How to Improve Your Riding in Just 10 Minutes a Day
by Karen Pickering
I was sitting in front of the computer this morning staring at the blank computer screen, waiting for inspiration to hit me for this month’s column. Our focus for July is the performance horse. As I was perusing through online articles on the art of inspiration I came across a little nugget. It talked about sitting and waiting for inspiration, and how it just doesn’t work. You have to get started by squeezing out the letters, then words, then sentences until you get things started. Once you
start writing, inspiration comes. The article went on to explain that sitting down to write just 10 minutes per day will improve your writing skills immensely.
Puzzled, I thought, “How does this apply to horsemanship?” Imagine if you focused on a particular maneuver or obstacle for 10 minutes every day; start with the toughest challenge you have and work on this for only that time period. It sounds super simple and really it is. You just have to get started.
Performance horses come in a variety of breeds and disciplines. It’s a pretty broad term and carries many possible meanings. Define the term for you and your horse and get started with a plan of action. You will get so much more out of your horse time!
The cover story this month is about a “performance horse” challenge. The Mustang Heritage Foundation is hosting an Extreme Mustang Makeover in Nampa, Idaho this month. Read about the event on page 6 and see if it’s something you would enjoy watching. The horse/rider teams will amaze you with what they can actually accomplish in just 90 days. It’s all about focus.
I hope you enjoy your July (Happy Birthday America)! It’s a great time for trail riding and all kinds of outdoor activities in the great Northwest. Also, a big THANK YOU to all who completed our Reader’s Survey. We’ll have some results for you soon.
Quote: “You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great.”~Les Brown
Originally Published July 2014 Issue
Owner/Publisher Karen’s lifelong love of horses began at a very early age when she wore out a couple of rocking horses before convincing her parents to get her the real thing. That ill-tempered bay gelding, Brandy, was a challenge for the young horsewoman, but it drove her ambition to become a horse trainer. After attending Canyonview Equestrian College’s Horsemanship Program, Karen realized she needed work that was a little more lucrative than training, so she took a job with Customs Brokerage to pay the bills. There, she discovered an affinity for computers and a talent for creating informative, entertaining newsletters. The Northwest Horse Source began as such a letter in December 1995, with a distribution of 1000 copies for its 12 black and white pages. Now 25 years later, it’s an online magazine and website with a reach of over 10,000 per month and growing! Not bad for the results of one woman’s dream to work with horses!
Today, Karen remains involved with every aspect of the magazine and treasures the community of thousands who share a common passion. Now excited to start a version of her original magazine in Colorado!