Horse Training

Short and Long Term Goals in Horse Training

Author: Alan Largo

For many of us, we find that it is far easier to achieve our goals if we set them by firmly imprinting them in our minds. Or it is even more preferable to write them down. Setting both short term and long term goals in horse training allows you to determine where you are heading and how to keep track of your accomplishments along the way. To aid in goal setting, always keep a log book of what horse training procedures you did, and also the times and dates along with the results. Knowing you are consistently achieving your goals can help you confidently continue to work towards them. Nothing seems to feel worse than to keep striving towards your goals and not really make much progress at all with them. If you are training your horse and not having much luck, it may be time to re-establish your goals. Of course, short term goals are the first essential steps in horse training. When you set any goals, make sure that you write them down! This will greatly help you to keep track of your goals and remind you what you hope to accomplish. Failure to write them down can be self-defeating.

Studies have shown that people who write down their goals are much more likely to succeed. Thirty-day goals are more ideal for smaller tasks such as getting your wild horse used to you and getting him/her to allow you to halter it more easily. These are very significant short term goals and crucial to your horse training success. Afterwards, you can set up sixty-day goals and ninety-day goals for more advanced horse training procedures. Pace yourself and do not try to race through it. Remember, like with anything else, it takes time. Goals are your dreams that you want to see realized. These are certainly what you hope to achieve in your horse training endeavors, both now and in the long run. Where do you want to be one year from now? Where would you like to be in five years, ten years or twenty years from this day? What exactly do you hope to achieve? Write down your answers and stick with them. Your short term and long term goals can be virtually anything, but it is important to make them realistic and achievable! There is no point in trying to set up goals that you know are unworkable and impossible to pull off. Wild horse training was never meant to be accomplished in just a couple of days or in a few weeks. It takes time, patience and perseverance.

Always remember to be fair with yourself and do not sell yourself short. It is important to remember that your goals should not be set in stone. If you find that you have not been able to accomplish certain goals within in a given time frame, you can always change the time line of your goals to make it more manageable. This is fully acceptable to do. Because remember, every horse is different and so is every trainer. When setting your goals, remember to take one step at a time and cross them off your list as you go. With each goal you cross off, you will feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment!

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