Which Riding Style or Equestrian Discipline is Right for You?

Guest Post by Roberta Edstrom, Daily Oats Blog

I’ve been a little uninspired lately about blogging so am sharing this article published by my internet friend and fellow blogger, Roberta Edstrom. I love Roberta’s posts because they are full of interesting stories or ideas and always contain a great message. Enjoy!

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I wonder if I counted just how many different riding disciplines there actually are in the world of horses how many I would find that I don’t even know about.  There certainly are lots  riding disciplines to choose from:  Dressage, Show Jumping, Cross-Country, Eventing, Rodeo and Barrel Racing, through to Hacking, Trail Riding, Hunter,  Western Riding, Competitive Trail Riding . . . to my favorite, Pleasure Driving.

Loads of horse loving enthusiasts often  try a variety of them while  others seem to endlessly excel in just one or two.  Such as nine-time FEI World Cup Dressage Champion and multiple Dressage Olympic Gold medalist Anky Van Grunsvan  who now loves to ride and show reining horses.

I believe there is a reason that they have named it riding “Disciplines.”

We all train both ourselves and our horses as far as we want to go  in our life — whether from the point of just being able to ride down a trail or becoming a world champion.

I was given this quote the other day by a very dear freind.

“Discipline is the difference between what we want right now and what we want most in our life.”

(In fact I have it now on my desk in my inspirational spiral notebook and I have not changed it all week.)

In other words, it is the difference between that ice cream and my goal weight,  the difference between seeing the new Karate Kid and  finishing a new campaign to increase sales on the Knot-A-Tail website, or even going out to dinner and visiting with my buddy Carl or completing the next chapter in learning CSS programing so I can improve our site for our customers.

Not unlike others, there are many things in my life that I have wanted to achieve but I always seem to find a way to stick them in the back stall of my barn where no one ever cleans any more.

You know which one I am talking about, don’t pretend you don’t.

The one where all the tack that needs repair is hanging, where those worn-out clippers are that need to be sharpened and cleaned but are just sitting on a shelf,  where last year’s horse blankets that the horses ripped last winter are laying on the floor. Ya that stall.  Everyone has one.

Maybe it also has the book you have always wanted to write, that class you wanted to take,  school you wanted to finish, the degree you wanted to earn, the perfect job you have always dreamed about or  that business idea that has been floating around in your head  for the last few years.

But you have not taken that first step forward toward those GREAT true heart’s desires.  The true ‘GREATS’ of our lives.

Just like riding, Self Discipline is a skill and once you come to grips with it, it can alter  your life.  Think about it. Here is what you can gain just by applying some ‘riding’ disciplines to your own life. Imagine if you harnessed this power to change different aspects of your life.

You could have the power of all the horses you have dreamed about riding:

• increased self value and self esteem
• a better life for you and your family
• hope
• the ‘Buck all you want,  critter, I am going to ride you all the way!’  ride of your life  in  reaching  all of your  life’s ‘TO THE STARS’ dream goals

What good would Self Discipline create in your life?

What if you could practice Self Discipline in everything you did? How would your life change? Would it change? Think of these questions for a moment.

Some of the areas in your life you could change might be:

Most important, remember to share the whinny besides with just the herd of horses y0u own, there is an infinite supply.
……………………………..Change a life and “Share “ the Whinny!

I’m just livin’ for the WHINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNY!!

Daily Oats: Food for the Horse lover’s soul

Love,

Roberta