The Way To Learn

I had one of those days today that make me smile quietly. Days that make me think that whatever happens I actually do love my job and want to be the best I can ever be at it. All the riders worked superbly today. If I can't bring the best out of my riders I always feel like I failed and brought the horses down.

But not today. 

Pics above.: The sun kept coming and going today. 

What is immensely interesting in this whole teaching adventure is that every single rider has it's own special way of learning. You can't just run all the instructions by default because we are all so different, our perception of the world is so varied. Some people 'feel' things more, some 'see' more, some 'hear' better. I think that as an instructor you have to learn to deal the right cards to the right person and only then you have a chance of a correct response. 

The finding out of the way an individual rider learns the best is quite an adventure. An adventure when you constantly make mistakes but you repeat them less and less as your experience widens. 

I make mistakes all the time. I just try not to make the same ones. 

I find that with some riders I can just give the key-words and they will know what I mean. Especially if we have worked together for a long time.

With others we need to dig in into every possible technicality and when I thought we've just wasted 10 minutes on dry theory they walk away and show me the most perfect canter transitions I have ever seen them doing. 

I try to keep my mind open. Try not to think that my ways are the only ways. I like to talk to my riders. About everything and nothing. Look for cues on how best to teach them. 

If I ever get bored with that I think I will get bored with life.

MORE EDITING

A. brought a memory stick with pics and videos from Friday's Training Day so looks like a long evening/night of editing fun in front of me!