Keep sessions Short and Sweet
I remember as a kid, about 15 years old, I decided I would finally pick up the old guitar I had bought a year or so before at a garage sale for $10, and learn to play it from instructional videos on YouTube. It was, of course, very slow going at first. But once I began to get the feel of it, get the idea of how it worked and get some muscle memory within my fingers starting to work on my side, I found myself slowly being able to strum simple chords and have it sound (although remotely) like my favourite song, which was the reason I decided to learn to play.
I found that there was always a point in time while learning, when I would stop improving. I would try to push myself to learn that next little part or just get a little quicker changing chords, but to no avail.
So I would put the guitar down and try again the next day. To my surprise, the following day I found that I was better than where I had left off. I could change chords faster or remember all the notes up until where I stopped, whereas the previous day I would have to stop and think every now and again.
I found it was smoother, like it had splashed over my brain while I was learning it the previous day, but overnight it had actually sunk in. I found this for many years while playing the guitar, even when I became more advanced and was learning more difficult music, there was always a point where I had to stop, and sure enough the next day I was much better. With any new things I tried to learn, I would inevitably hit the same road block and just had to tell myself that was all for today.
Now, years later, I find the same thing happening in my horses. I like to keep lessons very short, particularly to start with, and never push the horse to do the same thing too many times, so that they get bored or stop taking in new information.
The lessons are usually about 20 minutes long, and regardless of whether the horse has learnt what we were practising or not, I always see a little improvement and that is always enough.
My last ride on Ximena was our first ride together, doing more than just sitting in the saddle and letting her get used to the feel of it. We practised flexion, turns, stop, go, and even did a little backing up. She was, of course, a little confused with each new topic, but she began to understand the cues and was doing very well by the end of the session.
Today, as I got on and gave a little 'click' to go, she reacted immediately, she responded to all cues with light pressure quicker than she had previously. Not flawlessly of course, but I was surprised to say the least how much easier it seemed to be for her than it was even by the end of our last session.
Which made me think back to learning the guitar, and it all made perfect sense, although I still don't understand how it works, but that's just what the brain does I suppose.
Having short sessions to begin with is always best for the mind as well as the body, and on days like today (and most days, I find) it is exceptionally rewarding.
