Why Perseverance Pays Off: Building Lasting Trust with Your Horse
When it comes to horses, there’s one truth I can’t emphasize enough: don’t give up too soon.
Every rider faces moments of discouragement. Maybe your horse doesn’t respond the way you thought he would. Maybe progress feels slower than you imagined. Maybe you find yourself replaying a picture in your head of how you thought things would go, only to discover that reality looks much different.
I want to encourage you tonight to lean into those moments instead of running from them. Because perseverance—sticking with the process even when it feels hard—is where the real magic happens in horsemanship. It’s how trust is built, how confidence grows, and how a lasting bond with your horse takes root.
Why So Many Riders Give Up Too Soon
In today’s world, we’ve been trained to expect results instantly. We live in what I call a “microwave mentality.” We push a button, wait thirty seconds, and get what we want. That might work for reheating dinner, but it doesn’t work for horsemanship.
Working with horses takes time. It takes patience. And yes, it often takes more effort than you thought it would at the beginning. That’s why so many riders give up—they simply expected it to be easier.
But here’s the truth: if you quit too soon, you rob yourself and your horse of the breakthrough waiting on the other side of that challenge.
The Opportunity in the Challenge
When things feel hard, we often want to rush through them or avoid them altogether. But every single challenge you face with your horse is actually an opportunity.
An opportunity to become a better horseman.
An opportunity to become a better person.
An opportunity to grow closer to your horse in a meaningful way.
We get so focused on the end result that we miss what’s right in front of us: the gift of this moment. Every groundwork session, every ride, every correction, every try from your horse is a chance to deepen your connection.
Think about it: how many people in the world would love the opportunity you already have—to own a horse, to care for one, to ride and learn with one? Every time you step into the barn, you’re stepping into a blessing. The process itself is worth enjoying.
Trusting the Process—Even When It Feels Strange
One of the main reasons people quit too soon is that they don’t fully trust the process.
When you encounter a new way of training—something that feels unusual or doesn’t fit the old “cowboy” methods—it can feel strange. Your brain tells you, This doesn’t look right. This can’t possibly work.
But just because something feels unfamiliar doesn’t mean it’s wrong. In fact, if you’ve never experienced it before, it should feel unusual. Otherwise, you’d already be doing it.
Think about it like flying. Many people have a phobia of airplanes even though statistically flying is safer than driving. Or take credit cards: most of us swipe or tap without having the faintest idea how that little piece of plastic connects us to a bank and pays for things around the world. We don’t fully understand it, but we trust it anyway.
It’s the same with horse training. You may not understand every detail of why a technique works, but if it’s a proven process—like what we teach in the Unbreakable Bond program—then your job is simply to stick with it long enough to see the results.
Patience: The Most Overlooked Training Tool
Here’s another truth: horses need time.
Too often, we’re unfair in what we expect from them. We think they should figure things out instantly, respond perfectly the first time, and never need extra chances. But isn’t that unrealistic?
If someone expected you to master a new skill in minutes, how would you feel? Frustrated. Defeated. Overwhelmed.
Your horse feels the same way. He needs time to process, time to try, time to understand what you’re asking. And as his partner, you owe him that much.
When you give your horse space to think, when you allow him to make mistakes without pressure, you’ll be amazed at how much faster the learning actually comes. Patience isn’t just kindness—it’s effectiveness.
Too Many Voices: The Trap of Opinions
Here’s something else that causes riders to give up: listening to too many voices.
The horse world is not short on opinions. Everyone has their own “right way” to do things, and most of the time, they mean well. The problem is that advice almost always comes out of their specific context: their horse, their situation, their training history.
But your horse isn’t their horse. Your relationship isn’t their relationship.
That’s why there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter approach to horsemanship. You need to find a path that resonates with you, that makes sense to your horse, and that lines up with the kind of relationship you want to build.
Does that mean you should ignore advice completely? No. Be polite. Listen. Thank them for sharing. But don’t feel obligated to take every suggestion and run with it. Stay grounded in your own process.
Perseverance in Horses—and in Life
The lessons we learn with our horses don’t stay in the barn. They spill over into every relationship in our lives.
When you learn to persevere with a horse, you’re also learning how to persevere with people—your spouse, your children, your friends. You’re learning how to be present, how to show patience, and how to build connection instead of demanding instant results.
Whether you believe in God or not, you can recognize that the relationships in your life—human or equine—are opportunities. They’re gifts. And when you stick with them instead of walking away too soon, you create depth, trust, and love that surface-level connections will never know.
Don’t Give Up—Persevere
I want to leave you with this encouragement: don’t give up.
Don’t give up when your horse doesn’t respond right away.
Don’t give up when the training feels harder than you expected.
Don’t give up when someone else tells you to try a shortcut.
Don’t give up when the process feels strange or uncomfortable.
Because every moment you persevere, you’re building something far greater than a well-trained horse. You’re building a bond of trust that will carry you through challenges, keep you safe, and bring joy to every ride.
Perseverance always pays off. For your horse. For yourself. For your relationship together.
Take the Next Step Toward a Safer, Softer Ride
You don’t have to figure this out alone. There’s a proven way to persevere with your horse that leads to real confidence and connection.
