• you assess/measure,
• you adjust if required and
• you practice again till you reach your goal.

In conclusion, make sure you turn information you gathered into practice with your horse. Give yourself and your horse time to practice. Your horse is your greatest teacher.  Listen and observe your horse’s responses and be guided and you will achieve your goal.

Happy riding till next time.

Gaby

FTP Coaching

 

[1] Subscribe to FTP Coaching to find out more about the course ‘Aim, Assess, Achieve’

[2] Subscribe to FTP Coaching for more details on  ‘Active Notes’

[3] The magical number seven, plus or minus two

[4] Subscribe to FTP Coaching for more details on  ‘Trailer Loading with confidence ’