From Moshi

Less is more. It’s true.

When you’re first learning something new, you usually try too hard. We all do that. Once we have the skills we find we can achieve the same thing with little effort.

Life is like too. Sometimes you just need to sit back and let things unfold. In some ways the less you do, the more that flows to you.

Where in your life to you do TOO much? What if it could be effortless?

Try doing less this week. See what happens, and notice what comes to you on it’s own.

Meet me at the barn and let’s see how little you have to do for success to show up!

Love, Moshi

From Indy

I love to run. It is my favorite thing. I like to swim too. Maybe that is my favorite thing. No, on second thought, I love playing with Jane and Rhett. They are my favorite things. Hummm I’m not sure… now I’m confused.

I’m pretty good at concentrating on one thing at a time. But I get distracted on occasion.

Just for today I’m going to pick one thing and give it all I’ve got. Thinking about too many things makes me confused.

How about you? What the most important, or the most fun thing you could do today? If you could choose just one thing, what would it be?

Let’s go do that! I’m right there with you!

Love, Indy

From Moshi

QUESTIONS

Jane talks a lot about high quality questions. To understand what that means, you have to be able to know the difference between a low quality question and a high quality question.

A low quality question can only give you a low quality answer and tends to create more of what you DON’T want. A low quality question usually starts with “Why?” or “How come?”

Such as, if you say, “Why did I pull on the left rein in that transition…” your mind will search for an answer and probably tell you, “…because you’re uncoordinated and not a very good rider.”

So, instead of saying, “Why did I forget the ten meter circle at E?” you could say, “What’s the best way for me to remember to do a ten meter circle at E?” Another example might be, “How come my horse is so resistant to stretching into the bit?” rephrased into, “What’s the best way for me to learn how to teach my horse to stretch into the contact?”

One way looks for problems, which programs you for more problems and destroys your self-confidence. The other way looks for solutions, which programs your mind for solutions. It may seem like a small difference, but it really isn’t small at all. It’s HUGE!

Your horse is very excited to know you’re going to be at the barn soon!

Love, Moshi

From Indy

Rhett and I have a lot of fun playing together. He’s very good at throwing the ball. He can throw FAR! Sometimes I bring the ball back, and sometimes I like to keep it. Rhett doesn’t like it when I won’t return the ball. He chases me and makes loud noises. It is great fun!

Jane asked Rhett one day why I don’t always bring back the ball. Rhett said he didn’t know, but decided to watch what happens if he doesn’t make a big fuss over me not retrieving the ball.

The next time we played I decided I’d keep the ball for myself. Rhett didn’t get mad. He just turned away and went to do something else. He left me with nothing to do! That was no fun at all. It was much more fun when he chased me and tried to get me to give it back.

So, I took the ball to him, dropped it at his feet, and asked him to throw it for me. He did!

I caught it and considered keeping it. But I realized that I wouldn’t get any attention if I didn’t take the ball right back to him. When I did, Rhett praised me and gave me a good pat. Then he threw the ball again. That was wonderful! I decided that I like attention I get doing the right thing more than I like keeping the ball and being ignored. I decided that from now on I’m going to take the ball right back to him.

Many training issues are like that. If you don’t give them attention or energy, they dissipate. If you give them lots of attention, they fester and grow.

Positive reinforcement for doing the right thing is much better than a correction for doing the wrong thing.

Let’s go play ball! I promise I’ll bring it back.

Love, Indy

From Moshi

I often hear Jane talking to people in sounds that I don’t understand. I may not be clear on the distinctions of her human words, but I can hear and feel the meaning behind them.

She has suggested that people eliminate the word “not” from their vocabulary because there’s no picture in the mind for the word “Not”. None of us can picture “not”! Since I process the world in mental pictures, the word “not” creates mind pictures that are just the opposite of what the person really wants.

Saying, “Don’t shy.” tells me there’s danger ahead, and I SHOULD shy to keep us safe.

Jane speaks to me in positive words, whose meaning creates the picture in her mind and my mind of what she DOES want. That, I can understand!

How do you speak to your horse, and to yourself? Train yourself to always speak and think in what you DO want, not in words describing what you don’t want.

Let’s go riding!

Love, Moshi

From Indy

Jane doesn’t want me chewing up her shoes. At first I was confused, because I kept hearing her say “chewed shoes” and thought that was what she wanted! I could not understand why she seemed unhappy when I was just doing what matched her mind pictures! So… I chewed up more of her shoes, and then started in on Rhett’s shoes, since her mind seemed to be asking me to do just that.

Then one day she handed me a nice rawhide chew stick and I heard her say “chew stick,” with a happy voice. I could see her mind picture of me chewing the stick. I realized I could chew on the stick and Jane would be happy. Then I would be happy, too! She showed me some new shoes in perfect condition and I heard her happy voice.

I got it! Chew stick, happy. New shoes, happy.

Got it!

Let’s go to the barn and see Moshi! And then throw the stick!

Love, Indy

From Moshi

A winning attitude isn’t hard to achieve, but it does take some effort. For some reason, many people find it easier to wallow in negativity than to make the effort to turn things around and be positive. Horses aren’t like that. We don’t think about the past or the future. We just live now.

I’ve noticed Jane using the tools she’s learned and developed over the years to change her attitude. You see, even Jane has bad days. But she doesn’t stay in a bad place. She’s learned how to consciously change her thinking, and, therefore, change her experience.

One of Jane’s most powerful tools is deciding to have an attitude of gratitude. She’ll tell me how much she appreciates me, my soft coat, my powerful muscles, my long, pretty mane, and my work ethic. She’ll go on and on about how good my tempi changes are, and how wonderfully my piaffe is developing. Even when I make a mistake, she’ll tell me how grateful she is that I willingly try my best. Yes, gratitude is the fastest way to turn a bad day into a great day.

So today, look for things to be grateful for. It doesn’t matter if they’re big things or small (like the fact that you’re breathing!). Just pay attention to all the good stuff in your life. There’s no faster way to turn that frown upside down than developing a sense of gratitude!

Now get to the barn! Your horse is grateful for your attention!

Your friend, Moshi

From Indy

I’m so glad I’m a dog! I have the perfect life. I have good friends, both human and canine, and even a horse or two. I have a warm place to sleep, places to swim when I get hot, all the food I need, and people to throw balls and sticks for me. Yes, I have the life. And I am grateful.

I really don’t have bad days. It’s just not who I am. But I can tell when my people aren’t feeling happy, and that can make me feel sad. So, I find a stick or a ball and ask my people to play with me. Usually they will, and in no time they’re feeling better. They just can’t feel down when they see how happy I am!

Happiness is more contagious than a cold virus. You just can’t be sad when those around you are happy! Unfortunately, grumpiness can be contagious too. So you have to be extra careful not take on someone else’s grumpiness.

My job in this world is to spread happiness. That’s all I have to do. And I do it VERY well.

What do you spread around? Happiness or grumpiness? It’s good to notice these things. We’re all carriers, whether we know it or not.

See you at the barn! I’ll be the one with the big, toothy grin. I’ll bet I can make you smile, too.

Love, Indy

From Moshi

You know that horses are flight animals, right? I’m sure you do. It means that we naturally run away from danger. Our size and our speed are our best defenses, so we like to RUN when things get scary.

Humans have this amazing ability to do things in spite of their fears. Jane says that courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is being afraid and doing your job in spite of your fear.

It’s okay to be afraid. It’s natural and most of the time it’s smart. It’s only a problem if it stops you from doing what you want to do.

Jane helps me overcome my fears by being a good leader. I know if she gives me signals that say I am safe, then I can believe her and relax. She gives herself signals too. She makes sure she breathes deep and releases tight muscles. Sometimes she even sings to relax us both. She has lots of tools to help her overcome nervousness and fear.

What do you do to relax your horse, and yourself? Do your fears get in the way, or do you deal with them in a manner that really works for both you and your horse?

I hear your horse is looking for you at the barn! Are you on your way out to ride?

Your Friend, Moshi

From Indy

I’m a wolf in a yellow coat. Okay, maybe not, but my ancestors were wolves and that cellular memory is still very much inside me. If cornered or challenged, I can bring out my wolf stuff and scare the pants off of just about anyone! Just look at these teeth!

Of course it would take a lot for me to dig out my inner wolf. I’m generally a very laid back fellow. But as a dog, I’m just as likely to fight my way out of a scary situation as flee. My ancestors often had to fight for their survival, so I know I can do that too, if I have to.

That inner-wolf is a source of strength, as long as I don’t abuse it. There is power there.

Can you remember a time when you handled a dangerous or emergency situation really well? That is your inner wolf coming out. You CAN deal with emergencies, danger, and fear. You’ve done it before. You do have it in you, just as I do!

Take your inner-wolf with you to the barn today. Let that power fill you with confidence. Remember times when you felt strong and worthy. Let that be your experience today.

Let’s go! I’ll meet you at the car.

Love, Indy

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