Imagine a friend soliciting help for their house. They say, "my roof is leaking, I need help fixing it." When you arrive, you notice the roof isn't the problem and you can't help but point out how the foundation itself is falling apart. The question is now, how do you help them fix their roof.

Answer, you start at the foundation.

This is always the case with horse trainers worth their salt. They never start on the roof. They always start at ground level.

One of the greatest gifts my early horse mentors gave me was a task to meet as many horses as possible and only spend 10 to 15 minutes solving the problems addressed by the student who owns the horse. It was a gift because you realize some important things. One, you can't solve problems without consistency, so you give up on trying to truly fix something and instead focus on the foundation issues. Two, it's always about the foundation anyway. All problems stem from fundamental issues. Imagine flying lead changes falling apart on training day. Guess what's actually wrong. It's not the changes, it's something fundamental like the sensitivity of your aids in supporting straightness. It's the bond that's missing or boundaries or connection. It's something small and something super important. And it's always hiding under that roof that needs fixing.

A good instructor doesn't solve the problems, he or she will point out the fundamentals and give supporting tips to reestablish that great foundation.

In horse training there are four fundamental elements of success. I write about this in my book, "Leadership on Horse"

BEST intentions is the acronym I use to remember the fundamentals.

Balance
Endurance
Sensitivity
Trust

If any of these foundation pieces fail, the roof leaks, or it falls down completely. Back to flying changes as an example…

Perhaps the horse rushes the change and misses the footwork because his back and neck tighten up in all the wrong ways. Well… it's a trust issue. Slow down the tasks and reassure the horse that there won't be any consequences for failing. After all, you know that consistency and repetition are the mothers of skill, so you can trust that time will fix the balance, endurance, and sensitivity needed to complete the tasks. What needs to happen in today's lesson is to re-establish the trust.

In another scenario the horse could be missing the footwork by dropping his shoulder or cutting off the path in front of him, leaving his feet vulnerable to crossfire or stepping into the trot before picking up the canter. In this case, it may not be trust, but balance that's required to win the day. More haunches in, shoulder in, and flexion work will enhance the balance and strength of the horse to maintain straightness. There, of course, would be other solutions too, but that's a good starting point.

In another case it could be endurance that's lacking or sensitivity to go, slow, or steer. Either way, one or more of the four walls holding the roof is in disrepair. Work on that and watch the upper-level problems go away.

Thanks for reading dear readers. I couldn't do this without you.

Good luck and we'll see you on the trail. Don
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