Winning Ways - Testing Ourselves
Sometimes we need to step back and take a look at our barrel racing, kind of like a 9 week report card in school, so we’ve come up with these “Thought Provokers” to help you rate yourself and check your own progress. Just answer True or False.
- ______I am getting the best runs out of my horse that he is capable of at
this time. - ______I win often.
- ______I can win on more than one horse.
- ______Someone else can get on my horse and make a better run that me.
- ______I can win both indoors and out.
- ______I keep detailed records on my horse and my barrel racing.
- ______I usually compete less than one time a month.
- ______I am a confident barrel racer.
- ______At this very moment, my equipment is clean and neatly put away.
- ______At this very moment, my horse stall is clean.
- ______At this very moment, I am overweight.
- ______If someone were to call me and say that they had entered me
in a big money barrel race that was within the limits of my horse’s
ability, I would be somewhat reluctant to go because I hadn’t had
the proper time to prepare. - ______I am a happy person, basically.
- ______I get excited when I win something, but I try to act nonchalant.
- ______I am a better barrel racer now than I was a year ago.
NOW LET’S LOOK AT YOUR ANSWERS
The BEST answer here, is TRUE, but if it is FALSE and you know the reason and are doing something about it, that’s the next best thing.
The BEST answer here is TRUE, but if the answer is FALSE, you have some room for improvements.
If the answer is no, because you only have an opportunity to ride one horse, that’s OK. If you do ride two horses and can only win on one, take a hard look at how you are riding the non-winning horse and try to make some changes in him or you so you can do better.
If so, figure out what they are doing differently and learn to do it yourself.
If the answer is TRUE, that’s great; if it’s FALSE, than get to work on your horse and your confidence so you will KNOW that you can win, anywhere.
It is such a help to have good records on you and your horse. How can you tell if you’re improving if you don’t have any records and they are great for referring back too.
It’s hard to keep yourself and your horse tuned up if you don’t compete at least every ten days or so, although that does vary for some people.
If you have to answer FALSE to this question, get to work on whatever it takes for you to begin to BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!
Naughty you, if you had to answer FALSE to this one. You’re not working hard enough at this.
Once again, we hope everybody got to out TRUE on this one.
Sometimes we all seem to pick up a few extra pounds. If YOU had to answer TRUE to this one, don’t have any more M&M’s or SNICKERS or HERSHEY’S KISSES, until your weight is in line with the type of barrel racer you want to be!
BE READY ALL THE TIME. If you are working your horse right, you will be ready!
Hopefully, everyone answers TRUE to this one. If there IS something about your barrel racing that is making you unhappy, though, take the steps you need to make a change.
Don't do that. ENJOY winning. ENJOY the feeling. That's what you have been working so hard to do. Smile and be happy when you win!
That's everybody's goal. No matter how much we do, or how much we win, there is always room for improvement. Winners are never quitters and quitters are never winners!
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