Here's 5 things I learned from my conversation with Madison:
If you have seen any of her videos, she starts a lot of them in a similar way to this, so I thought it would be fun to start the blog post out the same way.
1. She started riding horses at a horse camp in California.
Madison learned how to ride at the age of 6 years old at Flying M Ranch in Nevada, CA where they taught her all the basic horsemanship skills from cleaning stalls, grooming, riding and more. I'm sure a lot of us have similar stories to how we started riding as horse crazy kids whose parents signed us up as a way to keep us busy. However, little did they know they were only feeding the obsession that would grow into our adult lives.
2. When learning a new discipline building confidence and staying safe is the most important.
Riding as we know can be very dangerous as we are choosing to get on a 1,000 pound animal with a mind of their own. Which is why when we step out of our comfort zones to learn how to jump like Madison or barrel race or whatever new sport you want to try and learn more about. Building the confidence first and doing so on a horse that will keep you safe and take care of you is so important to not only prevent ourselves from injury, but also protect the horse from injury as well. There are so many stories of inexperienced riders being put on advanced horses that they have no business being on and the number of injuries that have happened to the riders and the horses as well is horrible. Also, it can turn what was supposed to be a fun, new experience into a bad one and turn us off of riding and horses which is not a good way to promote the equine industry.
3. Finding the right trainer for you and your needs is so important.
As Madison says in the episode, there are a lot of amazing trainers out in the world that truly love the horses and their clients. It is important to find a trainer who supports you, treats you and your horses well, and helps you succeed in the show pen. However, that does not mean there aren't trainers also out there who only care about money, winning, and can cross the line with their clients and abuse that power, their clients, and disrespect them and their horses. Now we do realize it's important for respect to go both ways and there are some clients who cross the lines themselves, but that still should not give trainers who are the professionals in the situation the right to disrespect their riders who are paying these trainers to teach them, take care of their horses, and help them succeed with their goals. As Madison also tells us in the episode she rode for many years with High Point Performance horses who there is not a single person in the quarter horse world who doesn't know who they are! As they have built a reputation of great horse care, client care and they supported her in helping her make the decision to sell her two geldings and take her mare home and take a step back from competing. To hear more about her decision making process you can listen to the full episode at the link provided below.
4. There is always something to learn as an Equestrian
Now this is something I have talked about on other episodes, but I bring it up here because something Madison loved about learning to jump was the progression she got from learning new skills and seeing herself get better as a rider. That is something I have always loved about the equine industry that even when you think you have reached the very 1% in this sport, you can discover something brand new that will captivate you that you have to dig deep into to learn everything about it or reach out to someone that can teach you about that thing or discipline. I believe this can be true for new riders and top professionals.
5. Don't worry about what others will think!
Madison thought that people would judge her when she decided to leave the competitive side of the industry and sell two of her show horses, but at the end of the day she had to do what was best for herself, her business, and her goals. The industry can be very intimidating when you are just starting out or trying to get back into competing with your horses as you look around and think I will never be as good as them or I don't have the kind of money to compete on that level. However, this journey is no one's business but your own and success looks different to everyone. Also, you can win a world championship or reach your goals without always paying 50,000 for a quality show horse, having the best trainer in the business, or spending thousands on one of a kind show attire. Finding creative ways to get the help you need, afford the lessons you want, or go to the shows you want is how you can make your dreams happen as well as through hard work of course.
There is so much more I took away from my amazing conversation with Madison, so for the full episode click on the link below to listen or go to Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! I hope you feel inspired to take the next step to learning that new discipline or skill you have been wishing to try!
Season 1, Episode 15
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