Is Your Horse Out to Lunch?

Dennis Cappel
Sep 1
1 min read

Clear Mental Horsemanship with Dennis Cappel

Ever feel like your horse is “out to lunch”? Not at the hay buffet though they would not mind that either. I am talking about those rides where your horse is physically with you, but mentally off in some grassy field daydreaming.

Truth is that riders do the same thing. We zone out, go on autopilot, and suddenly both horse and human are just circling the arena like two coworkers waiting for 5 o’clock.

Here is the catch: when your horse checks out mentally, everything gets heavier. It is like trying to talk to someone while scrolling their phone, you must work twice as hard to get through.

The fix? Simple. Ask your horse for just a little more than they were planning to give. Not a big demand just enough to say, “Hey buddy, class is still in session.” That snaps them back into the conversation.

When that happens riding feels lighter, the horse is happier, and you both stop clock-watching. It is the difference between dragging each other through a boring routine and dancing together.

So next time you ride, ask yourself: Who is out to lunch today, the horse, or me? And remember, only one of you is supposed to get a lunch break.

Mindful Riding,

Dennis Cappel - Master Horseman

www.cappeltrainingandshoeng.com