How to make difficult tasks easier

There's loads of guff written about this on the interweb...

I'll just add some more guff then, shall I?

It's not so much about making difficult tasks easier, BUT...

Here's the thing. Poppy is an adorable horse. She's also hard work and challenging.

(Can't you just tell from the picture?)

She knows what she wants to do and when she wants to do it and it may or may not coincide with my intentions. It takes quite a lot of energy to get her going, keep her going, keep her going steadily without any bucks and bolts. If she feels held back then she'll simply dig her heels in and refuse to go AT ALL. Or she'll say 'You want me to go? I'll show you what going means!' and she'll explode in a chestnut and flaxen ball of pent-up energy.

I love her to bits AND she's hard work.

Today, my chest was dodgy. I decided to brave a lesson at the same time as my friend Katrina and her pony Milton, a sweet 13.3 palamino.

After a few minutes, Tessa suggested we swapped horses. Milton was NOT difficult for me, after Poppy. He was most obliging. He did anything I asked. IMMEDIATELY. I found it refreshingly easy. (He's not that easy, in fact. Quite a few people can't get him to go.)

Katrina did great on Poppy but she found her extremely HARD WORK and had to keep stopping to get her breath back.

Then I got back on Poppy. She was still hard work but suddenly it seemed easier. WHY? Because, having ridden Milton, I realised how difficult she really is and that it's not that I'm a pathetic, useless rider.

SO - one way of making a difficult task easier is to accept that it IS a difficult task.

Simple as that.

Thanks, Poppy.