Bridging the Gap

Connecting tools to our skills and limiting our indulgence with gadgets can help us orient ourselves on where to devote our energies. Honing our skills is investing in our abilities to become better for our horses. Horsemanship.

If you show, things are not always going to go according to plan A. Often things out of our control will cause our horses to struggle. A big topic and Mikal and Noel chat through some of their thoughts.

Life with horses and their learning process do not follow a linear path. Part of horsemanship is listening to the horse and supporting them accordingly. Having expectations on our horses can be an important element of growth however if we are too rigid in our expectations it can be detrimental for all involved.

Horses, having their own minds, often have some of their own ideas of what they feel they should be doing, whether it be a spook or loss of alignment. The sport world gives us fairly clear ideas of what is “correct” but how we deal with the deviations on our way to creating correctness is an important piece of horsemanship.

While all horses may be a bit quirky at some point in their lives, some horses tend to be that way all the time. While that quirkiness may be frustrating occasionally, with the right approach these horses often offer us the most. Another intriguing conversation between good friends and fellow horsemen Mikal Robinson and Noel Clark.

Often thought of as nature vs nurture, maybe horses help us see that both are important and are deeply interconnected. Another interesting conversation with good friends Mikal Robinson and Noel Clark.

A life with horses comes with its ups and downs. Mikal and Noel discuss the value of taking ownership and how horses can be our best teachers, if we're willing.

Don't move the mounting block; while it has value in the literal sense, it also has great value as a mindset. After a little time away another thought provoking conversation about becoming a better horse person.

Whether we are consciously communicating to our horses before our ride or not, the horse is receiving input. This can play a valuable role in the outcome of our ride. Regardless of what our pre-ride entails, the why might be the most important.

Having a great deal of information on horses, it can be easy to get stuck looking for perfection. Remembering progress with horses takes time can help us work through bit size pieces each day and move on. Building in those little bite sized progression add up to big change over time.

Far from an association with punishment, Mikal and Noel talk largely about self discipline and how it relates to time with horses.

Time with horses is not just a physical endeavour, it is also cerebral. Sharpening our mental game is an important element for improvement. Quiet confidence may be a valuable thought point to help boost our mental game.

When we apply an aid, are we trying to tell the horse “no” or are we offering a redirection. While subtle, these two options tend to lead to lead to different results.

Horses, like humans, are individuals. Therefore, when educating, we must have a broad approach with a willingness to be flexible. Flexibility of mind helps to allow one to see the opportunities in every situation. It also gives the horse respect and empathizes with their struggles. This gives us the ability to recognize opportunities of growth.

Mikal and Noel try something different in the first “Bridging the Gap Great Debate” with each of them debating both sides of ripping the bandaid off. Should you just rip or should you take time pealing it off. An interesting conversation to force one to look at both sides of a concept.

Being proactive can play a big part in creating a more harmonious relationship with our horses. That leads to the horses offering us more of their athleticism through increased trust. Mikal and Noel discuss and try to better understand what being proactive looks like when it comes to leadership with horses.

Learning about horse education is a life long pursuit. Once we recognize just how much there is to know and do, it can become daunting. Just as with most other arenas in life, chipping away and laying one brick at a time is how we work towards our dreams. Mikal and Noel discuss how this concept helps keep things in perspective and moving forward with their horses.

In every situation that arises there are multiple directions it could go. If we only look at one side of a situation, we may be ill prepared for many possibilities. In one of their more free flowing discussions, Mikal and Noel start with the simple concept of the two sides of the coin and follow where the discussion leads.

Intitially, whenever we take a horse out of their environment or when we ask something new of them, there is some stress associated. Small stressors are an essential part of progress but require appropriate support. Mikal and Noel discuss how this relates to educating horses.

More on the subject of patience. Recognizing that patience is far more than just waiting, Mikal and Noel discuss some components which help patience to produce change with horses and ourselves.

Mikal and Noel discuss why patience is so important with horses and some of the cost when we lose it. Horses can teach us patience but they also require patience.

Understanding the thought, or lack there of, behind an action goes a long way in helping to educate a horse. Mikal and Noel explore the benefits and the costs of horses responding and reacting in an attempt to better understand the responsibility of the human. (There is reference to a podcast on “patience” however there has been trouble uploading that episode)

While riding is an emotional endeavour for most people, managing our emotions with horses is crucial. Mikal and Noel discuss why they feel it’s important and how they work to better manage their emotions.

Applicable to all areas of horses and life and worth some reflection. Mikal and Noel discuss how expectations help shape their time with horses.

With the frequency of lesson taking, we often hear our coaches repeating themselves. Taking a deeper look into those ideas from time to time can shed further light. Mikal and Noel have a conversation starting with the indirect rein.

Another seemingly small concept until Mikal and Noel explore the many connections of lengthening.

An idea brought from architecture, “form follows function”. Mikal and Noel discuss this intriguing idea and how it may apply to life with horses.

Mikal and Noel chat about what in front of and behind the leg means to them. They explore how this concept plays into their work with horses and how they attempt to educate horses about this agreement.

Building on their discussions around contact and timing, Mikal and Noel discuss the idea of feel. A somewhat elusive idea however it’s value is profound.

Continuing on a three episode progression, Mikal and Noel discuss timing as a follow up from contact. Understanding what a crucial role timing plays in the communication with horses is a key element to creating clarity.

Mikal and Noel attempt another three episode progression starting with contact. Certainly high on the list of most important topics, their discussion starts from the basic idea of the physical contact and work from there.

Mikal shares one of the insights he’s acquired over the years. A few things are great, most are okay, and a few things are undesirable. Mikal and Noel talk about how this idea helps them with horses.

Some of the most common things with horses often receive the least discussion. Mikal and Noel discuss the importance and responsibilities of using a spur.

Being one of the more important concepts, Mikal and Noel explore the idea of self carriage. It’s one of those topics which deserves frequent contemplation.

Progressing from riding back to front, Mikal and Noel take those ideas forward into bracing. Continuing to advance ones understanding of how braces are created and how to help a horse work through them is important for the wellbeing of our horses.

A concept not uncommon but what does it mean and how do we implement it? Mikal and Noel see if they can discover a little bit more about riding back to front.

Not every day is going to be what we’d hoped. We’re told that. We know that. Knowing doesn’t always make it any less desirable. Mikal and Noel discuss what we’re calling “learning days” with our horses.

Mikal and Noel discussion the superior awareness of horses and how we need to acknowledge that as a part of our process. Horses store and remember things differently than humans. For us to better help them, we need to better understand them.

Horse showing is seen as a test of your preparation with your horse. A culmination of what we have been working on and something to be proud of. So often, our nerves get the best of us. Mikal and Noel discuss show jitters and how they work to cope.

Taking things as truth simply because someone presented them as such, limits our learning of the deeper meanings and values. We almost all ride with a bit, do we need it?

Mikal and Noel discuss a question that came in regarding a comments Mikal made that he didn’t pull on the reins to stop. They transition that into aim small miss small, an idea that appears to offer many rewards.

While the title sounds complicated, the theory is profound. Mikal and Noel explore how this concept is so valuable to help in educating horses.

Good leadership is essential for the successful functioning of and team. Mikal and Noel discuss what horses have taught them about leadership and the ways in which they attempt to present positive leadership to their horses.

Failure seems to have been labeled as something to avoid in life. Mikal and Noel touch on the value of failure as well as answer a listeners question. Failure happens, how can we find value in failure and give support to horse and rider in these situations.

Mikal and Noel look into not only the importance of experimentation but the necessity. In order to learn, the horse and rider must experiment to find the desired path.

Mikal and Noel do their best exploring the idea of exercises with horses. Far from a list of exercises, they try to dig a little deeper into the essence and purpose behind exercises.

Mikal and Noel explore how trust and respect apply to horses. As a fundamental idea they discuss the values and potential detriments in the balancing act with trust and respect.

Mikal and Noel delve into what Bridging the Gap means to them. Sharing some experiences and insights into how BTG has helped them be better horsemen.