Inspirational quotes for this season...

kerilli

kerilli

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I found the source for the TarrSteps/Ma Baydale famous quote yesterday, quite by accident:

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't
matter and those who matter don't mind.
--Dr. Seuss

I'll add my personal "just get on with it" for this year, and also a couple of wonderful ones from the International Eventing Forum at Hartpury last Monday (report to follow on here and on EWW, still typing it all up!), including these great ones from WFP - his and Alice's lecture/demo was very informative, they really opened up about their whole training ethos:
"Horses learn a lot going slowly"
and
"A rider interfering with a horse on the approach to a fence is fundamentally dangerous."

Lots of food for thought in just those two, maybe?
 
My old SJ trainer was fond of

If in doubt, give it a clout

Whilst yes, in front of a fence if you are doubting your horse will go give it a reminder, he also used it to mean that one should ride positively at all times, if you are in doubt get DOING...whether you are giving yourself a mental clout and getting your leg on, or reminding the horse who is in charge.

My inspirational quote for this season is also GET DOING, I procrastinate way too much.
 
if it slows - kick it, if its above the bridle - kick it, if it naps - kick it, if it stops - kick it, if you dont know what to do - kick it!

words of wisdom from my trainer - as you can tell he likes people to ride forward! ;)

Also like this : "somedays you are the pidgeon other days you are the statue" (sp?) not horsey but true about life :D

throw your heart over the fence first!
 
Mine for me was one I read on here, went something like ... "if you come back with all your limbs intact then it has been a successful outing". Made me smile.

Also, for me anyway, "whatever you are doing it should be fun".
 
One of my old instructors used to say imagine your boobs as car headlights, you want them on full beam so now whenever Im coming down the centre line I always think 'dont dip, dazzle!!'

It makes me smile and relax if anything!
 
A few of my favs;

When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

Resolve is never stronger than in the morning after the night it was never weaker.
 
Jane_Lou said:
I was once told
"if you look at the the bottom of a fence, be sure that is exactly where you will end up"
A very good piece of advice;)
Click to expand...

i used to get a very similar thing screeeeamed at me by pony club battleaxe... "if you look at the floor, you'll end up there" whenever i dared do so much as glance in the vague direction of the floor...

also, 'never look back' after every jump, which i've now transferred to life in general.

i live my entire life according to Desiderata, as i think it sum my attitude up very well. and it got me through some incredibly tough times:

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
 
one more from me... to make you all laugh at my expense... not a quote as such, but a 'song' (i use the term loosely)

whenever i'm riding Raff and feel scared (regularly) or like i need inspiring, i end up singing him this song... substituting the word 'pokemon' for raffyraff... someone once told me singing was a good way to calm nerves, i'm not sure they meant this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMG4Qa4vmOo
 
Jen_Cots said:
My favourite quote:
"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines"
Click to expand...

Like^^^^

"One of my old instructors used to say imagine your boobs as car headlights, you want them on full beam so now whenever Im coming down the centre line I always think 'dont dip, dazzle!"
Click to expand...

When we're at work the last thing we always get yelled at by our lovely, but slightly old-school, res manager before starting service is 'tits and teeth, tits and teeth!'

Disclaimer: I work in a restaurant doing large scale catering, not some sort of brothel!)

Not really specific to eventing or riding, but I met a boy that had a tattoo that read 'Don't compare or compromise, just be yourself' which I always liked, and for eventing Memento Mori we're only human after all!
 
I found this one a while ago, and I hold it very true to my heart.

"Have no friends not equal to yourself."
- Confucious

It doesn't mean literally (I'm not going to say to 80% of my friends 'You've not ridden at Advanced so you can't be my friend) but I take it as those that try to have 'friendly' competition. No competition between friends is healthy - Event Pony learnt this last year unfortunately. She tried to plot her results against a friends but there were so many outside factors that she just couldn't appreciate (but who can at fourteen?!). She ended up getting herself in such a state and she had a couple of blips where she lost focus.
 
CuriousGeorge said:
I found this one a while ago, and I hold it very true to my heart.

"Have no friends not equal to yourself."
- Confucious

It doesn't mean literally (I'm not going to say to 80% of my friends 'You've not ridden at Advanced so you can't be my friend) but I take it as those that try to have 'friendly' competition. No competition between friends is healthy - Event Pony learnt this last year unfortunately. She tried to plot her results against a friends but there were so many outside factors that she just couldn't appreciate (but who can at fourteen?!). She ended up getting herself in such a state and she had a couple of blips where she lost focus.
Click to expand...

Yes, definitely to that. must admit, being genuinely happy when your friends do well, rather than being consumed by jealousy and nastiness (as I've seen, unfortunately) is soooo important imho... this is such a tough game, a real rollercoaster, EVERYONE has good times and bad times (no matter how hard they try, how good they might be, and what advantages they may have), and if you can enjoy some additional good days vicariously, so much the better for all... ;) ;)
no point at all in measuring yourself against everyone else, there will always be much better and much worse, much richer and much poorer, etc etc.
 
A very apt one from Thomas Hood about life:

'Half of the failures in life come from pulling one's horse when he is leaping'

'Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude'
Thomas Jefferson
 
My favourite two are:

'Only those who dare to fail greatly will ever achieve greatly.'

'The gates which shut others out also shuts you in.'
 
'Big, bold and brave. Dressage.'

Something which has really helped me, I had stopped riding in tests as I didn't want explosions but the 3 B's have brought our dressage on no end as Fh now has to concentrate :)
 
I really like some of those - many will just be helpful in life for me, not just horses :)

For horses mine is to quote Tracy Newman as this was her advice to me in the warm-up once:

'When in doubt, kick, pull and shout'

Always makes me chuckle and ride more positively, don't think I shoudl take it too literally ;)
 
My One for going XC when need to be on the ball and attacking instead of a big jessie:

"No Points for Prettiness"

Might not look the best at times but the big fat zero on the score board does it for me!!:)
 
Eventer96 said:
'Throw your heart over the fence and your horse will follow it.' Can't go wrong here I don't think! Some brilliant quotes here! :)
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hmm, i don't know about that, i read that one as a small child and took it very much to heart, and i'm sure it contributed to my 'monkey on a stick' halfway up horse's neck jumping position... maybe i interpreted it as 'throw yourself half over and the pony will catch you up. hopefully...' ;) ;)

still chuckling over the utterly brilliant "dazzle don't dip", must admit!
 
'Beat the course,not the other riders'
As said by OH whenself frequently overawed by other vastly superior combinations in owns class....
'If it aint broke,don't fix it'
Said by probably many smart people,but most recently my vet of 20 years....
'Today the crack,tomorrow the clown'
As said,funnily enough,also OH after being deposited by my GP winner in a local class the week after several newspaper write-ups for awesome international placings.....
;-p
 
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