It might sound backwards to say that it's important to know when to quit, but it's honestly one of the most important things to know in life, and especially with animals.
As I shared on tiktok last week, I had a training session with Bash where I had to get to a positive point, then quit. Bash is one of those horses that is the sweetest thing; he will follow you around and stick his head into the halter for you. However, he also lacks confidence. He's the epitome of the stereotypical goofy bay gelding. And that's fine. It just means I have to approach working him differently than some of the others we have. Getting frustrated with him because he's unsure never helps. Being able to feel myself getting frustrated so that I know when to quit does help.
It does not mean that you're letting the horse get away with things. As I stated in my video I quit after getting the desired result a few times then end on that good note.
And not only quitting with training. It's perfectly okay to acknowledge that you are not vibing with a horse and find a different horse. Or a trainer. Or really anything in your life. I recently shut down a successful small shop because it was mentally draining me.
How do you know when to quit?
Well with training sessions, it's important to quit before you get frustrated and lose sight of the overall goal. End on a good note and try another day. Even if the good note is just practicing something the animal has already previously mastered. It doesn't have to be the something new.
With overall larger things, like deciding that the animal you're working with isn't clicking with you. Then I say once you realize that it's not a good fit find that animal a home where it is a good fit, and find a horse that is a good fit for you. It does no one any good...you or the horse to try to fit when it's just frustrating for both of you. Only you can judge what is too frustrating for you or if it's just a phase or if you can push through the issues.
I just personally believe that many horses wind up with issues after being paired with riders or trainers that work against them constantly rather than working with them. If you can't work with them then let them go to someone you can. There are tons of horses out there for you to find one that you can work with.
Knowing when to quit or pivot can help us so so much in life. We don't have to fight battles that we really don't care about. It's all about defining our goals and then letting go of the things that don't serve those overall goals.
Until next time!
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