Self motivation - any ideas??

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Walder

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my goal this year is to hack out alone, confidently - so thats what ive been doing for the last 3 weeks - but i cant seem to get very far - she is a spooky and nappy pony but its getting less and less so im quite pleased with myself and her. But does any one else find it hard to motivate yourself? When im with company i like to hack a good way out but alone i think 'ive come this far without major problem - id better turn round now' When i get back and am feeling pleased with myself i wish id gone further. Does any one else find this and how did you manage to motivate yourself?
 
It might help if you can find a circular route rather than an out-and-back.
I know what you mean though as I recently realised that I nearly always hacked B in company, so I have started hacking him by himself for his own good even if i'm not enjoying it so much! Sometimes it is better to push them a bit further even if they are naughty & you have to work through a strop or nap. You have to think of it almost as a schooling session rather than a nice relaxing hack! or at least that is what I tell myself.

My instructor is keen for me to get us both out of our comfort zone & for me to keep pushing B for more even though he can sometimes get stressed and stroppy when doing something new ... but it is a good sense of achievement when we manage to do it.
 
I think this is a perfectly normal human reaction to many things in life, not just hacking! Fear of pushing yourself that little bit further, even though you'd like to, a reluctance to step outside your 'comfort zone', completing a task & then wishing you'd done just a little bit better or a little bit more! lol

First thing that springs to mind is....plan a definite route!
That way, when you complete it, you will have 'succeeded' in your goal, every time! Make them reasonably short ones at first, so you can complete the task easily but are left wanting to go a little further, rather than wishing you had!

Try & choose varied routes if you can, so you don't end up getting to the same point each time, or you will find it hard to take the next step when the time comes!
When you want to move up a step, try & add the extra bits into the middle of the hack at first (i.e. an extra little detour), so you know you can get easily back to your safety zone if you do get worried.

If your horse is good & where you are riding is 'safe', maybe do something daft like take a disposable camera with you & take a few snaps of where you've been! I bet you'd look back in a few months time & think 'Wow, is that only as far as I got to start with?'
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The advantages of planning your route & then sticking to it, with a nappy pony, is that it removes that uncertainty & hesitation from your mind of thinking 'Maybe I'll just turn round here....', as you will tend to ride more confidently if you are actually going somewhere specific & are 'on a mission'!

Good luck! xx
 
i do go out with the intention of doing the circular route but (nearly) always turn round half way. Take this morning planned to do circular route about 1hour 15mins - really pleased as she went past the scary house that last week she refused - but had a strop at a car (she is traffic proof!) i had a major panic attack as the cows were right behind the hedge and moving about she hesitated but went past without a look! had a bit of a trot and a few steps of canter, all wonderfull. Got to the top and instead of carrying on turned round - she had a major nap at seeing the cows running about, but these incidents are no longer as scary to me, so after a discussion she went past with no problems - and so back home - Why Oh Why Couldnt i have done the whole route????? Answers on a post card please!!!!!!
 
Can you tell yourself that if you've got halfway round the circular route then it's only about the same distance to go forward as it is to go back - and you won't meet any of the scary things you've already seen if you go forwards?
 
thanks JAK maniscore & butterbean - RIGHT im gonna do IT!!! tomorrow morning im going the whole circuit! So i will post when i get back to let you know (if you care!!!???) that its done - thanks and please keep the motivation coming this way x
 
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