A notebook brings out a creative problem solver

It seems that every day I get on and ride there is some problem I'm faced with. Sometimes the problems are huge, frustrating, daunting -- such as when my horse Contigo went through a phase where he constantly broke to the canter when I asked for a more expressive trot with medium hind legs. Sometimes the problems are pretty small -- like when he drops his left shoulder and leans into my left leg. And it seems that with the problems I encounter, they always present themselves a little different than what I've ever encountered before in that they never appear "alone", they appear in pairs or groups of separate problems tangled together in one big mess!

Just last week Contigo was unresponsive and heavy in the hands. His tendency to brace on the right rein was at an all time high. I rode him for an entire lesson fighting the feeling and even though we got some great work out of our lesson, I drove home wishing I could figure it out so that tomorrows ride would be a lot more productive and harmonious.

I went home and wrote about it as I do with all my rides. Fortunately, journaling about riding is an efficient and effective way to problem solve. By journaling after my rides, I pick apart what worked and what didn't and why. I am becoming incredibly intimate with my own body and mind, my riding and my horse. I am learning more and more about cause and effect. And I am getting very creative! And even if I don't come up with the perfect problem-solving answer during my journaling, the very process of journaling helps me identify the issues, think about mistakes and opportunities, and that process is the precursor to a moment of reflection that does come up with the answer. All of which happens before my next ride.

Courtney King-Dye, an Olympic veteran, used notebooks after lessons for this very reason and she says there is no doubt it led her to her success. Furthermore, one my trainer, Else Donnell, once said to me that it's very important to be creative in the arena to solve training issues. When I first started journaling many years ago, I did it to remember more. But now I do it to become more creative and effective in problem solving. The fact that I can take a problem that surfaces on any given day, develop a few problem-solving approaches over night and then experience training breakthroughs the next day is powerfully compelling. It saves me time, money and makes the most out of every step my horse and I take.

If you have any questions about the benefits of a training notebook, would like to read my public notebook entries at Barnby Notes, or would like to sign up for your own online notebook, please go to www.barnbynotes.com. The online notebooks are FREE to USDF members with a USDF promo code.

The worst case scenario when you don't read your notes

What's the worst case scenario if a rider doesn't re-read her notes from the last lesson, before her next ride? Is it possible she could forget something her trainer taught her that is highly relevant for her next ride? Is writing it down good enough?

The answers are: yes, then sometimes no. Re-reading notes, and the benefits it offers, is one of many reasons I use an equestrian training notebook. It helps me become very efficient and learn at an accelerated pace. I love the feeling of become a better rider, so it's become part of my educational repetoire. I happen to be one of many who re-reads their notes. When two time Olympian Lendon Gray was deep in training she always re-read her notes because she never wanted to have to be told the same thing twice!

And Lendon's onto something because I, too, feel stupid and irresponsible when I have to be told the same thing twice. But sometimes it happens, even to a devoted notebook-keeping rider. Yesterday my trainer stopped me in the middle of my warm up and asked, "Did you ride the relaxation in the canter in the other direction before you started asking for collection?"

"No," I said. That's when she re-explained the purpose of the warmup. "The warm up is your time to find rhythm and relaxation which then leads to developing the accessibility you need to make your horse adjustable. Without the relaxation, any aids you apply, especially when you ask for collection and suppling, whether it's more leg aid or rein aid, will most likely show up as negative energy, negative tension. The warmup is also your time to find your own relaxation."

This wasn't the first time she explained the purpose of the warmup to me. But last night, after writing it down in detail and then re-reading it today, I felt clear. Crystal clear. A carefully executed, successful warmup sets me up for success in the working phase of my ride. A poorly executed one leads me to discord, frustration and unnecessary steps for a horse whose legs I'm trying to preserve.

Right before getting on today, something dawned on me. While my trainer wasn't there, I didn't feel I needed her; I felt as though I was in what I call 'self carriage' and was eager to prove to myself I could execute a correctly ridden warmup on my own. I felt prepared. I understood my task. And I was able to keep my focus.

The confidence that re-reading notes brings could be equally as important as the other benefits it offers. But what I care about most was that the steps I took today were meaningful. Today, I not only had a terrific ride with a very relaxed and adjustable horse, but I also used my expanded knowledge of relaxation as a springboard to try something new that resulted in another training altering breakthrough. Furthermore, when I applied an aid and he felt a bit resistance or inaccessible, I immediately encouraged relaxation and steered clear of trying to force my aids or make them louder.

If you have any questions about the benefits of a training notebook, would like to read my public notebook entries at Barnby Notes, or would like to sign up for your own online notebook, please go to www.barnbynotes.com. The online notebooks are FREE to USDF members with a USDF promo code.