Attitude Is Everything

Attitude Is Everything . . Choose A Good One

This plaque was hanging at the entrance to the holding pen for a horse show.  Every exhibitor walked or rode past it every time they entered for their next class.  Most acknowledged the importance of the message. 

To me, this means I should have a winning attitude.  Knowing I have done my best to prepare both me and my horse, I come out a winner even if I don’t place in class.  I treat my horse with the respect that he deserves.  I take responsiblity for the mistakes that are made.  I don’t blame my horse for every missed cue.  I try to ride with a gentle hand, a quiet leg and a soft seat.  I’ve found that this gets better results even if my horse is having a bad day.  I try to be polite, courteous and pleasant to all around me.  Good manners should not be lost in the horse world.  I arrive a little early.  I offer my help if needed.  Finally, I have fun!

 Attitude Is Everything . . Choose A Good One

What does this mean to you?  I encourage you to leave a comment. 


2 Responses to Attitude Is Everything

  1. Janis says:

    It seems everyone in the world is so wrapped up in themselves that they forget (or could care less) how they impact everyone around them.

    At the horse show as I look out in the ring I see people who are not having fun. They are too nervous, too angry or too frustrated.

    It is nice to see that for some the goal is still to have FUN! 🙂

    Janis F.

  2. I think Janis made a good point, and I want to elaborate on that a bit. I believe having a good attitude is more about what you can CONTRIBUTE to your particular community – be it a show, a class, even a website or blog. It is about everything you do, you do with a mindset to better your breed, better your discipline, and above all, help others achieve the same thing.

    No offense intended, nor am I advocating “tree hugging” per se, but the phrase “tread lightly” comes to mind, because this encompasses an entire mind set of “leave the world a better place then you found it”. I think this applies to everything we do on a daily basis.

    How do we take this mind set in showing, breeding, and other arenas that seem to have personal gain? By allowing others to learn from us – win or lose. We hold our heads high, and hope that in some way we can contribute or impart some knowledge to others that see us. I think we basically take the perspective that we might be the ONLY ambassador some people will ever see of our chosen discipline. As such, we should make every attempt to ensure that we are representing our discipline and ourselves accordingly.

    Of course this is easier to do when you are at the top of your class then when at the bottom, but lets keep reminding ourselves, “we are doing this because it’s fun”. We will not die if we don’t win all the time.

    Besides, the most important thing to remember – good attitudes are contagious. There are some people you just enjoy being around – ALWAYS – and it doesn’t even matter if they win or lose, it is just that they are there. If everyone strives to be one of “those” people, the horse community as a whole will flourish and prosper.

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