Review by Nancy Brannon
Most self-help, riding improvement/ horse training books focus on techniques of the particular discipline to which they are oriented. Barbara Schulte is a talented cutting horse rider and clinician, but the wisdom in her book The Gift is applicable to any riding discipline – and to life in general. Practical Mental Strategies to Empower Your Riding is all about developing positive mental and emotional states, and getting the unnecessary “drama” and worry out of mind, that are key to happiness and success in any endeavor.
The book is a collection of 72 monthly articles she published over a period of six years in The American Quarter Horse Journal, starting in 2000 after she lost her 16-year-old son Zane to bone cancer. “Even through gut stabbing grief, I wrote for The Journal with relative ease,” she said. She believes the words were divinely inspired, a tribute to her beloved son – the gift of “learning to live with courage and confidence in the face of fear.”
The book’s nine sections each correspond to a particular topic around the general themes of positive thinking and letting go of negativity. She writes, “The book is designed to be read in whatever way you choose” – from front to back or randomly opening a page to any article. If there were an Eckhart Tolle book like The Power of Now for riding, this is it.
She first takes the reader to self examination. “You’re the Best” is the “pump you up” section with articles that stress the importance of being authentic, like Ruiz advises in The Four Agreements to be impeccable with your word. Be creative and choose your own style; emphasize your strengths; learn from your mistakes; and put your personal values into action. In “Purpose” she writes: “Transforming negative energy like moodiness, lack of focus, impatience, or anxiety into positive energy is challenging. Purpose-Truth-Action, a three-step process used by professionals, builds and sustains productive energy.” You may want to have Tina Turner’s “Simply the Best” playing in the background as you read this section.
From building a positive self image, you progress to building positive relationships, clear, honest communication, and trust with other people and, especially with your horse in “Choose the Best.” Horse sports often involve competition against others, but encouraging and helping others brings back full circle the help and support you need. Listen to and appreciate others, especially your horse.
The mind-body connection is the topic in “It’s Not Just About Being on the Horse.” Boosting your physical fitness improves your riding, while it improves your mental fitness. “Get Fit” provides simple steps to get strong physically. “Eat 5 or 6 small meals a day. Eat a balanced diet. Dramatically reduce simple sugars, which cause energy depleting spikes in blood glucose levels. Drink 4 to 5 12-ounce glasses of water daily, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Three to four 20- to 30-minute cardiovascular workouts a week will make an incredible difference in your health.” So, get “fit to ride; exercise programs yield tremendous riding results.”
“It’s all in how you look at it” is the synopsis of the next section, “The Power Lies Within You.” Do you perceive life acting on you, or do you actively choose how to live your life? You can create your own stress, or diminish it by choosing where how to focus your attention. Concentrate on the moment at hand, keep your thoughts focused on your job, and have confidence in yourself to do it. Develop long and short term plans, and keep your goals in mind. Let go of negative, destructive thoughts and “catastrophic predictions” about an event’s outcome; they only cause anxiety and weaken your performance. Useless chatter in thoughts, words or actions never lead to confidence or success in your endeavor.
Problems and mistakes do happen to everyone. How you deal with them is the focus of “I Love Challenges; Give Me More!” “There are three pairings that serve as strong predictors of your mental and emotional toughness:” she writes; “motivated vs. unmotivated; confident vs. insecure; and playful vs. lack of enjoyment. Motivation is a must – it’s your emotional fuel! The depth of your belief in yourself is the measure of your confidence. When problems arise, think empowering thoughts instead of diminishing ones.” Learn lessons from problems; they are your teachers. “There are infinite numbers of lessons to be learned with our horses. Choose to live with grace and confidence under fire. Search for the diamonds among the coal.” And HAVE FUN!
“Spring Planting” is the metaphor for a new beginning. “The seeds that bear the fruit of our lives are those thoughts we focus on with the strongest intention. Trust and faith in all things working for the highest good for all concerned are the remedies to weed your thinking from the culprit of doubt. Sow seeds of gratitude. Commit to being true to yourself, true to your horses, and true to the people you choose to be with. Begin with the seeds of focus and passion, and enjoy the fruit of your planting.”
Most self-help, riding improvement/ horse training books focus on techniques of the particular discipline to which they are oriented. Barbara Schulte is a talented cutting horse rider and clinician, but the wisdom in her book The Gift is applicable to any riding discipline – and to life in general. Practical Mental Strategies to Empower Your Riding is all about developing positive mental and emotional states, and getting the unnecessary “drama” and worry out of mind, that are key to happiness and success in any endeavor.
The book is a collection of 72 monthly articles she published over a period of six years in The American Quarter Horse Journal, starting in 2000 after she lost her 16-year-old son Zane to bone cancer. “Even through gut stabbing grief, I wrote for The Journal with relative ease,” she said. She believes the words were divinely inspired, a tribute to her beloved son – the gift of “learning to live with courage and confidence in the face of fear.”
The book’s nine sections each correspond to a particular topic around the general themes of positive thinking and letting go of negativity. She writes, “The book is designed to be read in whatever way you choose” – from front to back or randomly opening a page to any article. If there were an Eckhart Tolle book like The Power of Now for riding, this is it.
She first takes the reader to self examination. “You’re the Best” is the “pump you up” section with articles that stress the importance of being authentic, like Ruiz advises in The Four Agreements to be impeccable with your word. Be creative and choose your own style; emphasize your strengths; learn from your mistakes; and put your personal values into action. In “Purpose” she writes: “Transforming negative energy like moodiness, lack of focus, impatience, or anxiety into positive energy is challenging. Purpose-Truth-Action, a three-step process used by professionals, builds and sustains productive energy.” You may want to have Tina Turner’s “Simply the Best” playing in the background as you read this section.
From building a positive self image, you progress to building positive relationships, clear, honest communication, and trust with other people and, especially with your horse in “Choose the Best.” Horse sports often involve competition against others, but encouraging and helping others brings back full circle the help and support you need. Listen to and appreciate others, especially your horse.
The mind-body connection is the topic in “It’s Not Just About Being on the Horse.” Boosting your physical fitness improves your riding, while it improves your mental fitness. “Get Fit” provides simple steps to get strong physically. “Eat 5 or 6 small meals a day. Eat a balanced diet. Dramatically reduce simple sugars, which cause energy depleting spikes in blood glucose levels. Drink 4 to 5 12-ounce glasses of water daily, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Three to four 20- to 30-minute cardiovascular workouts a week will make an incredible difference in your health.” So, get “fit to ride; exercise programs yield tremendous riding results.”
“It’s all in how you look at it” is the synopsis of the next section, “The Power Lies Within You.” Do you perceive life acting on you, or do you actively choose how to live your life? You can create your own stress, or diminish it by choosing where how to focus your attention. Concentrate on the moment at hand, keep your thoughts focused on your job, and have confidence in yourself to do it. Develop long and short term plans, and keep your goals in mind. Let go of negative, destructive thoughts and “catastrophic predictions” about an event’s outcome; they only cause anxiety and weaken your performance. Useless chatter in thoughts, words or actions never lead to confidence or success in your endeavor.
Problems and mistakes do happen to everyone. How you deal with them is the focus of “I Love Challenges; Give Me More!” “There are three pairings that serve as strong predictors of your mental and emotional toughness:” she writes; “motivated vs. unmotivated; confident vs. insecure; and playful vs. lack of enjoyment. Motivation is a must – it’s your emotional fuel! The depth of your belief in yourself is the measure of your confidence. When problems arise, think empowering thoughts instead of diminishing ones.” Learn lessons from problems; they are your teachers. “There are infinite numbers of lessons to be learned with our horses. Choose to live with grace and confidence under fire. Search for the diamonds among the coal.” And HAVE FUN!
“Spring Planting” is the metaphor for a new beginning. “The seeds that bear the fruit of our lives are those thoughts we focus on with the strongest intention. Trust and faith in all things working for the highest good for all concerned are the remedies to weed your thinking from the culprit of doubt. Sow seeds of gratitude. Commit to being true to yourself, true to your horses, and true to the people you choose to be with. Begin with the seeds of focus and passion, and enjoy the fruit of your planting.”
