by Cindy Lattner, Lattner Equine Performance
Most of us are trying to construct our lives without any real thought or planning. God gives us each a unique blueprint for our lives. It is then up to us to choose to make it happen! This can go two ways: If you choose to take action and don’t give up, you will fulfill your life dreams and make a difference in your generation. If you do nothing, your life and your horse’s life both will be out of balance, both physically and mentally, ending up unsatisfied, frustrated or injured. So be diligent, be persistent and develop your blueprint for the year ahead.
My goal, through a series of articles, is to give you an edge in achieving your 2017 goals. I will walk you through, step by step, with examples and possible reference materials, both for you and your horse. Remember you are a team, so everything applies to both, not just the horse.
Step 1. Beginning to brainstorm about your mission actually brings purpose and focus to your life, helping you to stay on track and providing you a path to success. It can change over time as you begin to achieve your goals and mature with time. A suggested reference is The Principles And Power Of Vision by Dr. Myles Munroe. He will help you discover your true life. A must read for the new year.
You can move forward with your Mission by understanding and committing to make it happen.
Step 2. Develop your Goals, which are your steps necessary to fulfill your mission. They are clear markers that will take you where you need to go.
Step 3. Think about and develop your Objectives, which are detailed step-by-step instructions to achieve your goal — what you need to do and when you need to do it in order to get what you want.
Step 4. Identify your Resources. We need to look at your human needs, what kind of personal associations do you need to have — and not have? What kind of financial resources do you need? Do not set limits on this, you may need to think about how to achieve it.
Step 5. What are your strengths and your horse’s strengths? Now write them down and make plans to refine those strengths.
Step 6. Think about your weaknesses and your horse’s. Whether you admit it or not, everyone has a weakness, so what can be integrated into your plan to compensate for this weakness. Many times this becomes an area of strength.
Step 7. You have now arrived at the point to pull that team together, not only for yourself but for your horse. You understand what you need, based on what you understand about yourself.   Remember — together everyone accomplishes more.
Step 8. Commit and take action. Make that decision today that you are going to follow through with what you want to do. You must be persistent, even though there will be times of stress, disappointment, and pressure, the success will follow. Be strong and push forward!
To help you understand the process I will follow with a real life example of each step highlighted above.
Sample
Mission statement: To prepare myself and my horse to perform at our maximum potential.
Goal: To develop a baseline for the development of a sound nutritional program for myself and my horse.
Objectives –

  1. To have a vitamin/mineral testing done to determine exactly what our body needs or doesn’t need to be balanced. Taking the guessing game out of what supplements to buy and which ones complement each other to be effective.
  2. To understand how sugar/ molasses affects both of our bodies/behavior and how do I control that addiction?
  3. To develop a comprehensive understanding of how gut health affects the overall health of my horse and myself.

There are many more objectives you might want include under nutrition, but this will be a starting point.
Suggested resources –

  • Objective 1: For yourself – Dr. Aaron Cunningham, Keystone Chiropractic/Sensory Development Center, genetic/ nutritional testing. All can be completed, via phone consultations, email, etc. Be prepared for a new you and a new outlook on life as you balance your system with proper supplementations and diet.

For your horse – Dr. Mark DePaolo, DePaoloEquineConcepts.com. Discover how a hair analysis can determine any toxicity/deficiencies in your horses body, which leads to many of the physical issues our horse may be experiencing. A personal supplementation and nutritional plan will be put together based on hair analysis results.

  • Objective 2: For yourself – Think and Eat Yourself Smart by Dr. Caroline Leaf, who presents a neuroscientific approach to a sharper mind and healthier life. I think after reading this you will understand the need to break the chains sugars and carbs have on you. I personally have utilized the Standard Process Whole Food SP Cleanse Program and discovered how resilient my body could be when given the proper jumpstart to a healthier lifestyle.
  • Objective 3: For both you and your horse – Dr. Noah Cohen, State of the Art Lecture Award, presented at the 57th annual American Association of Equine Practitioners Conference. Discover the latest microbiome research, linking the microbiome to multiple disease states, in addition to their role in immune regulation, helping to promote health and healing in the GI tract.

As you continue to layout your Blueprint for 2017, remember your mission will continue to be the same as you develop remaining Goals/Objectives/Strengths/Weaknesses for each area, which may include a plan for your physical and mental health goals, financial and career goals. After you have thought through each area, prepare your integrated team to help you accomplish your dream.
Don’t let your dream die, take action, move ahead and push through the day-to-day setbacks you may encounter. Remember Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
For further information on any of the resources or any questions please contact; Cindy Lattner, Lattnerequineperformance@gmail.com or visit the Lattner Equine Performance Facebook page.