08/27/2026
At a recent clinic I did in Maine, a spectator asked me to sign her copy of the book I wrote called The Principles Of Training.
She asked "Can you write something that will tell me that it's all going to be alright between my horse and I?"
I wrote in her book and handed it to her and said "I wrote the same thing in your book as I write in every book". She opened her book and read
"To (her name),
Enjoy the Journey.
My signature"
She looked at me quizzically, and I said to her "I can't tell you everything is going to be all right between you and your horse. At times things will not be all right, and that's perfectly normal. So when that happens, and it's going to happen, then your attitude about what is happening is more important than what is happening. Understand that it's a Journey, with highs and lows. "
One of my favourite quotes Ive ever read is by music producer Rick Ruben who said "Impatience is merely denying reality". This lady was wanting me to write something in her book to deny reality, but what I wrote was to get her to be ok with whats happening. It's gonna happen anyway...
