Demo Psychology

Doing a demo is such an interesting thing.  I think it says a lot about a person. You have to be brave to want to get out in front of anyone with something as personal as horsemanship - brave, or supremely dedicated to your horse!

This past weekend, me and Mo went out to the local fancy equestrian park with two other Parelli Professionals to show the area what Parelli is all about. I think we were very successful, and shared our message in an appropriate way.

Its everything that goes into sharing that message that has been making me think, over the last few days. First, there is the OH BOY factor in originally signing up. That point when you go "YEY! I get to ride at X Fancy place!". The joy of sharing that message with everyone you know - the "HEY! Im going to be riding here on X date! Come support us!" That part is one of my favorites. I love getting people excited about coming out to fun events.

After that comes the "Oh, I guess I better make sure my horse is ready for this" part, when you go out and play with your horse and practice the fun stuff you want to share. For me, this time around, it was pretty interesting. Firstly, Mo was just coming off an injury, so I wanted her to have as much recovery time as possible, before starting to push her buttons, so we didnt DO a lot. Secondly, the first time I did try and test out my  bridleless FreeStyle - which is usually our specialty - Mo was a crazy gooberball. She was tight, tense, fast, over reactive, and generally not a super demo horse to watch. It was such an odd ride that night. She was doing what I asked, sure, but there was just so much.... internal fizziness... that it just wasnt pretty or fun looking. It was extra interesting, because its the first time I can remember consciously thinking "Relax, go through the process, it will all work out and be fine tomorrow. Embrace the messy". I totally surprised myself on that one. My inner voice was so calm and blasé about the whole incident! When did that happen? [Im usually one of those terribly perfectionist type people] Apparently Ive turned a new leaf.

That whole thought process in and of itself caught me so off guard. But, apparently, I was completely correct. The next day, I went out, saddled up, hopped on, and VOILA. My perfect demo horse was back! Now, what all that fussyness and crazy business was about the day before, I will never know. What I do know, is that I guess my inner self was right, because once I embraced the messy, it resolved itself, and my normal pony came back to me.

Going into this event I wasnt to sure about Mo's fitness level. That tends to be the one thing I worry over, when taking my horse places. We have a lot of pasture. She is fairly round. And due to her time off, she wasnt/isnt in the best shape of her life. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. But I still dont like to over-face my horse and leave her exhausted by accident.  We had maybe a handful of rides before the actual day. She was so good though, I wasnt going to over stress it.

After you know your horse is ready, its time to get YOU ready. Getting myself ready for these things, is probably the hardest part. I always forget things. This time, I forgot my BUSINESS CARDS. Seriously. I thought I had everything. Every. Single. Thing. Any yet, somehow, that one little IMPORTANT cardboard box, sitting on my desk, got left behind. *sigh*  Luckily, I have 5 or so in my wallet, to put in my display, so it didnt look too sad.

Getting to the venue on the morning of is usually somewhat chaotic. This time, I felt fairly prepared, and woke up early before my alarm, so I had loads of time. Mo loaded like a pro, and we hit the road with Derek in tow for once. That was nice :) Having a someone to keep me on schedule and make sure I eat/drink enough water and to collect the various things I forget in various places was a real treat at this event!

Setting up the booth went pretty well. We were so lucky to have a super helper team - so I really didnt even have to do anything! By the time Mo and Toby were settled, I  went back and voila, gorgeous booth! Having a super support team can really make or break a day! I am so appreciative of the people who came out to help us!

Talking to people is the easy part for me. I love to say hi and share all of our free stuff! Somehow, it was already time for us to get the ponies ready for our first demo though! Mo was in heat, so she had made a mess of her back legs.... ew... and needed a quick wash up. After washing her up, I  didnt really have time for a warm up, so we kind of saddled up and hoped for the best!

Going into the arena for the first time is always a rush! A) ITS HUGE [grand prix stadium ring!] B) there are PEOPLE watching! C) You want to show Parelli at its BEST for all the people who have never seen it before.... no pressure.

Our music was great though. Started out nice and slow, and let us get in and get comfy before bringing out the exciting tunes to do exciting stuff to. It usually takes me about 30 seconds to forget where I am and who is watching me, and to totally and completely become absorbed in my horse. This isnt unusual for me at all. This happens at home too... I lose hours and hours when it does!

Mo was a total rock star. Allow me to re-iterate. SHE WAS A ROCK STAR!  She was spot on, perfect. I couldnt have asked for more! We played, we laughed, we had fun, we rode, we had some goofies, and then somehow it was over? That fast, it was time to finish up!

Looking back at the pictures is always my favorite part - I always wonder if it looks like as much fun as I am having in the moment. Sometimes, when you are having fun and concentrating hard, you forget to tell your face to smile and tell the world you are having fun. Seeing the photos from this event, there was no doubt I was having the most fun time out in the arena with my pony :) Im glad my brain remembers to tell my face ;)

Demo # 2 was so much more mellow. I didnt really have any expectations of Mo, given that she gave me her all in the first time slot. She pulled out all the stops once more for me though! That pony is all heart! I love her so much! I didnt even blink at the crowd the second time, I just went and had fun with my best pony, and it showed, to her, I think. Thats why she gave me so much, all over again.

It was such a great day, with so many great memories made, and hopefully many new friends!

   - S