Sometimes my memory feels fickle.
I’ve worked in fast paced jobs, in the fast food industry to be specific.

I can be an anxious person, too. These two things have led to the same series of events occurring on more than one occasion.
In the depths of a crazy rush, I get told a piece of information. It’s VERY important. It could be a number sequence, a new recipe, an address, a customer's name or something about a specific person's order.
I have it LOCKED in. At that moment, I’m positive I’ll remember it forever.
Within an hour, or by the end of my shift, it’s as if I’d never heard that information in my life - until I hear it again, at least.
For one off instructions that are along the lines of ‘when Kathy comes in, don’t forget to cut her order differently’, it’s fine. I didn’t need to remember that after work anyway. Sometimes though, it’s something like a new burger to the menu. I’ll make it ten times in one shift.. But the next time I come in, I have to see the ‘make’ chart again before I can assemble it.
When I don’t have time in a calm and safe environment to learn this new information, I find it to be a lot less sticky than when I do. 

I need to be taught something in a calm and distraction free way in order to retain the information well. Things I learn in the middle of a tense situation are far less clear and are harder to recall. I also strongly dislike learning under pressure. I know I’m not retaining the information. It is nothing but stressful.

So why do we see horses being pushed until they’re dripping in sweat, miserable and exhausted? It’s how I feel after a bad shift, and it doesn’t feel good. 

We teach young riders that to succeed, they must win. Win the competition, sure. But also, win against the horse. Don’t let your horse be ‘lazy’, ‘cheeky’, or ‘stubborn’.

We should be teaching our young horse enthusiasts how to correctly identify a horse's body language, how to set up a training session for success, and how to see when their horse is struggling so that they can help them, not punish them for it.

Instead of putting the horse through ‘a stressful shift’, where their payment is lucky to be a quick pat as the halter slides off at the end of the day, we need to learn how to be the  ‘good’ kind of manager. The one who takes the time to think about how best to teach something new. Who keeps educated on advancements in their field. Who tailors lessons to each learner, and who can see when their learner is stressed, not coping, or not enjoying the lesson. 

Be the kind of ‘manager’ you don’t like letting down. The kind who makes work feel fun and important. Be that kind of manager for your horse, and you won’t be worried about ‘winning’ over them any more. You’ll be far too busy celebrating how quickly they’re learning, how much fun it is to be with them, and how they now enjoy their time with you.

Written by Madi Holmes & the PPGA Equine Sub-Committee