Everything Horses and Livestock® Magazine Feb 2019 Vol 4 Issue 1

Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®

Creatures of Habit

H ello to all, hope everyone had a great holiday season!!! As we move into a new year, I hope everyone is ready for new beginnings. We are seeing some format changes in all the associations and it's exciting for all of us to have new opportunities. With those new opportunities, comes making changes. Maybe even some that we don't want to make. In this article, I would like to discuss common things I see with my students that keep them from achieving their goals. Most of the time all that holds people back is being stuck with methods and habits that don't produce desired results. Trying new things can be tough sometimes, but if we can get over that "mental block", success can be just around the corner. One of the main things we must understand is that no matter what we think, we can't all rope the exact same way and have success. There are various methods the pros use that are

very effective. A lot of people get in a rut because they are only willing to listen to one person. For a handful of people, this can work well, for most it's a struggle to say the least. Many instructors only teach one method of execution, which isn't wrong, it's just doesn't work for every single person. To bring this home, I wanted to give a personal account of the last two months. In late October I was given an opportunity that every open caliber roper hopes for, a major sponsor and an opportunity to reach for the pinnacle of our sport. A lot of people don't understand what a

commitment it takes, both financial and scheduling, to reach that level. When you dive into it, you find out quickly. Here are a few transitions I've had to make to work towards my goal, keeping in mind that it's the new habits we have to create for ourselves to have success. First, my day to day had to completely change. In the past I have always taken outside horses to ride in the winter months, usually around 6-8 head. When working at being the best, there is no time for riding young horses and going slow. Time needed to be spent staying sharp with my riding and

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