As 2018 is coming to a close, I’m getting ready to wrap up the year. I’m just ticking through my final “to do” list, and looking forward to sitting by the fire with a good book over the holidays. If you are looking forward to doing the same and need some reading inspiration to get you ready and set up for success in the New Year, I’ve got you covered. Here are the top 8 books I read and enjoyed most this year.

It is time to draw some conclusions. So far in this series I have looked at the benefits as well as the downsides of riding to win versus chasing perfection (if you haven’t read the previous blogs, read them here). Now it’s time to bring all our learnings together and to come up with a strategy you can apply and follow all on your own. I’ll start with a quick recap of what we have learned so far, just to warm up your memory. Then I’ll explain how to prepare for those perfect, winning rounds.

In this series (“Riding to Win vs. Chasing Perfection”) I’m digging deeper into how to strategize our rides. When should we chase the blue ribbon and when should be aiming for perfection? In the previous installment of this series, I explored the competitive mindset, knowing when to go for victory and its pitfalls (if you haven’t read it yet, click here).

In today’s blog I’m diving deeper into the art of riding the ‘perfect’ round.  Obviously, we are always aiming for that perfect round, even in a fast jump off, but there is an important difference between riding to be competitive and riding to improve ourselves and our horses. Let’s explore the ups and downs of chasing perfection, as well as when and how to set yourself up for success.

In the first installment of this series I opened Pandora’s Box (if you haven’t read it yet, click this link). How should we be thinking about our riding approach in the ring? Should we always be focused on training our horses and seeking to ride that elusive ‘perfect round’? Or are there circumstances when we should be seeking victory? Today I’m going to talk about riding to win. How can you ride, train and prepare to be (or become) more competitive? What are the upsides and what are the downsides of this approach? When is going for it a good idea and when should we be advised to give that fast ride or quick turn a pass? When you feel you and your horse are ready to really go for it but you’re not sure what to do, I’ve got you covered with a few ways to train quick thinking and turning.

In this series of blogs, I will discuss the pros and cons of riding to win vs. riding to train our horses (i.e. riding perfectly). By gaining a deeper understanding of each approach, we can make a more educated, or perhaps more conscious, decision as to which we should adopt and when.

Blog 1: Introduction.