Thank you so much for these episodes. I'm 65 years old. I no longer have my precious horses, but I am applying what you are doing with Mistic to my standard poodle Malachi who because of his unruley behavior I was nearly evicted from my apartment. Your style of training Mistic is working with Malachi. He's already after just a few days the difference is like night and day. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I really hope that all the taping and showing is real and no editing. It will give people the wrong way to do this. There will be days that it will be ugly and that’s what needs to be shown. This sort of training comes from a real human with their own sense of being. Love your smile and gentleness. Very cool.
Very interesting to use positive reinforcement in combination with target training on horses. I used it for training with dolphins and camels before and now with horses too. Great content ! Very wise words !
Beyond brilliant! ♥️ I already do work with this... Put you just inspired me to go deeper... (there are always much more🤓🤭)... Love it! You are amazing, it makes me so happy people like you are in this world. The Horses need it 🙏
I'm so happy I found your channel! I've been getting really serious about working with a horse I rescued over a year ago. I did not grow up around horses, I don't have the experience that most have, but I do have this strong desire to work with horses that began over 3 years ago, when I started riding and adopted my first horse. I've had tragedies in my life since that have tested my passion, but I'm slowly coming out of the fog. I need to get my confidence back again and I feel like your videos came to me at the right time. I look forward to learning more from you. Thank you for putting yourself out there. You're so inspiring!
I struggle with feeling confident in training my horse. I switched to +R about a year ago because -R was not working with her. We are doing so much better but I still struggle feeling like we can get past the basics. I can only see her 1-3 times a week so it slows our progress but also if I look back on what we've accomplished in the two years I've had her and especially since I moved to +R we're doing very well. I didn't think it possible to have the connection we do if I wasn't the one caring for her every day. I know the regret of thinking I knew enough and therefore didn't think it possible that my gelding and I could have a better connection holds me back too. It's not as bad as it was but it sneaks up on me here and there yet. We had almost twenty years together and I feel like I failed him by not seeking more knowledge, he was an amazing guy. Now my mare is showing me so many more possibilities and I'm so grateful for her. I know I can't change the past but I sure am going to learn from it and not make the same mistakes with her.
My biggest belief(a.k.a. “Lie”) holding me back: I’m afraid of making a mistake that will hurt my horse. Having made mistakes in the past that created fear in us both and the outcome of which was dangerous has made me hesitate on moving ahead with my dream; to ride at liberty with no bridle or saddle. And by the way, I am 64 years old and am determined to do this.
I totally understand this... it can be totally paralyzing. Horses are amazing though... I think I wouldn't hesitate to say they are perhaps the most forgiving of animals I've ever seen. I think that if your intention is right, you can't go wrong
It's been a year, have you succeeded? Im considering starting riding lessons in the spring with the goal of a mustang to gentle along side a trainer (so that we have that special bond) its been a dream my whole life, but Im 48 and keep thinking Im way too old to start something like this.
@@kirapyromantic4431 It’s been almost 2 years and in that time I had to finish building a house and didn’t have much free time to spend with my mare, Claire. How ever what I did concentrate on every time I did ANYTHING with her was try to improve our communication and vocabulary by really focusing on her body language and responses to my requests or my efforts at communicating with her. One thing I do is visualize in my mind first what it is I want to do with her. then use the absolutely softest and quietest request possible. I have had some amazing results but the best is that Claire has softened and relaxed tremendously. I read an article about this but can’t remember or locate the name or title. I have had the best results with horses I have started with from the day they were born but also have had good results even with shut down horses. they seem to appreciate my efforts to connect in their mode instead of the human one.
What holds me back in my life in general is lack of confidence and worrying about what others think of me. I hesitate to participate in horse clinics for fear of looking stupid.
LOVE the "Tea Time" chat. Am just beginning to understand these life concepts now, at 62. How fortunate you are to have found this wisdom early in your life. Looking forward to the next posting.. xoxo
This is a WONDERFUL video!! Very well done, informative, and FUN. : ) I'm excited to watch future episodes. The main belief holding me back is that I don't have the experience, skill or knowledge to be able to train my horse so that he will be safe to ride some day. What a delight it would be to learn the things that you know, so that I could reach my dream.
Wow. This is SO good. Started watching to better my horsemanship, but again find wonderful personal growth help from you. (The same happened when listening to a podcast with you and Warwick Schiller.) I love the "tea time" chat! With regard to what holds me back: I will only feel successful as a natural horsemanship trainer when my "business" grows and people who practice "traditional horsemanship" of some kind......make changes in their horsemanship mindset. Also, quick question: where would I find/make the hand-held target.....AND that beautiful and useful treat pouch?
I so needed this today! My limiting belief is that I won’t be able to rehabilitate my mustang and not feeling good enough in life in general much of the time. This 1st video has helped re-center myself to be more aware of the self sabotaging beliefs. Thank you Maddie!!! Can’t wait to see Mystic’s transformation 💕
I am SO happy to read this Caren! Congratulations on some huge breakthroughs! Yes to growth! And you are soo not alone~ Please don't hesitate to reach out if you are looking for support on your journey with your mustang
Biggest belief that’s holding me back is, I don’t have enough experience. I don’t have enough experience for a certain job that pays more money, I don’t have enough experience to gentle my mustang, I don’t have enough experience to train horses, I don’t have enough experience
I really loved this and found the explanation of the 4 learning quadrants made so much sense, its actually is clear to me now! I’ve never quite been able to grasp which is which before, so super grateful for that (amongst many other things I’ve learnt from watching this!). One of the big beliefs holding me back with progressing with horses is that I’m not passionate enough or dedicated enough to really become skilled at understanding and working harmoniously with horses. That I’m too lazy to do it, that I’m not as naturally focused and driven as all those people, such as you Maddy, who have become so good with horses, so therefore will never be able to become that good with them. And I want to be. It’s funny though because is as I acknowledge these beliefs, I can see how untrue they are and that it really doesn’t have to be that way at all if I choose not to let it. Changing those beliefs to: I have more than enough passion and dedication towards becoming a skilled horsewomen that I am making it happen. I have just as much potential to become as great with horses as the horsemen/women I admire, because it is so important to me I put the effort into learning, practicing and developing. I can do this 😊
my believe is that I am not enough to really be a good person for my horses. This causes me step back and just let them be so that hopefully I won't do anything wrong. It also causes me to not really be there during our training sessions which, in my head, is the evidence that I am indeed not enough because the horse just runs away from me and won't participate anymore unless I use ropes again. Since I figured this out I have started to work on it but finding a balance has always been very hard for me. It has always been everything or nothing at all to me and so to change that into a little bit of presence and a little bit of energy and such has probably been my biggest challenge so far. Also a huge introvert here who is rather quiet than speaking out loud and especially about my knowledge about horses.
Biggest belief holding me back: "I am unwanted." Have been exploring new methods with my horse and I love your approach on positive reinforcement /letting go of beliefs that aren't serving anything. Going to begin adding hay pellets to my training approach. Thank you for showing up, being open, beautifully vulnerable and courageous. It's making a beautiful & much needed shift in our world♡
Oh, yes, thank you for sharing! You are soo not alone! I have been working through this one for sure... Thank you for your kind words~and for being open and receiving!
You are brilliant! I hope these methods catch on.. I'm so envious of your life, but don't feel like I can afford to be involved with horses--tho it's THE life long dream. Maybe this is a false belief? I hope so..
It is very difficult to make a living with horses is one of my core beliefs.... I love horses and they are my center.... I am afraid if I start making a living with horses then I won't love my love of horses any more.
My worse belief is that everything needs to be perfect before I go forward in my life, work, dreams, etc! I always wait until everything is Perfect, preparing all littles things that are not so important.
Thank you ,for your time putting up this site. I belief if i keep looking for more Knowledge I can be a better Horseman with my sons,(Blue & Blondie my Rescue Horses)with my goal of seeing them grow and succeed .As when we received them they where what no one could ride safely .Changing there behavior motives me and also challenges my training abilities.With so my trainers out in the world , with many methods, it is like a maze to find the truth, I feel that if i listen to you i can learn more on my liberty journey and good will come from it . I studied the john lyons methods which he took me far but i want to do the impossible so im willing to change the way i think about what is best for them.Thanks Maddie you are really try to reach into there minds and you are breaking new ground on some of the traditional beliefs .
Very excited to see your videos! I have a Kiger Mustang from Oregon that came from a trainer. He is very standoffish but was always kept in a stall with a private run with the trainer. I was able to ride him once while he was with the trainer and he was a nice ride. He has now been with me for 3 weeks, however, now he is in a 4 acre pasture and doesn't want to be caught. I also do not have access to a round pen. Hoping I can find some useful tools to build a bond with this horse and allow him to trust me and want to be around me.
Thank you for an intelligent, eloquent, object view of positive reinforcement. I have followed natural horsemanship methods for a while and sort of watched some of your videos from the periphery, and thought many things: this some sort of trick horse thing, no "serious" horse trainers ride their horses at Liberty, what will people at my barn think of me if I try this, I will never be good enough to ride at Liberty, its too hard to learn from videos etc etc. I think I haven't wanted to face that if I start looking at this seriously that I will have to "give up" many of the ideas I have invested in, just like you spoke about at the end of the video. Can you train a "performance" type horse (like a cutting or working cow horse-- I saw the reining in with Amira?) I am not sure how much you read about Law of Attraction topics, I have not seen a trainer so overtly use it in their training, but LOA is how I view the world, and this video aligns very well. I will admit I have my doubts about positive reinforcement horse training (with food ?! what if your horse isn't food motivated?!?!). I have done a lot of dog herding training and it really stuck with me how dog training almost always uses positive reinforcement(saying yes to immediately reinforce behavior for example). I always assumed that was because prey animals were trained differently than predator, I know from my limited experience you cannot use as much negative reinforcement or punishment with dogs, or they will quit working. Anyways, thank you again for your series, I am certainly along for the ride so to speak, and can't wait for the roller coaster, I am sure I am going to have many moments of begrudgingly realizing that certain "training activities" haven't been helping us.
Jenna THANK YOU for sharing this!! The beliefs and fears you shared are so spot on and I know you aren’t alone! And I TOTALLY relate to feeling like learning something new like this will challenge old beliefs and honestly… It is really scary. As a professional clinician and performer, I am hired to travel to teach, show practical results, etc often within very limited time frames.. And trying to do that while undergoing a huge transformation in how I view and relate to horses has been quite challenging. It was really scary to “give up” much of what I knew. In short, I do believe we can train performance horses using these methods, but in some instances it may require that we re-evaluate what we are asking the horse to do and what our intention is. I like the saying “when Intention is Right, You can’t go Wrong.” And yes, I too am into LOA :) Your comment about R+ and horses who aren’t motivated by food (and horses vs dogs) is SO spot on to what many people feel. I thought that for a long time too. This is really what Mystic taught me… Because she was NOT motivated by food at first (at least I thought). And many sessions I would just have to give up and walk away until I discovered the tools necessary for her engagement. You will learn some of these throughout the series, but the membership does a great job of taking you step-by-step if you are interested. In short, horses who aren’t interested in food are experiencing competing motivations between safety and comfort and food. If the two are competing, safety and motivation always wins out. That’s why R- has been effective, because it creates a safe space for the horses IF applied properly. The horse knows what to do to stay comfortable and away from pressure. R+ is just as effective but takes a bit of a different approach. So excited you will be joining me on this journey! :)
@MustangMaddy ... Mine is that if LOVE to get a wild Mustang to train. However, because I've never trained one, I've questioned myself on my ability to do so.
Love this video and experiment! Really making me think about training in a different way. I tried to open the PDF and was unable to, there doesn't seem to be a text box to enter my email address
I hear you! That's a big one for me too! But really, anyone who has helped untouched horses, started with their FIRST untouched horse, and how much experience or background did they have with untouched horses before their first? (None!) So whether we are at their skill level or not with other horses, we ARE at their experience level. None! So what I am going to do is work my way on the learning curve by learning with horses that have more handling first and then continue with my untouched horse. Hopefully, learning from Maddy's videos and any dvd's will help smooth out the learning curve and help untouched (and all) horses learn to trust rather than fear as well as perceiving and changing any limiting beliefs that are otherwise in the way. I wish you all the best and great success in your journey !!!
Woot woot!! Just watched you and Amira again (for the thousandth time) and it STILL makes me tear up. Excited for this and following along! Congrats on all your visions coming to life!!
Well, there are many beliefs that hold me back. So many. Here are some on the top of the list at the moment: I'm too inexperienced to train my "difficult Mustang". She will never love me. Everyone will think I'm crazy for going this path. I'll never have enough money to afford ...(you name it! Currently: a trailer, a second Mustang, the transformation retreat, a trip around the world). I can never make money with my music. I won't find a job outside teaching. I need to work myself silly to make a living. I'll never be good enough, and nobody can truly love me. It goes on. I can see how all this is holding me back.
I am SO grateful you are seeing!! I've related to ALL of these and money has been a BIG one for me. Jen Sincero's book really helped me with my money mindset although it is still a big project for me!
I love that you are doing this in a field, since my round pen is a rectangle with trees and deep sand. My belief that I need to overcome is that I am too old (69) to take on more horses and that my friends and family think I am very foolish to be working with this Mustang who might hurt me and outlive me. :-) So far she is getting me back in shape and causing a lot of exercise to keep me healthy. Your videos are thought-provoking and are making us better human beings. Keep it up! We need you!
Outstanding Video and I'm subscribed and the bell is ON! Can't wait to go through this series with you and everyone else! Belief(s) holding me back... 1. I'm not a good enough horseman to get through to my paint horse Archer. 2. Money is hard to make. 3. I can't handle rejection (see #1). 4. Being adopted means I am a throw away (created that belief by going through 2 divorces)... I could share more... I also would like to say that I know these beliefs are lies. I am making headway with Archer, I'm making more money easily, and I am a valued partner. This is great stuff and I am open to walking through it with you all!!
Fabulous video...you are wise beyond your years Maddy! Thank you for sharing. I recently started positive reinforcement training with my horse who has anxiety issues and stereotypic behaviours and it is making a world of difference!
Loved this video. Have watched you off and on for a few years. Beliefs that I am currently trying to change are that I'll never be a good enough trainer to make a living doing that passion. Also that I am too large of a person for people to take me seriously. Thank you for your insight and loved it so much!
Just now, living with all this fear and uncertainty in this new Covid 19 world, I needed to hear this! I adopted a wild mustang about 2 weeks ago and I have not done this in 30 years so of course, the belief holding me back is " I can't do this"! It's been so long since I've owned horses, let alone trained a wild one, I have very little memory of how I started my last wild one. Thank goodness for people like you, and a neighbor of mine who is quite the mustang trainer herself. Now, I'm going to go make some tea, and contemplate all that I've learned tonight 😊. Thank you.
Maddy! I totally loved this video, not just the horse part, but how you put it on all aspects in life, which is soooo true!! I never left a comment before...:) My belief is fear of getting hurt, by run over, or steped on or bucked of...anything what comes of the horse gets scared suddenly, and yes!! not knowing enought, lack of routine. My horse is smart, sensitive, and scared of a lot of things, but in the same time he is a leader of the group, and quite strickt with the oders. Pressure is deffenetly not working on him, like with other horses, he gets mad! I was told he is wired upside down..:))) I feel if I can solve him, that would be a big success for me, not just in this, but in all aspects on my life!!! Thanks soooo much for your work!!!! Reka
Reka thank you soooo much for sharing this and leaving a comment! I know that so many others will resonate with this as well, you are not alone! Please do reach out if I can be of assistance to you along your journey... It sounds like this horse is teaching you some pretty powerful lessons
I’m so thrilled that I found this tonight, as I continue my new journey into the arena of horses ; ) ... A new chapter for me. ( I made it thru a scary bout with Covid back in late 2021.) Everything that you talked about is not only so accurate, but really has been shown to me as true, over the many years in my life. Our thoughts and our gratitude are the keys to how our lives will be. Very well done 🙂
Beliefs that holding me back: I don't have enough experience, I can't go on without someone who's following me, I am too young, I don't have capacities to do something
Thank you so much for challenging me to identify my beliefs and if any of them are holding me back! Your example of changing "I don't know" to "I am open for receiving guidance" resonated with me. In particular, I'm afraid my lack of knowledge will lead to poor decision-making and thus negatively impact my relationships (equine and human). I also have the fear that I lack the ability to complete something I start, so I'll be pondering how to turn that one around. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and insight! I can't wait for more videos to come out and to start practicing your methods!
Lindsey thank you for sharing! I still often catch myself saying "i don't know" and try to re-write that old story! So glad it resonated for you. Been recently working through the lesson of trusting myself to make decisions too... So many layers to that one. Encouraging to hear others' journeys. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this video. I am working with a 30+year old mare with a considerable foot and mouth injury. In order to help her, I need to gentle her. I can pet and brush her but as soon as I go to touch her legs she panics. I have feed her by hand every day for 6 weeks, to establish a bond. I work with the Bevada Technical Large Animal Rescue and Least resistance rehab. So there is a great squeeze. We have time to work with her but i know she is in so much pain.
I struggle with getting past days where my depression is bad. To some extent it’s medical but I think having the idea that I can’t do much about it probably holds me back a lot too.
This is so awesome Maddy!! Failure is a huge fear of mine, especially in front of others. One belief that I am struggling with in particular right now is "you don't have 'the right' experience to adopt a mustang" and "that goal is too big." Owning a mustang has been a dream of mine, so now that I have graduated (yay!), I am planning to adopt one. My goal is to adopt one from the pens and train force free with positive reinforcement. But I often struggle with even telling people that this is my goal. When speaking with horse people about training there is often the put down regarding R+, and especially that the training and behavior experience I have from training and competing in dog agility (entirely force free, R+ and via shaping) "doesn't apply." The sense of doubt and judgment and the projection of their fears onto me can sometimes build into my own thoughts. I am working on overcoming this internally, but it's hard not to let these feelings get you down. It is also daunting and scary coming back into the horse world trying to make new friends and connections when you automatically are afraid to tell people about yourself because you are already expecting them to judge and disagree with you. My family has been super supportive and in my heart I believe I can do this, but sometimes negative beliefs creep in and plant the seeds of fear and doubt. I am so incredibly excited to come to the Immersion program next week! Thank you for all you do and for putting yourself out there while you explore new avenues and challenge old beliefs!
Oh wow THANK YOU for sharing this, and I can TOTALLY relate! Talk about nerve-racking, going out to teach a clinic at an expo in front of hundreds of people and taking out the treat pouch! It is totally scary! And I'm so glad that you see the projection and are aware of that. That's been a difficult one for me. I cannot WAIT to see you at the immersion program and hope I can help you with your journey!!
Was reflecting on this last night whilst feeling overwhelmed about a new project I’ve taken on and all the facilities i need to build, so perfect timing to watch this video! Belief holding me back “I dont deserve others help, but i cant do anything on my own.” Thats one viscous cycle right there.
I think I have an irrational fear of doing something wrong. I did this with knitting. When I was learning, I made a mess of things, put it down and that was that. Recently, I found this woman on UA-cam, Happee Knits, who I was watching do a tutorial on socks. She made a mistake, went back to it, fixed it, and moved on like nothing ever happened. It seems so sane to be like that, but it was a groundbreaking moment for me. I went back to that problem knitting I had, went way back to where the problem was, fixed it and moved on. It's so simple now. I haven't started working with our horses due to some health problems, but as I am recovering from that, now I'm afraid I will teach them that a signal means one thing, then if they ever end up out in the world with someone else, that person will mean something entirely different by the same signal and it will get the horse in a bad situation. I laugh now, as I'm writing, at how silly it sounds to worry over so many things needing to line up like that, but it really has held me back. We have one pretty clean slate horse here who was wild raised to be sent to slaughter, but we adopted him at the kill pen. So, he has only had the round up and kill pen human interactions, other than us. I really love him and I don't want him to ever end up in a scenario like that again. Which, logically, would mean that him being well trained would be the best defense, not 100% protection, but better than not having training. So, I am very much looking forward to this series. He is currently out in a big pasture and I will walk out and have some interactions with him, but nothing like a training program of teaching him useful skills. Thank you for sharing this series with us, Maddy!
Just now found you sweet girl ! It’s 2021 and I’m late to the conversation 💁🏻♀️But you are adorable ! And so is your Tea Pot ❣️My wrong belief is “I am too old now” At 20 I had my first dream come true , A horse 🐴 . And had to sell Him at 22 . Now At 67 , Im hoping my dream will true once again ! ! I’m excited to continue watching your videos . Much Love to you , Laura 💜
This video series literally changed my life. I signed up for the HCA course last year & it’s changed everything! I have a much Better relationship with my mare/the pushiness is a thing of the past/ we’re doing things I never thought possible / & the level of trust & fun we’re having is simply unmatched. To come out of my vulnerability shell; The thing that I somehow tell myself daily & that holds me back is that I’ll never do enough, be enough,, be educated enough, work hard enough, or be valued enough to be acceptable to others. There. I did it- those are my big fears! I hope this helps at least one person..bless you Maddy for your encouragement & your wisdom. You’re a “young elder”!
Thoughts that hold me back: You'll never be enough. I'm never going to get out of debt (and basically every negative financial thought that could possibly exist). 💕 Phew!! Lots of heavy pressure to self inflict. Working my way out of it though, every moment. 😊🙌
I know this video was 2years ago but God’s timing is perfect. I am 51 years old and going to be gentling my first mustang for a competition (the only way I could adopt the mustang I wanted). Again God’s timing. I am beginning to get more excited and less nervous. Pickup is in May. I have been watching trainers with different techniques from traditional natural horsemanship that I used in the past. Liberty is all new for me. However, this video is more than horse training. I love Jesus and I know I am a child of God yet I still struggle with my own insecurities. I am mostly positive minded and grateful. I still completely appreciated the reminders, the questions to ask ourselves, to go deeper, to learn something new, to understand that we can be blocking ourselves, our horses, and knowing We learn and grow at all ages. I look forward to watching the next videos and growing in more than horsemanship. Thank you Suzie
The beliefs holding me back are that I am not good enough, talented enough, I didn't start young enough, because I've never had a horse of my own I can't do it, I don't have the money, and on and on... I am about to start a full lease on an amazing, sensitive, and sweet mare that has been through abusive situations but somehow remains so gentle and understanding. I have a belief that her owner/my trainer (I ride at a hunter/jumper barn) won't want me to do this work, the other people at the barn will think what I'm doing is weird/ridiculous/stupid, or that I just won't do it right and I'll end up creating negative experiences for the mare. HOWEVER! I am challenging my beliefs and my fears because I am SO inspired by your work and your beautiful, insightful, and honest nature that just shines through so clearly. I just found your Instagram and website yesterday and am so thrilled to begin exploring this way of being with horses more. . I was introduced to natural horsemanship when I was about 10 and have always wanted to explore it more, but have not had the funds to own/lease a horse to work with consistently. I hope to buy your 5 Golden Rules program within the next month or two and begin applying the methods to working with this mare, and delve into my dreams of working at liberty with horses and exploring the deep emotional and spiritual bond that I know is possible. Maybe one day I will even make it out to one of your programs at your facility in Colorado! I am opening to the big dream of it. . . :) Thank you for all that you offer. So looking forward to the next part of this series!
You are a remarkable human being, Maddy, you are wise beyond your years and incredibly inspiring. What’s holding me back a bit is the thought that I’m too old to start something new... turning 70 y/o in a month and why didn’t I discover this earlier since my time on this earth is limited. But it’s never too late to start, right? I’m excited about positive reinforcement and eager to learn from you and play with my just-turned-8 y/o mare.
Thank you for your wisdom beyond your years and willingness to share with us and to encourage and challenge us to become better with ourselves, others and horses!!! You are so right when you say it doesn't seem to make sense to use food when working with aggressive horses but your results with Zeus definitely prove otherwise! The proof is in the pudding! And working with Mystic outside the round pen with other food sources available to compete with your food rewards is an eye opener as well! You are an outstanding ambassador for positive reinforcement so when you take out the treat pouch, you are making such a positive (pun intended?!?) impression on so many at the expo and through videos! Who knows how far things might go in the future to improve relationships with horses as a result of your efforts? Perhaps thinking of WHY you are using positive reinforcement (for the present and future betterment of horses for yourself and others!) might lower some scary feelings when taking out the treat pouch? So you GET to do (what could otherwise feel scary) for WHAT you hope and want for the future?!? From our point of view, it doesn't look like it might be a scary thing for you to take out the treat pouch! Just normal and matter of fact! All the best !!!
Beliefs that continue to hold me back: I am afraid I will not get my confidence back in the saddle since my last horse wreck. I ride with anxiety that I know my horse is picking up on and reacting to. I still saddle up and ride anyway but I hope to overcome fear and not let it hold me back from doing activities that "I KNOW" will end up in disaster. I am 55 this November and hope to actively reduce fear and anxiety.
I love positive reinforcement for my horses and I am so excited to learn how you work with your horse in this way. I have what was called a “dangerous unridable Arabian” given to me because no one else wanted him.Now he is a sweet baby that is perfect in every way. I had no where else to go but to positive because there was no reaching this horse that had rejected humans. Everyone thinks I “treat” too often but it is the only way I talk to them. It is truly why my horses run to me and call to me and we are limited distance riders. Thank you Maddie for showing the world of horse people this works!!!
I'd be interested to see this. A side note, but an important one, is that if even this doesn't work (or perhaps even if it does,) she needs to be evaluated for any pain by a good equine chiropractor. It can make anyone crazy, and hidden pain causes many, many otherwise trainable horses to be labeled dangerous. Funny I saw this tonight. I was just thinking about just such an approach for when I get my own.
Thank you! I look forward to watching your new fresh approach to training Mystic! I hope to use your methods on one of my Mustangs that has a great fear of people!
Great "Tea Time" session very enlightening, thank you ! I adopted a mustang mare two years ago her name is "Delilah" she'll be six years old come this January and I think it's taking me this long to be able to get her under saddle because of my belief that "I don't have enough time" and not "accepting or asking for help" because I didn't want to appear weak. I'll be attending your clinic at the Horse Expo in November in CA. Again Thank You for your encouraging words and great advise.
Oh man beliefs holding me back! I have very low self confidence. I let fear control/hold me back. I feel like because I haven't been barrel racing my whole life I will never be good at it. I get discouraged easily. I feel unwanted more often than not and let my brain trick me into thinking people don't like me when in reality they are just busy.
My belief that is holding me back is: afraid of change. My other half and I are selling his home and moving out of state and off-grid to an extent. I just hope that I can handle this. I say that I'll have more time with the horses and wanting to train mustangs but that all scares me to death. My other one is with horses; I'm afraid that if I canter a horse I will fall off and being 65 I don't bounce like I use to. I have just found you and am loving every time I watch one of your videos cuz I am learning so much about myself along with a different way to train horses, Mustangs or not. Thank you for coming into my life.
The believe that has held me back all my life is: I am not good enough therefore I am not liked by others. :'( it's something that has been with me since childhood and I am 56 years old, animals are not judgemental so I feel better about myself amongst them. :)
Hi Maddy! You are so inspiring to me ! I adopted a 6 year old sorrel mustang mare from Mustang Studio in Santa Fe NM two months ago! Her name is Amber and she is sweet and adorable! I love her and want to give her a wonderful forever home on our 5 acre Black Forest ranch! Amber came to us from a abusive past from her second owner. She came from a Colorado Western Slope herd. She was 2 when she was taken from her herd and brought to a prison training facility in Canon City Colorado. I was told that she was a little horse with a big attitude and that I would need to have a lot patience to work with her. Amber is overrespovive and very skiddish. She will not let me groom her or clean her hooves. She runs away from me when I try to put a halter on her. We were told that she could do these skills. She has never been ridden . I would love some advice! I need to know that she is trainable! Her previous trainers used positive reienforcement training. She does respond a little to that.
Beliefs: I need a ton of $ to deserve having horses. My 23 year old horse will never stop bolting at turnout. My boss wants me to work 60 hours a week.
I struggle with a lot of what you mentioned on the list. I know a few big ones is not feeling worthy of it, smart enough or experienced enough. I actually decided the other day that I AM worth it and my skills are valued and I deserve to be happy, have money, etc. This is a great reminder to my now positive thinking.
Thank you for this awesome video! I have watched little pieces of it several days this week just so I could really digest what you shared! Beliefs holding me back... not enough time and lack of experience. :)
I’m a fan of your work and have had some real success with my horse on the ground. I look forward to watching The Mystic Experiment and learning more. Since you asked, my llimiting beliefs ( just a few of many): I don’t have enough experience or knowledge, lots of people don’t like me, not a good rider, too old, never any money, and F E A R!!! All of my life decisions - or choices to remain stuck are based on fear😞. Maybe that is why I’m stumped in trying to get my horse to accept sudden noises or sudden movement that he is fearful of. He spun out from under me and I’m wary of spinning/bolting or bucking and being dumped/ injured. I’m not a trainer, just a month ago tried working with a trainer, that didn’t go well, so now it’s just back to me and him - both scared and green. He’s food motivated but not sure 🤔 how to use that in riding. Terk looks a lil like my guy🐴🤗. Soon enough you’ll be a household name ( well horsey- households for sure). I think your intellectual/ psychological approach may spill over to horse/human healing as well. Glad to have found you.🐴
Thanks for tuning in!! And for the very kind words, and sharing your journey here. That sounds quite scary! Our horses always have a way of leading us on a journey and asking us to go deeper... And yes, fear can be quite paralyzing! I believe every choice we make comes from either love or fear, heart or ego, abundance or scarcity, it all seems to be related! You may find a few books of interest to you-- ACIM made easy and anything by Jen Sincero. Best of luck to you friend
Very relatable to so many of us! F E A R can stand for False Evidence Appearing Real and remember hard work (smart?) beats talent when talent refuses to work hard (smart) !!! All the best !!!
Maddy, this is so inspiring and it amazing that you are sharing your discovery of R+ in such an open and honest way. It is a belief that holds me back - if I change what I do then I am admitting what I have done was wrong. In the equine world, sadly a lot of focus is put on fast results, so if you can't get the results fast, you must be doing it wrong (another belief that holds me back I guess, thinking the only way to get results that other people will appreciate is to compromise my beliefs). It is so nice to see your 'results' AND know that you have got them using kind methods which consider the welfare of the horse. Thank you.
What we have learned in the past is not so much "wrong" as it was the best of what we could learn at the time. Assuming that we weren't intentionally harmful or cruel to our horses! If your horses liked being with you and doing things with you, you weren't entirely "wrong"! So now what we can do is learn more to be better for our horses from more of their point of view and keep progressing from there!
Awesome! Can't wait for more! The "I have to do it myself" is a big one. It leads to "lack of time" because I'm too busy trying to do it all and prevents me from asking for help because "they won't do it right". I also think I suffer from "paralysis by analysis". I feel like I always need to learn more before taking action for fear of doing it wrong.
Maddy, you are a breath of fresh air. I love your vulnerability, openness, and your positive transformation focus for not only the horse, but for ourselves as well. You speak my language! I have only recently discovered you, but I am now a devoted follower and student of yours. Thank you for all you do and share in the horse world!! You're awesome!
Great show! Although I've had horses for 30+ years, I just got my first Mustang a few weeks ago, and I fear that I won't be all she needs or deserves, so I am open and ready to learn new ways to communicate with her. Thank you!
I am an introvert also. I appreciate hearing all of your knowledge and ideas with positive reinforcement. My old horse trainer told us to never give a horse treats. I think that you are awesome. ❤
Maddy!!! This was awesome! I think I’ll have to watch again to completely soak in your words, especially during “tea time”. The part about what is possible (from your time with Amira) literally made me tear up. And when you were taking about letting go of old beliefs I felt like you were speaking directly TO ME! Total introvert here, but I’m taking your note and commenting. the belief that is holding me back is that if I use positive reinforcement around “horse people”that I will be judged or ridiculed and I might feel embarrassed, or that it may lead me to pressure or “expect” more from my horse to avoid that embarrassment. So I’m quietly working with positive reinforcement at home until I feel we can be a positive example when we are off the farm Love love love the video. I think big changes are afoot. You have so much to contribute, and the world is ready to hear it!!! Glad to be part of your tribe.
So excited to for this series. We have also started to delve into positive reinforcement lately with our mustangs and it has been an interesting process. The biggest thing holding me back from doing I want to do is ME! From "I am not good enough" to "I just don't have the time" to "If I want it done right I will do it myself." I think for me, a lot of it comes down to a fear of failure.
YES to this!! These have been big for me too! I'm glad you are starting to find the root cause... If the root cause is failure, then asking what is behind the failure? Down the rabbit hole!
Thank you so much, I am a new subsciber from Guatemala. I will try to start a young mare with your help. Love and light to you and all your loved ones (including the four legged ones )
I am the biggest thing holding myself back. I am not good enough. I don't know enough, I don't have enough experience, I am getting too old to accomplish my dreams. One of the most important items on my bucket list is to participate in an Extreme Mustang Makeover, but I've slowly been covering it up and pretending I don't need to do it over the last several years, until I unexpectedly crossed paths with a TIP trainer today who has competed in a Makeover. Even though the doubt in myself is almost debilitating, I realized I can no longer keep lying to myself. I am ready to change, to evolve, and to grow in uncomfortable ways. Thank you for this episode and everything you do!
Also as a funny side note... I'm house sitting and as I was going upstairs to go to bed, a book on the coffee table caught my eye that I hadn't noticed before. "I don't know" has always been my go-to response for everything, especially when I don't want to engage, and just today I was complaining to my boyfriend about not having enough time to put the work into my horses that I want to... If you guessed the book is "The One Thing", ding ding ding! Definitely a sign, now I'm off to read it.
I'm going to go WAY out of my comfort zone, here (I NEVER comment on UA-cam videos unless I'm replying to someone's comment on one of mine because then I don't want them to feel ignored). The biggest belief that has been holding me back is that there's no point in getting attached to something if it's only going to be ripped away later. I know that's a really deep and probably way out of the ordinary belief, but that is one of my biggest fears as well as one of my biggest beliefs. Because after time and time and time of getting attached only for things to ripped away from me, it's developed into this fear of attachment and belief that there's no point in trying to get attached. I do want to say how excited I am to follow this journey being a positive reinforcement horse trainer and riding instructor myself. I've been following you for a while (and met you at the Mane Event Horse Expo in Arizona last year, so don't know if you remember me or not), and hearing the things you say and seeing how educated you are, yet not being afraid to change your methods and beliefs is truly an inspiration especially speaking you are more than willing to post every single "experiment" so others can learn along with you. Not a lot of adult horse trainers do that, and that's what makes you stand out from the rest. You're not afraid to admit you don't know everything and you're always willing to learn and experiment while letting others do the same alongside you. Anyway, sorry for the lengthy comment, I got to typing and couldn't stop. Can't wait to see where God leads you and Mystic on this journey!!
THANK YOU for going out of your comfort zone and commenting here! Your comment has nearly brought me to tears and has really touched me. Thank you for your kind words~ This can be very scary sometimes and it is really comforting to read your words. Also thank you for sharing your belief re: attachment... You described this as "out of the ordinary" and leads me to believe you may be questioning if you are alone in feeling that way? And I can so confidently tell you that you are *not* alone! I myself have felt this way often and have connected with so many others who have shared it. By sharing this here, you will help so many others realize they are not alone either. So thank you for that
Thank you so much Maddy for this video ! Can't wait to watch the other ones 💛! My biggest belief is I don't have enough Time! Omg this is so me 😫... Also I don't have enough knowledge and I'll never have. Since it takes a lot of Time to get tout know everything I would and since I don't have enough Time 🤔🤪... Thanks for talking about positive reinforcement. I start to believe more and more in that and I am glad someone like you uses that +++ 💛. Cheers from France!
Lucie thank you for sharing!! SO been there, and requires constant awareness and dedication. The One Thing is a book that REALLY helped me! Glad you are joining this journey with me, thanks for tuning in!
I love how your dogs keep secretly upstaging you 😂 I don’t have a horse now, but I know where to look for training, when I do. Looking forward to your exploits.
Love this!! You are truly speaking my language Maddy - goes right to my heart. This has me wondering if the bond with a human could, at some point, be the positive reinforcement.
So happy to hear this! Yes, the human themselves become "positively reinforcing" for the horse, just as the click and the primary reinforcer are... But we will also be exploring *intrinsic* motivation in the series as well, so stay posted :)
@@MustangMaddy - Intrinsic motivation - that is my greatest dream and desire to find with my horses! Sometimes I want it so much, maybe it inhibits me from experimenting at times - my limiting belief. So afraid to quash it that I hold back at times, unwilling to make a mistake. I'm sure it is also tied to 'I'm not good enough." So I will def stay posted!
You got this! Schedule out your time and use it as wise as you can. You are good enough. Years and experience and certification and wins don't say you are better than anyone else. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard!
I tried the positive reinforcement and now if I don't reward after he does something right, he starts being unresponsive to the point where he starts to get pushy looking for the cookie. He won't listen to me until he gets it. I am almost afraid of him. Help
Hey! I'm sorry you are dealing with this. I have a few tips for you to try. First, make sure you are using a high rate of reinforcement. Click, treat, click, treat every time he does a good behavior. Second, keep is consistent. If you rewarded last time, you must reward again. Otherwise, he'll be like "Wait, why is she not rewarding me?" Third, make sure you are focused. Don't stop to chat with a friend or anything. Keep the session focused and short if needed. Fourth, make sure his manners are really good. Teach him to stand with his head straight, not pushing on you. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions.
Thank you so much for these episodes. I'm 65 years old. I no longer have my precious horses, but I am applying what you are doing with Mistic to my standard poodle Malachi who because of his unruley behavior I was nearly evicted from my apartment. Your style of training Mistic is working with Malachi. He's already after just a few days the difference is like night and day. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
GREAT JOB explaining the 4 quadrants!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I really hope that all the taping and showing is real and no editing. It will give people the wrong way to do this. There will be days that it will be ugly and that’s what needs to be shown. This sort of training comes from a real human with their own sense of being. Love your smile and gentleness. Very cool.
Belief who holding me back: I am not talented enough and I have no time. Thank you Maddy for this tea time chat, you help me so much!
Very interesting to use positive reinforcement in combination with target training on horses. I used it for training with dolphins and camels before and now with horses too. Great content ! Very wise words !
Beyond brilliant! ♥️ I already do work with this... Put you just inspired me to go deeper... (there are always much more🤓🤭)... Love it! You are amazing, it makes me so happy people like you are in this world. The Horses need it 🙏
I'm so happy I found your channel! I've been getting really serious about working with a horse I rescued over a year ago. I did not grow up around horses, I don't have the experience that most have, but I do have this strong desire to work with horses that began over 3 years ago, when I started riding and adopted my first horse. I've had tragedies in my life since that have tested my passion, but I'm slowly coming out of the fog. I need to get my confidence back again and I feel like your videos came to me at the right time. I look forward to learning more from you. Thank you for putting yourself out there. You're so inspiring!
I struggle with feeling confident in training my horse. I switched to +R about a year ago because -R was not working with her. We are doing so much better but I still struggle feeling like we can get past the basics. I can only see her 1-3 times a week so it slows our progress but also if I look back on what we've accomplished in the two years I've had her and especially since I moved to +R we're doing very well. I didn't think it possible to have the connection we do if I wasn't the one caring for her every day.
I know the regret of thinking I knew enough and therefore didn't think it possible that my gelding and I could have a better connection holds me back too. It's not as bad as it was but it sneaks up on me here and there yet. We had almost twenty years together and I feel like I failed him by not seeking more knowledge, he was an amazing guy. Now my mare is showing me so many more possibilities and I'm so grateful for her. I know I can't change the past but I sure am going to learn from it and not make the same mistakes with her.
Thank you for sharing this
Thank you for your reply.
My biggest belief(a.k.a. “Lie”) holding me back: I’m afraid of making a mistake that will hurt my horse. Having made mistakes in the past that created fear in us both and the outcome of which was dangerous has made me hesitate on moving ahead with my dream; to ride at liberty with no bridle or saddle. And by the way, I am 64 years old and am determined to do this.
I totally understand this... it can be totally paralyzing. Horses are amazing though... I think I wouldn't hesitate to say they are perhaps the most forgiving of animals I've ever seen. I think that if your intention is right, you can't go wrong
It's been a year, have you succeeded? Im considering starting riding lessons in the spring with the goal of a mustang to gentle along side a trainer (so that we have that special bond) its been a dream my whole life, but Im 48 and keep thinking Im way too old to start something like this.
@@kirapyromantic4431 It’s been almost 2 years and in that time I had to finish building a house and didn’t have much free time to spend with my mare, Claire. How ever what I did concentrate on every time I did ANYTHING with her was try to improve our communication and vocabulary by really focusing on her body language and responses to my requests or my efforts at communicating with her. One thing I do is visualize in my mind first what it is I want to do with her. then use the absolutely softest and quietest request possible. I have had some amazing results but the best is that Claire has softened and relaxed tremendously. I read an article about this but can’t remember or locate the name or title. I have had the best results with horses I have started with from the day they were born but also have had good results even with shut down horses. they seem to appreciate my efforts to connect in their mode instead of the human one.
What holds me back in my life in general is lack of confidence and worrying about what others think of me. I hesitate to participate in horse clinics for fear of looking stupid.
LOVE the "Tea Time" chat. Am just beginning to understand these life concepts now, at 62. How fortunate you are to have found this wisdom early in your life. Looking forward to the next posting.. xoxo
Yay so glad you liked it!! I owe much of that wisdom to my grandmother, for passing it on
This is a WONDERFUL video!! Very well done, informative, and FUN. : ) I'm excited to watch future episodes. The main belief holding me back is that I don't have the experience, skill or knowledge to be able to train my horse so that he will be safe to ride some day. What a delight it would be to learn the things that you know, so that I could reach my dream.
Thank you for the feedback Margie!! And for sharing your own journey... Let me know how I can be assistance to you on that mission :)
Wow. This is SO good. Started watching to better my horsemanship, but again find wonderful personal growth help from you. (The same happened when listening to a podcast with you and Warwick Schiller.) I love the "tea time" chat! With regard to what holds me back: I will only feel successful as a natural horsemanship trainer when my "business" grows and people who practice "traditional horsemanship" of some kind......make changes in their horsemanship mindset.
Also, quick question: where would I find/make the hand-held target.....AND that beautiful and useful treat pouch?
I so needed this today! My limiting belief is that I won’t be able to rehabilitate my mustang and not feeling good enough in life in general much of the time. This 1st video has helped re-center myself to be more aware of the self sabotaging beliefs. Thank you Maddie!!! Can’t wait to see Mystic’s transformation 💕
I am SO happy to read this Caren! Congratulations on some huge breakthroughs! Yes to growth! And you are soo not alone~ Please don't hesitate to reach out if you are looking for support on your journey with your mustang
Biggest belief that’s holding me back is, I don’t have enough experience. I don’t have enough experience for a certain job that pays more money, I don’t have enough experience to gentle my mustang, I don’t have enough experience to train horses, I don’t have enough experience
I really loved this and found the explanation of the 4 learning quadrants made so much sense, its actually is clear to me now! I’ve never quite been able to grasp which is which before, so super grateful for that (amongst many other things I’ve learnt from watching this!). One of the big beliefs holding me back with progressing with horses is that I’m not passionate enough or dedicated enough to really become skilled at understanding and working harmoniously with horses. That I’m too lazy to do it, that I’m not as naturally focused and driven as all those people, such as you Maddy, who have become so good with horses, so therefore will never be able to become that good with them. And I want to be. It’s funny though because is as I acknowledge these beliefs, I can see how untrue they are and that it really doesn’t have to be that way at all if I choose not to let it. Changing those beliefs to: I have more than enough passion and dedication towards becoming a skilled horsewomen that I am making it happen. I have just as much potential to become as great with horses as the horsemen/women I admire, because it is so important to me I put the effort into learning, practicing and developing. I can do this 😊
my believe is that I am not enough to really be a good person for my horses. This causes me step back and just let them be so that hopefully I won't do anything wrong. It also causes me to not really be there during our training sessions which, in my head, is the evidence that I am indeed not enough because the horse just runs away from me and won't participate anymore unless I use ropes again.
Since I figured this out I have started to work on it but finding a balance has always been very hard for me. It has always been everything or nothing at all to me and so to change that into a little bit of presence and a little bit of energy and such has probably been my biggest challenge so far.
Also a huge introvert here who is rather quiet than speaking out loud and especially about my knowledge about horses.
Thank you for sharing
Biggest belief holding me back: "I am unwanted." Have been exploring new methods with my horse and I love your approach on positive reinforcement /letting go of beliefs that aren't serving anything. Going to begin adding hay pellets to my training approach. Thank you for showing up, being open, beautifully vulnerable and courageous. It's making a beautiful & much needed shift in our world♡
Oh, yes, thank you for sharing! You are soo not alone! I have been working through this one for sure... Thank you for your kind words~and for being open and receiving!
Mustang Maddy is very smart; love her videos
EXCITED! I'm sure this will help so many.
Yay! Thanks for checking it out Verena!
I have been hoping you would come onto UA-cam. This is amazing. Thank you for posting!!!!
Yay!!! Thanks for the welcome & tuning in! :D
You are brilliant! I hope these methods catch on.. I'm so envious of your life, but don't feel like I can afford to be involved with horses--tho it's THE life long dream. Maybe this is a false belief? I hope so..
It is very difficult to make a living with horses is one of my core beliefs.... I love horses and they are my center.... I am afraid if I start making a living with horses then I won't love my love of horses any more.
My worse belief is that everything needs to be perfect before I go forward in my life, work, dreams, etc! I always wait until everything is Perfect, preparing all littles things that are not so important.
Thank you ,for your time putting up this site. I belief if i keep looking for more Knowledge I can be a better Horseman with my sons,(Blue & Blondie my Rescue Horses)with my goal of seeing them grow and succeed .As when we received them they where what no one could ride safely .Changing there behavior motives me and also challenges my training abilities.With so my trainers out in the world , with many methods, it is like a maze to find the truth, I feel that if i listen to you i can learn more on my liberty journey and good will come from it . I studied the john lyons methods which he took me far but i want to do the impossible so im willing to change the way i think about what is best for them.Thanks Maddie you are really try to reach into there minds and you are breaking new ground on some of the traditional beliefs .
Very excited to see your videos! I have a Kiger Mustang from Oregon that came from a trainer. He is very standoffish but was always kept in a stall with a private run with the trainer. I was able to ride him once while he was with the trainer and he was a nice ride. He has now been with me for 3 weeks, however, now he is in a 4 acre pasture and doesn't want to be caught. I also do not have access to a round pen. Hoping I can find some useful tools to build a bond with this horse and allow him to trust me and want to be around me.
My biggest belief is "I dont have time"....I am definately going to read that book The One Thing! Thank you!!
Love this! Thank you for sharing... This has been SO big for me and the One thing is one of the best books i've ever read on this!!
Thank you for an intelligent, eloquent, object view of positive reinforcement. I have followed natural horsemanship methods for a while and sort of watched some of your videos from the periphery, and thought many things: this some sort of trick horse thing, no "serious" horse trainers ride their horses at Liberty, what will people at my barn think of me if I try this, I will never be good enough to ride at Liberty, its too hard to learn from videos etc etc. I think I haven't wanted to face that if I start looking at this seriously that I will have to "give up" many of the ideas I have invested in, just like you spoke about at the end of the video. Can you train a "performance" type horse (like a cutting or working cow horse-- I saw the reining in with Amira?) I am not sure how much you read about Law of Attraction topics, I have not seen a trainer so overtly use it in their training, but LOA is how I view the world, and this video aligns very well.
I will admit I have my doubts about positive reinforcement horse training (with food ?! what if your horse isn't food motivated?!?!). I have done a lot of dog herding training and it really stuck with me how dog training almost always uses positive reinforcement(saying yes to immediately reinforce behavior for example). I always assumed that was because prey animals were trained differently than predator, I know from my limited experience you cannot use as much negative reinforcement or punishment with dogs, or they will quit working.
Anyways, thank you again for your series, I am certainly along for the ride so to speak, and can't wait for the roller coaster, I am sure I am going to have many moments of begrudgingly realizing that certain "training activities" haven't been helping us.
Jenna THANK YOU for sharing this!! The beliefs and fears you shared are so spot on and I know you aren’t alone! And I TOTALLY relate to feeling like learning something new like this will challenge old beliefs and honestly… It is really scary. As a professional clinician and performer, I am hired to travel to teach, show practical results, etc often within very limited time frames.. And trying to do that while undergoing a huge transformation in how I view and relate to horses has been quite challenging. It was really scary to “give up” much of what I knew.
In short, I do believe we can train performance horses using these methods, but in some instances it may require that we re-evaluate what we are asking the horse to do and what our intention is. I like the saying “when Intention is Right, You can’t go Wrong.” And yes, I too am into LOA :)
Your comment about R+ and horses who aren’t motivated by food (and horses vs dogs) is SO spot on to what many people feel. I thought that for a long time too. This is really what Mystic taught me… Because she was NOT motivated by food at first (at least I thought). And many sessions I would just have to give up and walk away until I discovered the tools necessary for her engagement. You will learn some of these throughout the series, but the membership does a great job of taking you step-by-step if you are interested. In short, horses who aren’t interested in food are experiencing competing motivations between safety and comfort and food. If the two are competing, safety and motivation always wins out. That’s why R- has been effective, because it creates a safe space for the horses IF applied properly. The horse knows what to do to stay comfortable and away from pressure. R+ is just as effective but takes a bit of a different approach. So excited you will be joining me on this journey! :)
@MustangMaddy ... Mine is that if LOVE to get a wild Mustang to train. However, because I've never trained one, I've questioned myself on my ability to do so.
Love this video and experiment! Really making me think about training in a different way. I tried to open the PDF and was unable to, there doesn't seem to be a text box to enter my email address
Belief holding me back:
I'm not experienced enough to train my nearly untouched horse
I hear you! That's a big one for me too! But really, anyone who has helped untouched horses, started with their FIRST untouched horse, and how much experience or background did they have with untouched horses before their first? (None!) So whether we are at their skill level or not with other horses, we ARE at their experience level. None! So what I am going to do is work my way on the learning curve by learning with horses that have more handling first and then continue with my untouched horse. Hopefully, learning from Maddy's videos and any dvd's will help smooth out the learning curve and help untouched (and all) horses learn to trust rather than fear as well as perceiving and changing any limiting beliefs that are otherwise in the way. I wish you all the best and great success in your journey !!!
Woot woot!! Just watched you and Amira again (for the thousandth time) and it STILL makes me tear up. Excited for this and following along! Congrats on all your visions coming to life!!
Ahhh thank you Angela!!!
Well, there are many beliefs that hold me back. So many. Here are some on the top of the list at the moment: I'm too inexperienced to train my "difficult Mustang". She will never love me. Everyone will think I'm crazy for going this path. I'll never have enough money to afford ...(you name it! Currently: a trailer, a second Mustang, the transformation retreat, a trip around the world). I can never make money with my music. I won't find a job outside teaching. I need to work myself silly to make a living. I'll never be good enough, and nobody can truly love me. It goes on. I can see how all this is holding me back.
I am SO grateful you are seeing!! I've related to ALL of these and money has been a BIG one for me. Jen Sincero's book really helped me with my money mindset although it is still a big project for me!
I love that you are doing this in a field, since my round pen is a rectangle with trees and deep sand. My belief that I need to overcome is that I am too old (69) to take on more horses and that my friends and family think I am very foolish to be working with this Mustang who might hurt me and outlive me. :-) So far she is getting me back in shape and causing a lot of exercise to keep me healthy. Your videos are thought-provoking and are making us better human beings. Keep it up! We need you!
Well said! If you truly want a round pen, all you have to do is fence off the corners with diagonals and you will have a "round" pen. All the best!
69 still at it ? Amazing 💚
Outstanding Video and I'm subscribed and the bell is ON! Can't wait to go through this series with you and everyone else!
Belief(s) holding me back... 1. I'm not a good enough horseman to get through to my paint horse Archer. 2. Money is hard to make. 3. I can't handle rejection (see #1). 4. Being adopted means I am a throw away (created that belief by going through 2 divorces)... I could share more... I also would like to say that I know these beliefs are lies. I am making headway with Archer, I'm making more money easily, and I am a valued partner. This is great stuff and I am open to walking through it with you all!!
So relatable! One thing about being adopted is that you were CHOSEN by your new parents! Glad that things are progressing well for you! All the best !
Fabulous video...you are wise beyond your years Maddy! Thank you for sharing. I recently started positive reinforcement training with my horse who has anxiety issues and stereotypic behaviours and it is making a world of difference!
Loved this video. Have watched you off and on for a few years. Beliefs that I am currently trying to change are that I'll never be a good enough trainer to make a living doing that passion. Also that I am too large of a person for people to take me seriously. Thank you for your insight and loved it so much!
Just now, living with all this fear and uncertainty in this new Covid 19 world, I needed to hear this! I adopted a wild mustang about 2 weeks ago and I have not done this in 30 years so of course, the belief holding me back is " I can't do this"! It's been so long since I've owned horses, let alone trained a wild one, I have very little memory of how I started my last wild one. Thank goodness for people like you, and a neighbor of mine who is quite the mustang trainer herself. Now, I'm going to go make some tea, and contemplate all that I've learned tonight 😊. Thank you.
Maddy! I totally loved this video, not just the horse part, but how you put it on all aspects in life, which is soooo true!! I never left a comment before...:) My belief is fear of getting hurt, by run over, or steped on or bucked of...anything what comes of the horse gets scared suddenly, and yes!! not knowing enought, lack of routine. My horse is smart, sensitive, and scared of a lot of things, but in the same time he is a leader of the group, and quite strickt with the oders. Pressure is deffenetly not working on him, like with other horses, he gets mad! I was told he is wired upside down..:))) I feel if I can solve him, that would be a big success for me, not just in this, but in all aspects on my life!!! Thanks soooo much for your work!!!! Reka
Reka thank you soooo much for sharing this and leaving a comment! I know that so many others will resonate with this as well, you are not alone! Please do reach out if I can be of assistance to you along your journey... It sounds like this horse is teaching you some pretty powerful lessons
@@MustangMaddy Thanks Maddy!!!! I will!!!
I’m so thrilled that I found this tonight, as I continue my new journey into the arena of horses ; ) ... A new chapter for me. ( I made it thru a scary bout with Covid back in late 2021.)
Everything that you talked about is not only so accurate, but really has been shown to me as true, over the many years in my life. Our thoughts and our gratitude are the keys to how our lives will be.
Very well done 🙂
Wow... I have lots of beliefs holding me back... I don’t have the time... I am not good enough... I’m not experienced enough...
Beliefs that holding me back: I don't have enough experience, I can't go on without someone who's following me, I am too young, I don't have capacities to do something
Thank you so much for challenging me to identify my beliefs and if any of them are holding me back! Your example of changing "I don't know" to "I am open for receiving guidance" resonated with me. In particular, I'm afraid my lack of knowledge will lead to poor decision-making and thus negatively impact my relationships (equine and human). I also have the fear that I lack the ability to complete something I start, so I'll be pondering how to turn that one around. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and insight! I can't wait for more videos to come out and to start practicing your methods!
Lindsey thank you for sharing! I still often catch myself saying "i don't know" and try to re-write that old story! So glad it resonated for you. Been recently working through the lesson of trusting myself to make decisions too... So many layers to that one. Encouraging to hear others' journeys. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this video. I am working with a 30+year old mare with a considerable foot and mouth injury. In order to help her, I need to gentle her. I can pet and brush her but as soon as I go to touch her legs she panics. I have feed her by hand every day for 6 weeks, to establish a bond. I work with the Bevada Technical Large Animal Rescue and Least resistance rehab. So there is a great squeeze. We have time to work with her but i know she is in so much pain.
My biggest belief holding me back is “I can’t make enough money doing that” - Amber
I have the same belief...
I struggle with getting past days where my depression is bad. To some extent it’s medical but I think having the idea that I can’t do much about it probably holds me back a lot too.
This is so awesome Maddy!!
Failure is a huge fear of mine, especially in front of others. One belief that I am struggling with in particular right now is "you don't have 'the right' experience to adopt a mustang" and
"that goal is too big." Owning a mustang has been a dream of mine, so now that I have graduated (yay!), I am planning to adopt one. My goal is to adopt one from the pens and train force free with positive reinforcement. But I often struggle with even telling people that this is my goal. When speaking with horse people about training there is often the put down regarding R+, and especially that the training and behavior experience I have from training and competing in dog agility (entirely force free, R+ and via shaping) "doesn't apply." The sense of doubt and judgment and the projection of their fears onto me can sometimes build into my own thoughts. I am working on overcoming this internally, but it's hard not to let these feelings get you down. It is also daunting and scary coming back into the horse world trying to make new friends and connections when you automatically are afraid to tell people about yourself because you are already expecting them to judge and disagree with you. My family has been super supportive and in my heart I believe I can do this, but sometimes negative beliefs creep in and plant the seeds of fear and doubt.
I am so incredibly excited to come to the Immersion program next week! Thank you for all you do and for putting yourself out there while you explore new avenues and challenge old beliefs!
Oh wow THANK YOU for sharing this, and I can TOTALLY relate! Talk about nerve-racking, going out to teach a clinic at an expo in front of hundreds of people and taking out the treat pouch! It is totally scary! And I'm so glad that you see the projection and are aware of that. That's been a difficult one for me. I cannot WAIT to see you at the immersion program and hope I can help you with your journey!!
Was reflecting on this last night whilst feeling overwhelmed about a new project I’ve taken on and all the facilities i need to build, so perfect timing to watch this video! Belief holding me back “I dont deserve others help, but i cant do anything on my own.” Thats one viscous cycle right there.
OH YES! SOOO been there.. And still working through it. So many layers... Glad you are digging deep.
I think I have an irrational fear of doing something wrong. I did this with knitting. When I was learning, I made a mess of things, put it down and that was that. Recently, I found this woman on UA-cam, Happee Knits, who I was watching do a tutorial on socks. She made a mistake, went back to it, fixed it, and moved on like nothing ever happened. It seems so sane to be like that, but it was a groundbreaking moment for me. I went back to that problem knitting I had, went way back to where the problem was, fixed it and moved on. It's so simple now. I haven't started working with our horses due to some health problems, but as I am recovering from that, now I'm afraid I will teach them that a signal means one thing, then if they ever end up out in the world with someone else, that person will mean something entirely different by the same signal and it will get the horse in a bad situation. I laugh now, as I'm writing, at how silly it sounds to worry over so many things needing to line up like that, but it really has held me back. We have one pretty clean slate horse here who was wild raised to be sent to slaughter, but we adopted him at the kill pen. So, he has only had the round up and kill pen human interactions, other than us. I really love him and I don't want him to ever end up in a scenario like that again. Which, logically, would mean that him being well trained would be the best defense, not 100% protection, but better than not having training. So, I am very much looking forward to this series. He is currently out in a big pasture and I will walk out and have some interactions with him, but nothing like a training program of teaching him useful skills. Thank you for sharing this series with us, Maddy!
Just now found you sweet girl ! It’s 2021 and I’m late to the conversation 💁🏻♀️But you are adorable ! And so is your Tea Pot ❣️My wrong belief is “I am too old now” At 20 I had my first dream come true , A horse 🐴 . And had to sell Him at 22 . Now At 67 , Im hoping my dream will true once again ! ! I’m excited to continue watching your videos . Much Love to you , Laura 💜
This video series literally changed my life. I signed up for the HCA course last year & it’s changed everything! I have a much Better relationship with my mare/the pushiness is a thing of the past/ we’re doing things I never thought possible / & the level of trust & fun we’re having is simply unmatched. To come out of my vulnerability shell;
The thing that I somehow tell myself
daily & that holds me back is that I’ll never do enough, be enough,, be educated enough, work hard enough, or be valued enough to be acceptable to others. There. I did it- those are my big fears! I hope this helps at least one person..bless you Maddy for your encouragement & your wisdom. You’re a “young elder”!
Thoughts that hold me back: You'll never be enough. I'm never going to get out of debt (and basically every negative financial thought that could possibly exist). 💕 Phew!! Lots of heavy pressure to self inflict. Working my way out of it though, every moment. 😊🙌
I enjoyed watching this channel very much.
I feel physically challenged, overweight and afraid of getting hurt due to mobility challenges.
I know this video was 2years ago but God’s timing is perfect. I am 51 years old and going to be gentling my first mustang for a competition (the only way I could adopt the mustang I wanted). Again God’s timing. I am beginning to get more excited and less nervous. Pickup is in May. I have been watching trainers with different techniques from traditional natural horsemanship that I used in the past. Liberty is all new for me. However, this video is more than horse training. I love Jesus and I know I am a child of God yet I still struggle with my own insecurities. I am mostly positive minded and grateful. I still completely appreciated the reminders, the questions to ask ourselves, to go deeper, to learn something new, to understand that we can be blocking ourselves, our horses, and knowing We learn and grow at all ages. I look forward to watching the next videos and growing in more than horsemanship. Thank you Suzie
The beliefs holding me back are that I am not good enough, talented enough, I didn't start young enough, because I've never had a horse of my own I can't do it, I don't have the money, and on and on... I am about to start a full lease on an amazing, sensitive, and sweet mare that has been through abusive situations but somehow remains so gentle and understanding. I have a belief that her owner/my trainer (I ride at a hunter/jumper barn) won't want me to do this work, the other people at the barn will think what I'm doing is weird/ridiculous/stupid, or that I just won't do it right and I'll end up creating negative experiences for the mare. HOWEVER! I am challenging my beliefs and my fears because I am SO inspired by your work and your beautiful, insightful, and honest nature that just shines through so clearly. I just found your Instagram and website yesterday and am so thrilled to begin exploring this way of being with horses more. . I was introduced to natural horsemanship when I was about 10 and have always wanted to explore it more, but have not had the funds to own/lease a horse to work with consistently.
I hope to buy your 5 Golden Rules program within the next month or two and begin applying the methods to working with this mare, and delve into my dreams of working at liberty with horses and exploring the deep emotional and spiritual bond that I know is possible. Maybe one day I will even make it out to one of your programs at your facility in Colorado! I am opening to the big dream of it. . . :) Thank you for all that you offer. So looking forward to the next part of this series!
You are a remarkable human being, Maddy, you are wise beyond your years and incredibly inspiring. What’s holding me back a bit is the thought that I’m too old to start something new... turning 70 y/o in a month and why didn’t I discover this earlier since my time on this earth is limited. But it’s never too late to start, right? I’m excited about positive reinforcement and eager to learn from you and play with my just-turned-8 y/o mare.
Thank you for your wisdom beyond your years and willingness to share with us and to encourage and challenge us to become better with ourselves, others and horses!!! You are so right when you say it doesn't seem to make sense to use food when working with aggressive horses but your results with Zeus definitely prove otherwise! The proof is in the pudding! And working with Mystic outside the round pen with other food sources available to compete with your food rewards is an eye opener as well! You are an outstanding ambassador for positive reinforcement so when you take out the treat pouch, you are making such a positive (pun intended?!?) impression on so many at the expo and through videos! Who knows how far things might go in the future to improve relationships with horses as a result of your efforts? Perhaps thinking of WHY you are using positive reinforcement (for the present and future betterment of horses for yourself and others!) might lower some scary feelings when taking out the treat pouch? So you GET to do (what could otherwise feel scary) for WHAT you hope and want for the future?!? From our point of view, it doesn't look like it might be a scary thing for you to take out the treat pouch! Just normal and matter of fact! All the best !!!
Beliefs that continue to hold me back: I am afraid I will not get my confidence back in the saddle since my last horse wreck. I ride with anxiety that I know my horse is picking up on and reacting to. I still saddle up and ride anyway but I hope to overcome fear and not let it hold me back from doing activities that "I KNOW" will end up in disaster. I am 55 this November and hope to actively reduce fear and anxiety.
I love positive reinforcement for my horses and I am so excited to learn how you work with your horse in this way. I have what was called a “dangerous unridable Arabian” given to me because no one else wanted him.Now he is a sweet baby that is perfect in every way. I had no where else to go but to positive because there was no reaching this horse that had rejected humans. Everyone thinks I “treat” too often but it is the only way I talk to them. It is truly why my horses run to me and call to me and we are limited distance riders. Thank you Maddie for showing the world of horse people this works!!!
My biggest belief is I'm always even Steven. For example if I save money something breaks and I have to fix it. Then back to saving lol
I'd be interested to see this. A side note, but an important one, is that if even this doesn't work (or perhaps even if it does,) she needs to be evaluated for any pain by a good equine chiropractor. It can make anyone crazy, and hidden pain causes many, many otherwise trainable horses to be labeled dangerous.
Funny I saw this tonight. I was just thinking about just such an approach for when I get my own.
Wow! You are such a delight! My fear is that I won't catch on as quickly as I should to new things. I will catch on, I am an engineer
Thank you! I look forward to watching your new fresh approach to training Mystic! I hope to use your methods on one of my Mustangs that has a great fear of people!
This is awesome Deb! Thank you for joining
I"m too old. I am not a good rider. My reflexes are too slow. And that's just the start of my list ... 🙁
Mine I don't want to spend the money, LOl. Its expensive to get into horses!
Great "Tea Time" session very enlightening, thank you ! I adopted a mustang mare two years ago her name is "Delilah" she'll be six years old come this January and I think it's taking me this long to be able to get her under saddle because of my belief that "I don't have enough time" and not "accepting or asking for help" because I didn't want to appear weak. I'll be attending your clinic at the Horse Expo in November in CA. Again Thank You for your encouraging words and great advise.
Oh man beliefs holding me back! I have very low self confidence. I let fear control/hold me back. I feel like because I haven't been barrel racing my whole life I will never be good at it. I get discouraged easily. I feel unwanted more often than not and let my brain trick me into thinking people don't like me when in reality they are just busy.
My belief that is holding me back is: afraid of change. My other half and I are selling his home and moving out of state and off-grid to an extent. I just hope that I can handle this. I say that I'll have more time with the horses and wanting to train mustangs but that all scares me to death. My other one is with horses; I'm afraid that if I canter a horse I will fall off and being 65 I don't bounce like I use to. I have just found you and am loving every time I watch one of your videos cuz I am learning so much about myself along with a different way to train horses, Mustangs or not. Thank you for coming into my life.
The believe that has held me back all my life is: I am not good enough therefore I am not liked by others. :'( it's something that has been with me since childhood and I am 56 years old, animals are not judgemental so I feel better about myself amongst them. :)
Hi Maddy! You are so inspiring to me ! I adopted a 6 year old sorrel mustang mare from Mustang Studio in Santa Fe NM two months ago! Her name is Amber and she is sweet and adorable! I love her and want to give her a wonderful forever home on our 5 acre Black Forest ranch! Amber came to us from a abusive past from her second owner. She came from a Colorado Western Slope herd. She was 2 when she was taken from her herd and brought to a prison training facility in Canon City Colorado. I was told that she was a little horse with a big attitude and that I would need to have a lot patience to work with her. Amber is overrespovive and very skiddish. She will not let me groom her or clean her hooves. She runs away from me when I try to put a halter on her. We were told that she could do these skills. She has never been ridden . I would love some advice! I need to know that she is trainable! Her previous trainers used positive reienforcement training. She does respond a little to that.
Beliefs: I need a ton of $ to deserve having horses. My 23 year old horse will never stop bolting at turnout. My boss wants me to work 60 hours a week.
Bigger belief holding me back; you can't make a living training horses.
I struggle with a lot of what you mentioned on the list. I know a few big ones is not feeling worthy of it, smart enough or experienced enough. I actually decided the other day that I AM worth it and my skills are valued and I deserve to be happy, have money, etc. This is a great reminder to my now positive thinking.
This is an awesome breakthrough! Eagle medicine...flying higher so you can see further ;)
Thank you for this awesome video! I have watched little pieces of it several days this week just so I could really digest what you shared! Beliefs holding me back... not enough time and lack of experience. :)
So I was looking to see an updated more recent video on mystic. Where and what happened to Mystic?
I’m a fan of your work and have had some real success with my horse on the ground. I look forward to watching The Mystic Experiment and learning more. Since you asked, my llimiting beliefs ( just a few of many): I don’t have enough experience or knowledge, lots of people don’t like me, not a good rider, too old, never any money, and F E A R!!! All of my life decisions - or choices to remain stuck are based on fear😞. Maybe that is why I’m stumped in trying to get my horse to accept sudden noises or sudden movement that he is fearful of. He spun out from under me and I’m wary of spinning/bolting or bucking and being dumped/ injured. I’m not a trainer, just a month ago tried working with a trainer, that didn’t go well, so now it’s just back to me and him - both scared and green. He’s food motivated but not sure 🤔 how to use that in riding. Terk looks a lil like my guy🐴🤗. Soon enough you’ll be a household name ( well horsey- households for sure). I think your intellectual/ psychological approach may spill over to horse/human healing as well. Glad to have found you.🐴
Thanks for tuning in!! And for the very kind words, and sharing your journey here. That sounds quite scary! Our horses always have a way of leading us on a journey and asking us to go deeper... And yes, fear can be quite paralyzing! I believe every choice we make comes from either love or fear, heart or ego, abundance or scarcity, it all seems to be related! You may find a few books of interest to you-- ACIM made easy and anything by Jen Sincero. Best of luck to you friend
Very relatable to so many of us! F E A R can stand for False Evidence Appearing Real and remember hard work (smart?) beats talent when talent refuses to work hard (smart) !!! All the best !!!
Maddy, this is so inspiring and it amazing that you are sharing your discovery of R+ in such an open and honest way. It is a belief that holds me back - if I change what I do then I am admitting what I have done was wrong. In the equine world, sadly a lot of focus is put on fast results, so if you can't get the results fast, you must be doing it wrong (another belief that holds me back I guess, thinking the only way to get results that other people will appreciate is to compromise my beliefs). It is so nice to see your 'results' AND know that you have got them using kind methods which consider the welfare of the horse. Thank you.
What we have learned in the past is not so much "wrong" as it was the best of what we could learn at the time. Assuming that we weren't intentionally harmful or cruel to our horses! If your horses liked being with you and doing things with you, you weren't entirely "wrong"! So now what we can do is learn more to be better for our horses from more of their point of view and keep progressing from there!
My biggest belief holding me back is lack of time. Im glad you mentioned this in this video.
The biggest belief holding me back is, “I’m not good enough.”
Awesome! Can't wait for more! The "I have to do it myself" is a big one. It leads to "lack of time" because I'm too busy trying to do it all and prevents me from asking for help because "they won't do it right". I also think I suffer from "paralysis by analysis". I feel like I always need to learn more before taking action for fear of doing it wrong.
YES to all of these! Me too! Thank you for sharing Jennifer!
My belief is I won’t be brave enough to train my project horse under saddle without my fears causing training problems.
Don't be afraid, you can do it. You are brave and so strong. Look for the deeper root fear inside you. Make sure to update how training is going!
@@theskirtrider Thank you so much! I need to do an updated video. We have a long way to go, but we've made some breakthroughs!
MCRC Equestrian aka Moon Chasers Riding Center Yayyyy! Yes, just subbed ❤️
Maddy, you are a breath of fresh air. I love your vulnerability, openness, and your positive transformation focus for not only the horse, but for ourselves as well. You speak my language! I have only recently discovered you, but I am now a devoted follower and student of yours. Thank you for all you do and share in the horse world!! You're awesome!
Great show! Although I've had horses for 30+ years, I just got my first Mustang a few weeks ago, and I fear that I won't be all she needs or deserves, so I am open and ready to learn new ways to communicate with her. Thank you!
would be better to work with the horse and do voice over us oppose just talking.
I am an introvert also. I appreciate hearing all of your knowledge and ideas with positive reinforcement. My old horse trainer told us to never give a horse treats. I think that you are awesome. ❤
Maddy!!! This was awesome! I think I’ll have to watch again to completely soak in your words, especially during “tea time”. The part about what is possible (from your time with Amira) literally made me tear up. And when you were taking about letting go of old beliefs I felt like you were speaking directly TO ME!
Total introvert here, but I’m taking your note and commenting. the belief that is holding me back is that if I use positive reinforcement around “horse people”that I will be judged or ridiculed and I might feel embarrassed, or that it may lead me to pressure or “expect” more from my horse to avoid that embarrassment. So I’m quietly working with positive reinforcement at home until I feel we can be a positive example when we are off the farm
Love love love the video. I think big changes are afoot. You have so much to contribute, and the world is ready to hear it!!! Glad to be part of your tribe.
AHHH this is so awesome to hear! I'm SO happy it resonated for you Andrea, thank you for watching!
So excited to for this series. We have also started to delve into positive reinforcement lately with our mustangs and it has been an interesting process.
The biggest thing holding me back from doing I want to do is ME! From "I am not good enough" to "I just don't have the time" to "If I want it done right I will do it myself." I think for me, a lot of it comes down to a fear of failure.
YES to this!! These have been big for me too! I'm glad you are starting to find the root cause... If the root cause is failure, then asking what is behind the failure? Down the rabbit hole!
Can't wait to see more. This is helpful in so many aspects of life.
Love your mind and ways!
Love you…💐
Thank you so much, I am a new subsciber from Guatemala. I will try to start a young mare with your help. Love and light to you and all your loved ones (including the four legged ones )
Thank you for joining Esther!
This video was so informative! My favorite part was your two funny cattle dogs chasing Mystic! Funny pups!🐕🐕
I am the biggest thing holding myself back. I am not good enough. I don't know enough, I don't have enough experience, I am getting too old to accomplish my dreams. One of the most important items on my bucket list is to participate in an Extreme Mustang Makeover, but I've slowly been covering it up and pretending I don't need to do it over the last several years, until I unexpectedly crossed paths with a TIP trainer today who has competed in a Makeover. Even though the doubt in myself is almost debilitating, I realized I can no longer keep lying to myself. I am ready to change, to evolve, and to grow in uncomfortable ways. Thank you for this episode and everything you do!
Also as a funny side note... I'm house sitting and as I was going upstairs to go to bed, a book on the coffee table caught my eye that I hadn't noticed before. "I don't know" has always been my go-to response for everything, especially when I don't want to engage, and just today I was complaining to my boyfriend about not having enough time to put the work into my horses that I want to... If you guessed the book is "The One Thing", ding ding ding! Definitely a sign, now I'm off to read it.
so grateful for you miss Maddy :-)
I'm going to go WAY out of my comfort zone, here (I NEVER comment on UA-cam videos unless I'm replying to someone's comment on one of mine because then I don't want them to feel ignored). The biggest belief that has been holding me back is that there's no point in getting attached to something if it's only going to be ripped away later. I know that's a really deep and probably way out of the ordinary belief, but that is one of my biggest fears as well as one of my biggest beliefs. Because after time and time and time of getting attached only for things to ripped away from me, it's developed into this fear of attachment and belief that there's no point in trying to get attached. I do want to say how excited I am to follow this journey being a positive reinforcement horse trainer and riding instructor myself. I've been following you for a while (and met you at the Mane Event Horse Expo in Arizona last year, so don't know if you remember me or not), and hearing the things you say and seeing how educated you are, yet not being afraid to change your methods and beliefs is truly an inspiration especially speaking you are more than willing to post every single "experiment" so others can learn along with you. Not a lot of adult horse trainers do that, and that's what makes you stand out from the rest. You're not afraid to admit you don't know everything and you're always willing to learn and experiment while letting others do the same alongside you. Anyway, sorry for the lengthy comment, I got to typing and couldn't stop. Can't wait to see where God leads you and Mystic on this journey!!
THANK YOU for going out of your comfort zone and commenting here! Your comment has nearly brought me to tears and has really touched me. Thank you for your kind words~ This can be very scary sometimes and it is really comforting to read your words. Also thank you for sharing your belief re: attachment... You described this as "out of the ordinary" and leads me to believe you may be questioning if you are alone in feeling that way? And I can so confidently tell you that you are *not* alone! I myself have felt this way often and have connected with so many others who have shared it. By sharing this here, you will help so many others realize they are not alone either. So thank you for that
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Perfect message at the perfect time for both me and my horse!
Ahhh I am SO happy this resonated for you!!
Thank you so much Maddy for this video ! Can't wait to watch the other ones 💛!
My biggest belief is I don't have enough Time! Omg this is so me 😫... Also I don't have enough knowledge and I'll never have. Since it takes a lot of Time to get tout know everything I would and since I don't have enough Time 🤔🤪... Thanks for talking about positive reinforcement. I start to believe more and more in that and I am glad someone like you uses that +++ 💛. Cheers from France!
Lucie thank you for sharing!! SO been there, and requires constant awareness and dedication. The One Thing is a book that REALLY helped me! Glad you are joining this journey with me, thanks for tuning in!
I love how your dogs keep secretly upstaging you 😂
I don’t have a horse now, but I know where to look for training, when I do. Looking forward to your exploits.
LOL I caught that when editing the video! Those rascals!
How do you click? Are you doing it?
Love this!! You are truly speaking my language Maddy - goes right to my heart. This has me wondering if the bond with a human could, at some point, be the positive reinforcement.
So happy to hear this! Yes, the human themselves become "positively reinforcing" for the horse, just as the click and the primary reinforcer are... But we will also be exploring *intrinsic* motivation in the series as well, so stay posted :)
@@MustangMaddy - Intrinsic motivation - that is my greatest dream and desire to find with my horses! Sometimes I want it so much, maybe it inhibits me from experimenting at times - my limiting belief. So afraid to quash it that I hold back at times, unwilling to make a mistake. I'm sure it is also tied to 'I'm not good enough." So I will def stay posted!
Belief that holds me back: I'm not good enough at my craft to achieve x, I don't have time in my life to achieve all of my dreams, etc.
You got this! Schedule out your time and use it as wise as you can. You are good enough. Years and experience and certification and wins don't say you are better than anyone else. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard!
I tried the positive reinforcement and now if I don't reward after he does something right, he starts being unresponsive to the point where he starts to get pushy looking for the cookie. He won't listen to me until he gets it. I am almost afraid of him. Help
Hey! I'm sorry you are dealing with this. I have a few tips for you to try.
First, make sure you are using a high rate of reinforcement. Click, treat, click, treat every time he does a good behavior.
Second, keep is consistent. If you rewarded last time, you must reward again. Otherwise, he'll be like "Wait, why is she not rewarding me?"
Third, make sure you are focused. Don't stop to chat with a friend or anything. Keep the session focused and short if needed.
Fourth, make sure his manners are really good. Teach him to stand with his head straight, not pushing on you.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions.