do you have a supportive social network?

Do your dreams and goals include western performance horse competitions?

Do you have a supportive social network? 

Having the right people around you to support and encourage you is one factor that determines whether you are successful or not.

Successful performance horse competitors have strong and supportive social networks. Their family, close friends, trainers, assistants, and horse friends are all essential parts to their success.

Having a supportive social network helps to buffer the stress of competition, and makes it more likely that you will achieve your goals.

Who are the key players on your social support team? This exercise can help you identify who some of these necessary, and valuable, people are that can help you on your journey. 

The "Social Someones" that we need to be successful

As you read through the descriptions below, write down the names of people that fill this role for you. Some people may fill more than one role. 

1. Someone to Listen
As we move along our horsemanship journey towards our goals, it is important to be able to share our thoughts and feelings with someone that is there to listen to us. This person should listen without interrupting, without judging. Who do you call when you have a difficult ride? Who do you call when you finally ace that flying lead change, or have the perfect sliding stop? Make sure to keep their name and number handy on your journey!

2. Someone to Participate
No one can complete this journey alone, and the ride sure is more enjoyable with someone riding along with us. Who do you like to ride with? It helps to have someone at a similar skill level and with similar goals so that you can motivate and help each other.

3. Someone to Teach
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. This is especially true in horsemanship, where we are continually learning. Who can help provide the knowledge and skills you need to reach your goals? Someone who has achieved the things that you want to achieve that is willing to share their knowledge and teach you is a valuable someone to have on your team. 

4. Someone to Help
Horses are not just a hobby, they are a lifestyle. And a rider that is dedicating time and effort to competition goals needs a strong, supportive someone at home to help. This someone is critical to your success. They support you to ensure that you have the time and resources to follow your dreams. Make sure to tell this someone thank you every day!

5. Someone to Encourage
Someone that is there to listen and encourage you to get back on the horse when things get difficult, that can be there to share in your successes. Someone that can motivate you when you lose sight of the trail. Someone that can see the little triumphs and celebrate with you. Someone that can see your skills and talents and helps you see all of your options and alternate paths when all you can see is obstacles. Someone that believes in you on days when you don't believe in yourself. This someone is there for all of the ups and downs, and we know there are a lot of ups and downs with horses!

Make sure that you write the names and contact information down or save it to your phone, so when you need a someone along your journey, they are just a phone call away.

Do you need Someone to Listen? Someone to Encourage? Consider joining the Get Gritty Group to be a part of a growing group of dedicated performance horse riders that cheer each other on, download exclusive Get Gritty coaching materials and have access to ask me your performance related questions. To learn more, visit www.socialstockwoman.com/getgritty.html

Good luck and Get Gritty!
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Siobhan "Chevy" Allen
The Social Stockwoman
​Certified Master Life Coach


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