12/ NOVEMBER 2023 THE RIDER We Can Hustle:


eral sense; we are all hu- mans living this experience together. We are a collec- tive, therefore what happens to one, happens to all. So, what does love have to do with it?(great song btw) That being said, “lead


By Shelby Olyschlager This phrase “lead with


love” has been on my mind recently. When all else fails, what can you do? When doubt creeps into your dreams and passions; when hate, jealousy, envy, misun- derstanding and judgments spreads the world, what can you do? This time in our lives,


we are living in some inter- esting history as far as we as humans go. I know this is The Rider, but what are rid- ers? We are humans. We love horses and horses are our tie but in the more gen-


with love” is (one of) my life’ mottos. Now the ques- tion is “what does it really mean and how can we all implement the basic human principle we call love?” We heard the saying be-


fore that nothing is stronger than love, that love con- quers all. I believe that to be true. Even though yes, those who don’t lead with love can still win and those who aren’t kind can still be suc- cessful but I believe they are missing a main piece to the purpose of life and what it truly means to be a success- ful human. True success in my eyes is when more than yourself is winning. When you can look around and


know that your impact is positive, despite a win or loss - to me that is the true nature of what it is to be human. The victory is one thing, and that is great! However, the biggest vic- tory you can have is when you accomplish the things and you got there through loving yourself, your jour- ney, others and just every- thing involved. You love the setbacks, you love the chal- lenge, you love seeing oth- ers win, you love your horses and you love what you are doing and you love your future visions and you believe in them fully. We need to cover doubt,


fear, envy, jealousy, judg- ment, the list can go on, with compassion, under- standing and acceptance. Accept others, accept your- self, accept all that life has to offer you in this time. I promise taking a deep breath in at this moment and


Lead with Love.. in all that you do


knowing it is ok as it is right now feels uplifting and all the things you thought mat- tered, don’t. You are right where you need to be and you know that because you feel love for where you are. Love is the answer and it is the guide we all can count on.


This concept of love is


solely based on a feeling, a feeling we all can tap into - that’s the power! How crazy that something so strong is an emotion or perspective we all can access at any mo- ment. Well, maybe not any moment since sometimes trauma and conditionings make us guarded to such feelings. But, with time and practice, you can feel it too. It just might take doing “the work”. Imagine a world where


everyone acted in accor- dance to love? They knew love was enough so they put themselves out there. They


believed if they loved it, they would succeed? To me, anytime I had fear, worry, or doubt about putting myself out there, or doing anything bold and “scary”, I remind myself of this idea. That if my intentions are pure, I will not fail. Even if on the outside, in today’s world it was considered a “fail”, I know in my heart I tried my best to lead with love and good intentions. Keep yourself


sur-


rounded by your own bub- ble of positivity and hope. Lead with love and show by example what that looks like. I believe true winners are those who can conquer their own mountain and do it in such a way they hold the hands of others too. They lead the way, and they show us what it means for everyone to get a seat at the table. “Leading with love” using your own unique in- terpretation in a way that


Modern Wellness for Equestrians With Holly Barnett, REMT, CSF


rhythm and heavy – all things the horse must bear the brunt of under- neath.


Rider wellness is another area Equestrians are notorious for


putting their horses before them- selves, I can’t tell you the number of times I had someone say at a fitting “I’ll ride in whatever, I just want my horse to be comfortable” As inno- cent as this may sound, saddle-fit to rider is equally important to saddle- fit to horse. When fit to rider is off, riders become unbalanced, out of


often overlooked – you’ve seen the memes about a horse having a chiro, massage therapist, physio, acupunc- ture etc. while owners run around with a limp, aspirin, and coffee! I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been there myself, it’s a common theme among equestrians and why it’s so impor- tant we begin to address it. Just as saddle-fit is equally im-


portant to horse and rider, so is mu- tual wellness. The state of your nervous system dictates your state of inner tension - which affects your ability to ride. Calm relaxed and in a state of receiving vs tension mir- rored by your horse that drowns out subtle aids are two completely dif-


ferent riding experiences. Horses are incredibly astute at reading the state of your nervous system and they re- flect accordingly. You’ve likely heard “leave your problems at the gate” and while well intentioned if we show up dysregulated, it ab- solutely affects them and how they receive you. Good news! Nervous system


regulation isn’t complicated and it’s easy to implement. Start with hon- ouring your circadian rhythm by getting early morning sunlight within 30 mins of waking. Your in- ternal operating system is constantly running a tight ship in the back- ground and relies extensively on light exposure for scheduling. This week I challenge you to try it out – morning sunlight must be experi- enced outdoors as windows block


infrared light which is essential for signal- ing your body’s 24- hour


clock. morning If


isn’t easily accessible (especially


sunlight once


cooler weather drops in) consider a ‘happy light’ to combat SAD (seasonal affectional disorder – decreased mood due to decreased light expo- sure) that mimics sunlight. Remem- ber, you are nature and your connection the cycle of the seasons and throughout each day are the foundation of a happy healthy nerv- ous system. Happy Regulating! About the Author: Holly Barnett is an equestrian consultant with expertise in equine


feels right for you. I encour- age you to soak this motto into your life and make all decisions with love as the backbone. We are all meant to


enjoy this life on this planet, if we all lead with love, imagine what it could look like?


Thank you for reading


Shelby Olyschlager Bio: Shelby is the host of the


We Can Hustle Podcast. She strives to deliver weekly support, education and con-


nection for everyone going through their own unique journey with horses. As a barrel racer, she has learnt through her own trial and error how to create real changes within ourselves and within our equine part- ners. She shares her lessons and the lessons of guests on her show and social chan- nels. “It all starts with our- selves. If we can approach life with empathy, an open mind and determination; we can all achieve what we set out to do.”


posture, movement science, body- work, breath and saddle-fit. She uses a neurocentric, heart-based ap- proach to help riders develop greater bonds with their equine partners. Connect to learn more @equestrianconsultant / www.au- gustequine.com


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