Do The Thing That Makes You Uncomfortable

As some of you now know, I’ve been preparing to compete in the International Liberty Association Pro Freestyle Competition at the Midwest Horse Fair. This is a big opportunity for me to showcase some of the work that I have done with my liberty team off the ridden horse and explore competing at liberty at a much higher level. 

Cue the excitement. Cue intense nerves and self doubt.

This morning I was talking to my student-turned-colleague Maria Octavo as we were planning for the Midwest Horse Fair. Kydee Sheetz, of Aslan’s Country Icelandics, has put together a group of folks through Toppur Icelandic Horse Club to represent the Icelandic horse at the fair. Maria and her student Lucas, plus Terral and myself, will also be joining the breed showcase with Toppur. As we were chatting about plans, I expressed to Maria my nerves surrounding the freestyle competition. I started to recognize how little confidence I have as a liberty performer.  I’m not being self deprecating- I just genuinely don’t have as much experience and expertise in liberty as I do in Icelandic horsemanship. I’ve been showing Icelandic horses in competitions since I was single digits - even riding in the Knights of Iceland as a young teenager.  In comparision, I started to competing in liberty in 2019.

As Maria and I chatted, I expressed to her that, despite my anxiety about it all, I was actually very thankful for this opportunity. Together, we began to muse on the fact that often times the most uncomfortable thing is the best thing for us as trainers. To continue to progress in your horsemanship, you have to find ways to push yourself outside of your comfort zone because that is where the real magic happens. The fact of the matter is, my freestyle could be a total failure, and yet, I am sure I will walk away with lessons learned that will change me as a trainer and instructor. It will give me experiences I can share with my students. It will help me grow in my horsemanship and as a person.

We discussed how this is actually one of the many life lessons that horsemanship helps us learn. Growth always happens on the outside edge of comfort. If you don’t throw yourself into new experiences and challenges, you miss out on so much.

Talking about this reminded me actually of something Dan James, our liberty mentor, often says during his clinics.  He often points out the bravery it requires to show up and learn something totally new and different. He says to further appreciate how that feels, he tries to attempt something out of his comfort zone every year, because it gives him more empathy for his students.

This weekend, we had a group of eight students take Knapamerki 1. Four of those eight students also took Knapamerki Level 2. As I watched them all put themselves out there to be judged on their riding skills, I was so impressed with their willingness be uncomfortable. To be vulnerable to failure but to show up and try anyway.

So here I am showing up like my students. Trying something totally out of my comfort zone. Whether my freestyle performance ends up being entertaining for the wrong reasons or the right reasons, I know that it’s always better to show up than stay home. And I can’t wait to share whatever I learn with you!