Pictured, Rachel Tilgner, WB Horsemanship Program Assistant, Barn Manager, Instructor, Pony Club member

Our role as educators and mentors is to bring someone younger up to our level as quickly as possible and then catapult them into the future. With support, they will accomplish more with the balance of their lifetime than could be accomplished with the balance of ours. Whether we’re talking about how to ride and train horses or discipling people about the intrinsic qualities of Christ, the principles are the same.

Continuing education and keeping a growth mindset are important qualities I believe God has asked us to maintain. May 2022, Warm Beach Horsemanship hosted a Pony Club riding clinic for the membership. Fourteen riders spent the day learning how to communicate with and ride their horses. Also tucked into the details were nuggets of affirmation, “You matter; you make a difference; you are a leader…” Clinician, Kara Hagerman, continually encouraged and empowered people to assess a situation, create a plan of action, test the action with implementation, and then review whether the plan worked. This is the crux of the learning process.

As a metaphor, horses represent something big – let’s say a giant with a mind of it’s own! Directing the horse to do specific tasks presents a problem to solve. We often say, “don’t try to overpower something that’s bigger than you, outsmart it! Use your mind. Remember what has worked in the past and review what you have in hand or at your disposal.” Utilizing these resources, the riders navigate difficult exercises, validate their decision-making process, and hear affirming words from mentors.

As followers of Christ, we often face giants with minds of their own – temptation, difficult situations beyond our immediate control, etc. Sometimes these seem insurmountable problems. Yet, Christ is amid all of it. Remember where He’s been faithful. Look at what we have available as a resource. What have we learned about ourselves in His eyes (not the eyes of the world)? We are overcomers, capable, strong, intelligent, and able to do more than we thought. The Lord will empower and teach us through our circumstances if we are willing to learn.

– Ginger Reitz, Assistant Horsemanship Director
Warm Beach Horsemanship