What does true connection feel like to you while riding? 🏇

Have you ever tried sitting and posting trot holding cups of water? This is a fun challenge to do to test your core and seat stability not spilling the water (we will water to about 3/4 inch from the top). @Cassie Erickson made it look so so easy.

I hear riders blame their horse and say things like, "He knows what I want but won’t do it" or “He’s just testing me.” Horses cannot reason like people do. They can't plan ahead or try to be difficult on purpose because the frontal lobe of their brain doesn't work like ours does. They respond in the moment. By instinct, by memory because of their nervous system. When the horse is doing something we don't want and we think it was done on purpose, something happens within us: Our nervous system shifts and frustrations rise. Our body get tense. And the horse senses this change in us and responds (negatively). Not because they are naughty. Because they are wired to detect tension and react to it. This is where riding has to evolve. If a rider is dysregulated (in fight/flight or freeze), no amount of instruction will sink in and be learned. If a coach doesn’t understand the nervous system of the rider and horse, they can unintentionally escalate a situation instead of resolving it. Modern coaching is not just about position, balance, or transitions. It is about understanding how the rider’s brain and body tenseness shapes everything that we do. QUESTION: Have you had a time when you experienced this happening with you and how your horse responded? Picture credit - Horse Brain, Human Brain by Janet L Jones PHD

Looking to see who is paying attention! Are you up for a little simple challenge that will take maybe 5 minutes? Go to the classroom and find the "Tag You're It" course and read the instructions 😉!

Everyone has them! Spill the tea - I would love to know what horse/riding related goals you have for 2026. You can't succeed if you don't plan out your goals.