AJ day 74/124 - working on a simple showmanship pattern

The first time he bucked, I was confused. The last time he bucked me off — in the middle of a barrel pattern, in front of everyone — I was embarrassed. I remember sitting in the dirt thinking, what is wrong with me? I had never had a horse react like that before. I had won on other horses. I wasn’t new. So why did this feel so out of control? I went home that day defeated. Not because I lost. But because I didn’t understand. That was the day I stopped pretending this was just a “training phase.”

Effective Horse Training Techniques for Equestrian Success