Do you ever catch yourself in a routine of taking care of everyone and everything… but yourself? Whether it be a lack of time, lack of resources, or other reasons, sometimes, we catch ourselves putting our own needs behind everyone else's. While this selfless nature is admirable, it can also cause us to feel burnt out and frustrated when we aren't achieving the goals we set out for ourselves.  On this episode, I'm sharing some stories about how investing in yourself can help you improve your efficiency and progression toward your goals. Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast. 

Be Your Best Horsemanship

You Are Worth It

In this episode, I am breaking down the process of overcoming two common issues in the barrel racing industry: Why is my horse stalling out on the back side of a barrel? My horse is losing momentum going into a turn. How do I fix it? Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast.

Maintaining Speed & Momentum in Your Turns

Do you ever wake up feeling behind? Do you ever get the feeling like you have more to do than you could ever get done? Feeling like you are never caught up? If so, you are not alone. In the horse training business, time is one of our biggest limitations. On this episode, I am sharing some ways to be more efficient with your time by seeking out resources and mentorship. Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast.

How to be More Efficient with Your Time

Having goals is important, but having a system in place to support these goals is even more important. Over the years, I've begun to take a more proactive approach to my goal setting. Instead of waiting until January 1 to write out my intentions for the year, I start mapping out my system well in advance. However, mapping out this system is just the beginning. I also have to put in place the commitment and daily actions to implement this system. On this episode, I'm sharing my tips for developing a goal setting system that will help you consistently move closer to where you want to be. Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast. 

Being Proactive About Your Goals

We are in the midst of an exciting time in the equine industry. Whether you are raising horses, buying prospects to train, or searching for a rodeo-ready athlete, there is no question that the value of the horse has risen dramatically over the past few years. The trends of today’s horse market bring up a few thoughts about the process of increasing the value of your equine assets. Ultimately, this process comes down to: knowing where you are, knowing where you want to be, and having a plan for how to get there. On this episode, I'm breaking down my approach to helping each horse reach the maximum level of value and potential. Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast.

Thoughts About the Current Horse Market

Every morning when I wake up, my goal is to win the day. To me, winning the day means being in a better position when the day is over than when the day started. It means progressing myself, even if just by a small increment. The idea of winning the day is something that helps me maintain a high level of productivity, and it drives me to work hard each day. When you are working as hard as you can at something, you are going to go through seasons where maintaining that level of work ethic seems overwhelming. On this episode, I'm sharing my thoughts on overwhelm, burnout and how to maintain healthy levels of productivity in your life and business. Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast.

Winning the Day

When I first started out as a trainer, the only thing I trained was rope horses. While I still train a lot of horses that go on to excel in various roping disciplines, I've learned that the techniques I use to train roping horses are beneficial for horses in other disciplines as well.  On this episode, I'm sharing a few training methods specific to the roping pen that help a horse recognize your feel, timing and balance and understand the responses you are asking for. Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast.

Using Roping to Establish Feel, Timing & Balance

Pulling back is a topic that is important to discuss for your safety and the safety of others. The first step to overcoming the habit of pulling back is to understand why horses do it in the first place. Pulling back is a reactive response, just like running away, bucking or rearing. It is a defense mechanism that a horse engages when it feels restricted or claustrophobic. On this episode, I'm sharing a few methods that can help you overcome these reactive tendencies and safely break the habit of pulling back. Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast.

How to Handle a Horse that Pulls Back

"My horse works great at slower speeds, but when I ask for a little more, everything falls apart." Have you ever asked for a little more speed from your horse only to feel like you went all the way back to square one? If so, you're not alone.  The thing to remember is that there’s a difference between falling back to square one and having a moment where you are back at square one. When the wheels fall off the wagon, it can be easy to feel frustrated and think you are starting over. But, in order to improve, you have to allow your horses to make those mistakes. On this episode, I'm sharing my tips for how to help your horse seamlessly transition to that next level of speed. Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast.

How to Seamlessly Transition to the Next Level of Speed

I believe that there are varying degrees of reactive responses. And, I truly don’t think that horses display undesirable responses just to spite us. These reactive responses are simply a horse’s method of communicating that they are scared or insecure with the situation that they are in. Once you reframe your mindset to understand why these horses react in the ways they do, you are one step closer to managing these reactive tendencies. On this episode, I'm sharing a few examples of common reactive responses and how you can utilize triggers to help your horse build confidence and overcome their insecurities. Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com.

Reframing Your Mindset About Reactive Responses

In my part of the world, I think most people consider a ‘colt’ to be 2-3 years old. However, in my barn, I would argue that 6 can very well still be considered a colt. I find that a lot of people use age as the sole determinant of where a horse should be in its training career. However, there are so many more factors that should influence our perceptions and expectations of where a horse ‘should’ be by a certain age. When you take into consideration the horse’s pedigree and training history, there can be a wide range of skill levels and abilities at the age of 2-3. However, when you compound that with factors like climate, geography, and the knowledge and skill level of the person(s) riding that horse, our expectations become a lot more fluid. This is why I preach the principle of helping a horse reach their maximum potential. Each horse is going to have different considerations that determine what their ‘best’ is and will be. On this episode, I'm discussing a few considerations to help you manage your expectations of your young horses and how to help them progress to be their best. Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast.

Debunking Perceptions of Where Your Horse “Should” Be

One of the most common body position errors I see is uneven weight distribution. This shows up frequently when a horse is entering a turn. Poor body position will often cause a horse to drop its shoulder to the inside or, alternatively, the shoulder will fall to the outside. In either case, the horse is not in an optimal position to maintain balance and power leaving that turn. In this episode, I am sharing a few tips for how to develop better awareness of your body position and send more consistent signals to your horse. To watch demonstrations of the training methods discussed in this episode, join our Foundation to Finish online training community.

Positioning Your Body Properly for a Turn

Two very powerful parts of the horse's body--the shoulders and the hindquarters--are connected by the horse’s ribcage. If the ribcage does not communicate with these other two body parts, it is very difficult to create a fluid forward motion with your horse. On this episode, I’m sharing my methods for establishing better control of your horse’s ribcage and how this can benefit your horse’s body position in a variety of disciplines. Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast.

Establishing Better Control of Your Horse's Ribcage

In my experience as a clinician, insecurities, doubt, and lack of self-confidence are the #1 issues that come up for trainers. There are so many things that go on in our lives that naturally create insecurity. There are drawbacks. There are failures. There are days when you feel challenged beyond what you can handle. I don’t know that you ever truly eliminate insecurity--but you can learn to control it. On this episode, I'm sharing some strategies that have helped me overcome insecurities both in horse training and my personal life. While I believe that insecurities never fully go away, I hope that sharing my experiences will help you show up more confidently in your day-to-day routine. Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast.

Taking Control of Your Insecurities

A few weeks ago, my family and I took a trip to North Dakota to celebrate the 2021 North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame induction ceremony. I was honored and blessed to be part of this group of inductees, and with this honor came the opportunity to give an acceptance speech. I thought long and hard about what I wanted to include in my speech, and it ended up evolving into a story about a series of small gestures that made me who I am today. In this episode, I'm sharing a few small gestures that have shaped my life, career, and horsemanship journey. Read the full show notes at philhaugenhorsemanship.com/podcast. 

The Significance of Small Gestures

"Be Your Best" is hosted by professional horse trainer and clinician, Phil Haugen. Inspired by his “1% better everyday" training philosophy, Phil explains the methods, mindset, and performance tips that drive continuous learning and growth in horsemanship, as well as in life.  Join us each week as Phil shares his experiences over the past 30 years in the horse training industry, discussing the methods that have helped him bridge the language barrier between horse and rider to enhance understanding and performance from foundation to finish.

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Be Your Best Horsemanship

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