Your goals will get accomplished either way: no matter if you try extra hard, focus really intensively and work on something every single day, or if you just take your actions JUST FOR FUN and like you didn’t even care about the result – If you take actions, you goals will get accomplished. They simply will.
So why not to take ALL THE ACTIONS with lightness and to have even more fun? Why to not focus on the effect, and instead focus on that everyone involved feels loved, light and happy and like having the most FUN they possibly can?
With this attitude in my heart, I introduced my young horse Cour d’Alaine to Canter work from the saddle:
In the below video you can see the progression of Cour’s Canter right from the very first canter to the moment yesterday when Cour d’Alaine tried his first canter flying change.
I never asked Cour d’Alaine to canter. I have never pushed him, I have never asked him to try it again, more or to lengthen the steps, or have more energy, or thoroughness. In fact, whenever he wanted to canter with my body and intentions and words I was telling him:”Remember, you don’t have to do it, but if you really want, you can try -JUST FOR FUN!!!”.
What I find absolutely astonishing is that everything I dreamed about and wanted got accomplished, and that it got accomplished so soon and wish such relaxation. And that the FUN, TRUST and LOVE we have built-up on the way is OUT OF THIS WORLD — and this is such an important fundament to prepare yourself and your horse for everything you will face together in the future.
