Life Lessons Learned from Competing My Horse

I’ve been riding horses as long as I can remember and today, I ride and show a beautiful jumper named Parisian. There’s an exuberance that fills me when I take her into the ring for a competition, but there’s something deeper, and recently I was asked what lessons I’ve learned from competing with my horse. Besides the close relationship that develops between horse and rider…there are life and leadership lessons that we learn along the way from these majestic creatures, and there are some major life lessons I’ve learned from competing my horse.

I am passionate about competing and showing Parisian.

First and foremost I love the bond we share.

When we’re competing, it’s a partnership. We can’t do this without each other. We communicate every step of the way. We’re united, and together in our partnership, we’re more successful. Just like it is in business. When you try and go it alone, success is harder to achieve.

Sometimes I make mistakes and sometimes she makes mistakes that affect the outcome of our competition, but I always learn and come back stronger and more determined not to make the same mistakes again. Failure is a swift teacher and having a partner to work with makes the failure a blip in my journey and an opportunity for growth.

I have to be congruent. You can’t lie to a horse because they have an uncanny way of sensing when something isn’t safe, real or true. Living in congruency is key to having a successful business.

Parisian has good and bad days, and some really great days, just like you and me. On her bad days, I give her the encouragement she needs. I nurture her and offer my inner guidance and strength so that together, we become stronger. On my bad days, she cuts me the slack I need. Just like it should be in life. Team leaders and members also experience good, bad and great days, and on the bad, you have to reach out, extend a hand and offer a lifeline.

I’ve also learned the art of making quick decisions. In competition, I don’t have the luxury of spending great amounts of time figuring out what I need to do next. I have to think in the saddle and quickly, and I have to make the necessary adjustments. Again, this is true in life and business. Great leaders constantly have to make quick decisions that affect entire teams and their business. It’s a trained skill, but one that must be learned and mastered.

Competing with my horse is not just about showing up. It’s about full immersion, preparation and pushing myself to ride better every day and dedication to being fully present without distraction.

My leadership skills have been fine-tuned. Horses do not have to follow us. Horses follow us because they want to – because they feel safe. It’s similar for us in all aspects of our lives. We can’t demand a following.

And finally it’s about creating a partnership. In order to experience success on all levels in life and in business, we should work and socialize with others who share and value who you are and who want to be with you.

You may or may not ride horses, but I’m guessing you’ve learned something from an animal along the way. Take a moment and share your story in the comments below.