Mantras are a way for us (the human) to clear our minds and help our horses.  Essentially a mantra is a way to protect us from a run amok imagination, limiting thoughts or beliefs.

When we think, and what we think matters to our horses. Our thoughts become our actions and what we put in our thoughts eventually comes out.  This is the way brains work, They are essentially like computers and can only give you what has been input. And, just like computers, the most recent or most often in-put information is what the brain gives us first.

Think of it this way, even though you didn’t make the pound sign (#) a hast tag (#), do a google search and see what it gives you! By popular demand and repetition, the pound sign became a hashtag.

Take this thinking to our horses

What we see, hear and say all the time is what is seeding our subconscious (our mind).  Our brains answer our questions based on popular demand and repetition. Since horses are mind readers, there is nowhere to hide!

Let’s use a Mantra!

To protect ourselves and ultimately our horses from run amok thinking, a mantra can help.

A mantra is:

• something positive
• personal
• easy to remember
• and perhaps rhythmical

designed by you to help you remember who you want to be in any given moment. Especially stressful or scattered moments when we are not always feeling in control of our mind (when our mind has run amok!)

I have different mantras for different situations.  For my riding or any work on the ground it’s more of an outward/directional mantra:

See it
Feel it
Be it
Support it.

The thinking here is that I see what I want like I’ve just watched it on a movie, and, I remember every single footstep because I love it which brings me to Feel it where I add a positive emotion!

Next, I want to be the change I want to see.  For example, if I want to go, I’m going to have “GO” in my body. This is a place where keen observation matters.  Am I “being” go? We can also substitute being for doing to help in the beginning.  The goal however is to be the change you want to see.  
To help you think about it:  When you are riding and you want to go, are you being go or doing go? Being go would have energy and potentially a forward way about your body, doing go might be kicking with your legs. If you were on the ground next to your horse, would you be kicking or would you be going?
There are many ways to think about this and likely they are somehow right.  I’m asking you to clarify.

Lastly, Support it.  Keeping with the theme of go,  riding and walking next to your horse on the ground, perhaps supporting “be it” would look like getting your legs and feet into action! This way supporting who you are being, what you are feeling in an effort to fulfill your picture of seeing it!

Troubleshooting Tip!

If your horse is not stepping directly into the picture you have in your mind, perhaps you don’t believe he will?  Maybe the trouble is in the Feel it. Perhaps your emotion is not positive, it’s skeptical.  The way I combat this thinking is with “of course my horse would LOVE to!” thinking.  And, keep that alive over time!  Here’s a short video clip of my horse and I to help with the idea of keeping a picture clear over time.

Maybe, you are doing more than your horse and expecting them to do less?  Or maybe you have not supported your idea?  Either with words, or a physical touch of some sort? How can you clarify.  feel free to exaggerate in the teaching phase and refine your phases as you go.  Be sure to keep your thinking clean with a mantra, either of your own or feel free to steal mine!

See it, feel it, be it, support it!

Let me know how I can help!  Feel free to check in on the website https://MaryAnnBrewer.com

Yours Truly, In the Company of Horses
MaryAnn Brewer
Horsemanship Coach and Author from NJ
“Changing Lives, One Relationship at a Time”
15,000 served and counting