Why I Stopped Holding This Horse's Face, and It Worked

This week's Tip of the Week isn't about a specific drill. It's about mindset. I'm using Blue here, and he's a horse that naturally travels with his head down and tends to be a little on the lazier side. I've spent a lot of time getting him soft in the face, and honestly he's pretty good, but I'm always chasing that extra point or two. So this week I tried something different. Instead of working to keep him in frame all the time, I'm leaving his face completely alone and just turning him loose; making him responsible for himself. And what I'm finding is his position is actually getting better because of it. The bigger point here applies to everything - circles, spins, stops, whatever you're working on. Don't be afraid to change your approach if something isn't getting you where you want to go. That doesn't mean changing it up every single day, but staying hard headed about doing things one way just because that's how you've always done it isn't going to get the most out of your horse. Sometimes your horse needs you to compromise a little. And as a horseman, you should be able to make that adjustment. This week, get an open mind, go ride your horse, and let them tell you what they need. 🤠 👍 If you found this helpful hit Subscribe so you don't miss next week's tip! 🔗 Work with me: 🌐 mattmillsreining.com 💻 Gold Medal Formula: mattmillsreining.com 📲 Instagram & TikTok: @mattmillsreining #Reining #TipOfTheWeek #MattMills #NRHA #QuarterHorse #WesternRiding #Horsemanship #ReinHorse #Mindset #OpenMind