EP258: How to Learn Online

In this episode, Dressage Naturally Instructor Shawna Lewis and I will talk about learning in online courses.

And why so many are disappointing.

And what makes it possible to totally transform your writing in an online course?

So this discussion will help you spend your education, time, and money much more wisely.

So here we go, episode 258, how to learn online.

Hi, I'm Carol and welcome to Horse Training in Harmony.

This podcast is about you making progress with your horse in a way that you both can love.

It's about learning how to move and be in harmony.

Because yes, you really can develop a horse to be both athletic and happy.

When we show up as our best selves for our horses, our horses will show up for us.

So let's get started.

All right, I am joined by Shawna Lewis who received an unexpected phone call from me.

About about a half hour or so ago where I said, I have an idea.

What are you doing?

And yeah, and so Shawna decided to jump on here with me.

We both after I confirmed that this would not be videoed.

Because both of us look like, well, Shawna always looks good.

But we're both feeling a little bit like horse chicks who spent all day outside.

And we're not camera ready.

So I don't know, Shawna, you always look camera ready.

I look especially not camera ready.

Thank you for jumping on this, this, you know, this to do this episode at very short notice.

Yeah, I'm so happy to be here is something I love talking about.

And I get to talk to a lot of students, you know, all the time about our courses and how amazing they are.

And how people really do make progress and are so happy that they've, they've signed up for one of them.

Yeah, and so if you've emailed with me or emailed sent an email to Dressage Naturally.

Chances are, Shawna has answered it.

And if you do the private, the private consults that we do, you will have talked to Shawna.

So Shawna is not only an Dressage Naturally instructor.

She has been a friend and been playing in Dressage Naturally for a long time now.

She just is really in touch with, with the students, she's sort of the course concierge.

And so she gets this talk to a lot, a lot of people, even that I don't get to talk to.

And she's really, I don't know, you're just so in touch with the struggles and the doubts and the frustrations of people that even haven't started yet.

And Dressage Naturally. So I thought that was, that'd be so helpful to hear, you know, what you've heard from people.

So yeah, I know that there's so many online courses out there, so much material out there.

And so often they are a disappointment.

So what, what have you heard from others about why people are hesitant to take, you know,

quote unquote, another online course, like what are, what are the students concerned about or what are they saying?

Yeah, many have, you know, that I do talk to you, have said right off the bat, like, I've tried all these things.

There's so many online courses out there now.

I've signed up for them, tried them, even with like, you know, highly qualified professionals that have these online courses.

They've been promised they're going to get results, but most of them so far, you know, say that they haven't, hasn't led them to any real improvement with their courses.

So are they get lost?

So they're failing like, you know, the lack of real support and that causes them to get stuck.

So sometimes it causes them to maybe not even finish a course because of that and not having the person to reach out to and talk to.

So many do that and they're like, why should I spend the money on your course?

Is it going to be the same? So how's it different from from all these other courses?

And I have to say it is.

I mean, time and time again, people I get on these calls with them, they're very skeptical and they sign up and they're just like, oh my goodness, it made all the difference in the world.

They've filled in all these pieces that they felt like we're missing.

You know, and with all that information out there on the internet, so many of them too, like we'll say, well, it just didn't speak to them.

You know, and then they find your methods, dressage naturally, and things just start to make sense.

And they're really able to see how they can help the worse because we're just so much about, you know, dressage is worth it.

Yeah, I think there's there's like a few different reasons or things I was thinking about and creating it.

So it's the content, it's the type exercises. That's one subject.

And then it's also, you know, how it's delivered.

And, you know, and I think one of the reasons that I wanted to set you up to have these these consults is because we really want to make sure that it's the right thing for you.

So, you know, so many online courses, you see all this stuff, you see the ads, you think it's for you, you click on it, you keep your fingers crossed.

But like if there's, we really want to make sure. So people are always welcome to email us.

And if it's not a good fit, we tell you, you know, like if we're like, no, this is, this is not the best focus for you and your horse.

Like we want to do that service of going, well, don't take this now. This is not the appropriate thing to do.

And so we always encourage people to reach out and email a question or sign up for one of those.

The private consults are free because we really just want to make sure there's a match.

And actually, this just popped into my head. I remember, you know, as a horse person who then had to learn how to like run an online business.

I did different, you know, I employ different marketer professionals, right?

So to help me with my marketing, because I didn't know anything about that. And I remember being in this meeting once with this marketing professional.

So it's be helping me with my business and do stuff online. And I remember he said, you know, I was talking about how to set it up so that students completed the course and were successful.

And he looked at me like I had two heads. And he's like, I don't care if they finish. I just want them to get into to buy your course.

And I went, wait, what? Because he was a marketer. That's his job. Get the people to buy it.

And you know, a business person is like, just get the people to buy it. But I'm an educator. I'm like, I'm a teacher.

So I was like, no, I want them, I want the right person to do it. And I want them to finish it. And I want them to get the value.

So it was really eye-opening to know that so many of the marketing techniques and strategies out there are not at all concerned with whether the student actually likes the course or gets any progress from the course.

Yeah, that's so interesting.

I know. And that's the one thing, one thing that I tell people on these calls, because I'm like, listen, reach out to us.

We want you to make progress. We want you to get through this course. We want to see and hear about all the wins that you're having with your horses.

We don't want you to sign up for something and not do it. Like we know, we know you can make progress. We know you can make changes.

And so don't get stuck in frustrated. Like I really like, I emphasize that so much on the calls, because it want them to know that that's why that's why we're here. That's why we have the course.

We don't want people to get in there and get frustrated and not not complete it and really progress.

So yeah, like I really try to emphasize that. That's it's so important to us to support them and hear for them.

Yeah, we'll find the answers or be able to point them to something or give them the support that they need.

Yeah, and I guess like you and I know what we're talking about here. I have I have several different online courses.

Sean and I are both really highlighting the finding the sweet spot of healthy biomechanics course, because it's it's sort of our our premier course.

And it's the one that's really, really the biggest experience and has the most support.

And you know, it costs more to, but because of that. And I find it so hard to describe, you know, when you're doing the information page for the course.

And you know, you have to make these like short sentences so people read them.

Because everybody's attention span is so it's like we really it's so hard to describe it.

Anyway, that's why another reason we're here, but I did.

At one point I sat down. I thought, okay, let's pretend someone is in exactly the right program for them.

Why might a student still get stuck, right? Because I'm always trying to think how am I going to get them through something.

So all right, what are the what are the reasons why someone might get stuck?

So I I challenged myself to come up with three.

And one of the reasons I see students getting stuck in things are because they don't have like a usable framework.

They've learned a recipe or a list of exercises, but they don't have the zoom out wisdom of why the exercise and when the exercise.

So there's so this inside this.

So I knew I needed to create like not just a list of exercises, but I need to create this framework where people could locate themselves and that exercise on the map and know when it's the right one for them.

And kind of wrapped in that category also was the immersion in the like the principles and priorities that guide the decision making of when to do which exercise.

So I know that's like I said that was like one thing, but I kind of put that all in the same bucket like this usable framework where you you have the map.

And you understand the principles and priorities that that guide you in your decision making of on the map. Does that make sense?

Yes, I feel like because there are so many systems out there that can work when going when things are going well, like you have mentioned, right, but when it's not going as planned, that's some people.

Yeah, how do you handle it when it's not going well? So that's kind of one one place. I think people get maybe that's where people get lost more than stuck, right?

They're like, I got a list of all these things and but you know, you don't know when or why or you know to use it.

So the other kind of place I see students getting a little bit stuck is they they have self doubt.

Right. And especially if you're learning online, right? So you watch the video, you get all inspired, you go try it at home. It doesn't work.

Want, want, want, you know, you feel the air go out of your tires.

And there's there's got to be a way to to I was like combat to overcome the self doubt.

And part of that I, I include like the non judgmental environment. And so when you're home by yourself judging yourself and telling yourself that, you know, what's wrong with me? That didn't work. I'm terrible at this.

Like that's a that can be alone by yourself can be a pretty judgmental environment.

So I knew I needed to create something to help students trust their instincts be actually empowered and to be have access to an environment that will be non judgmental and supportive.

Because even in our community, like we know this, I want to like even in our community that's very supportive art, one of the jokes we have with this course is like three months in people, everyone starts saying that they feel like they're falling behind.

Yeah, nobody can see each other. So it's just like this human condition where we will start doubting ourselves.

And so now we're aware of that. And we actively, um, now it help people navigate that.

Yeah. And it's so cool too, because people can jump into this course and we can meet them right where they are. Right. And that's something that kind of goes along with that. They're like, oh, I'm not for an art enough along to like do this course or I'm not this or not that.

So they, yeah, already sometimes start with those doubts and but we try, I try to really let them know that no, like we meet you right where you are.

There's people of all different backgrounds and levels of training and progress that are in the course and that's what it's about it too.

Yeah, yeah. And that's, and that kind of dovetails into the third thing I picked, which is just that people get stuck because they don't have the like minded, the support of the like minded community.

Right, that to speak the same language who have the same goals and values and principles and priorities and that there's the need to have like a person to talk to or chat with or

you know, that gets what you're trying to do. And I think really importantly is to celebrate the wins that you're doing.

Because some of these things, you know, are different and maybe don't align with the person at the barn that you're at.

And you're like, oh my gosh, you know, I was able to like spend more time enjoying and less time searching.

And you know, someone's going to look at like you have two heads, but inside the community, we know what that means or like, you know, I got the yes moment, you know, just a way to help

celebrate and ask questions where people are going to really understand and relate to what you're trying to do.

Yeah, and it's so fun every week on those calls hearing those wins, we start with celebrating them.

Yeah, yeah. So yeah, so that's so when I when I decided to create an online course and the sweet spot course is the first one that I really did as an online course.

I mean that that came from eight years of honing those specific exercises.

I mean, that's, you know, with the decades of of experiences of horse professional before that, but like when I created sort of the sweet spot protocol.

I spent eight years traveling all over the world teaching exactly that material honing it, figuring out which order I put it in crafting how I teach the exercise so that I could go teach a clinic.

And then leave and know that they could continue to practice this stuff.

So so the the actual modules and the order of the exercises in the modules like that's all crafted to be an independent learning experience, not just the list of, you know, exercises.

So that was so important to me and I it's I I know it's what makes the sweet spot course, especially super unique.

Just just the content because the so the exercises themselves are unique because they combine, you know, all the partnership stuff and then changing a horse's way of moving based on the partnership where you're in harmony and listening to the horse.

The content is unique and then the way the exercises are crafted is unique.

Yeah, and it's I don't know I feel like I could spend my whole life talking about it and I would never be able to concisely explain exactly how powerful that is.

I don't know maybe, but I can say we've had we've had lots of people just shedding the good kind of tears and just listening to the experiences of students who, you know, are out there by themselves practicing this stuff and and changing and I can just think of so many students like that send in the videos in the Facebook group for the course and seeing.

You know, some of the beginning ones where it's like the horse would barely want to move and how the ears pin back and then later you see them like cantering around on this beautiful hillside is just like it just it brings it here to my eye every time I see that I'm like they did that all by themselves with our help.

But like they were alone with their horse and creating these changes and it's just amazing.

Right, yeah, I was just going to say it yeah so many stories right of horses that have and students have told us they've had horses that you know other beds or trainers this horse can't do this anymore they need to be put down or put out to pasture.

You know, let's go on and on and you know they're kind of like I don't know what to do and they start with this course is sweet spot protocol and things start to change like right away right like I mean even just recently I have a student that I'm at here locally and we're going through like you know combining the horsemanship stuff but the sweet spot protocol and she hasn't been able to ride her horse in in like almost a year.

In the vets had said put this horse down he's getting dangerous well she just got on this horse and she's like I've never felt him move like this.

Wow.

So so cool like it's just like amazing how things can change really quickly.

Yeah.

Yeah, and it is it's it's what we just had the instructor meeting here recently and we keep joking about this and at some point we'll do it that our new like tagline for Josh naturally should be like I'll say stuff because otherwise I have to mark this as explicit but like this stuff works.

And you know what other S word we really want to put on there but like and yeah and I've worked you know I've worked with some professionals locally here.

And you know that are nice writers and they know what to do and they come to me and it's like some of the stuff I'll explain is like we teach in module two or three of the course and it's like tada.

And actually recently we with something that's in module one in the in the course and it's like tada.

Just because it's it's a say it's it's this shift in the way of thinking and really it's like those principles and priorities again it's it's the and the and the map it's like just knowing when to think about what category.

You know is it a mental is it emotional is it a physical thing with the worst those are all completely different.

Strategies and like what's the piece that the horse needs and because it's so focused on.

On the harmony first you were just mentioning something like this earlier when I was talking to you as I get it starts with.

We need to find the harmony and then establish quality communication from there and then like everything blossoms from that and I think that's one of the reasons it's.

It's so appropriate for such a wide range of students like people ask well you know who's this for I'm like well it's for you if you're you know.

You don't have to be an advanced writer you can be a pleasure writer going down the trail but it also is transformational for an upper level dress as writer.

Yeah because it's like it's yeah it's it's those different ways of thinking and approaching and looking at.

And the protocol is so fundamental about creating harmony and communication and possible movement possibilities for the horse.

And and that's why like we've had I've had someone say you know who did cutting with their horse and she's like after the sweet spot I got my best you know scores and cutting and I know nothing about cutting like okay we've had someone who competes and combine driving.

I remember she would send Jenny and she would send us these pictures of these beautiful carriage horses bitless and like stretching over their backs.

And in this in the sweet spot and we've had a woman.

Who's an upper level dressage writer from hungry who has been instrumental in and getting bitless allowed in dressage and hungry and like she's gone through the sweet spot course and it's completely you know transformed her and will be actually working together on some stuff in the future.

So it's and we've had people who you know we're still having trouble you know not like they knew how to counter as a writer but they were like struggling with one of their gates and their horse.

I don't know it's sort of magical how this applies to such a wide range but I think it's because it addresses such a core connection between the horse and the person.

Yeah and so many like we have a lot of people come to us to have the bulky or the low energy versus that are hard to motivate and I just I love like in the course like all the conversations around energy right and how to motivate this source those type horses and they change and a lot of them end up not actually being so low energy they actually have it's in there it's just like.

You need to like talk to them about it and show them a different way and that we're here like to help them and I think like going back to what you're saying a minute ago like so many people after you know signing up for this course and and getting in there they will also say.

I think you kind of touched on this that it's really helped them so much with themselves and their attitude toward the horse like that is a huge piece so just how we.

We look at the horse I know once you know all the time like says now like she used to always be frustrated like constantly be so frustrated with her voice because things were not going right and.

The same things were happening over you know over and over again they didn't feel good but after being in this course and really soaking in everything her attitude towards her horse change and what they were doing her frustrations.

She really got turned those into curiosity and they both started having you know fun in their horse you know horses end up happier more harmony there so that's always such a huge win we start to hear that too and and you can just hear it and people's voices on the the from the beginning of the course so they get into it a little bit like just the way that they talk and there's their happy.

Yeah and you know what you know why so I'm you know I'm thinking of why does that work how are we getting this result like why why is that happening and here's another thing that's really special about how we run the sweet spot course which is.

You get me teaching it your my voice is all throughout this but also there's five the five just naturally instructors are all in there and so the the weekly live calls you know there's a different instructor so you get to meet all the instructors.

And in the question and answers we don't just answer the question but we we explain how we think through the question so I think that's one of the things that makes it so transformational is not just learning exercises for yours but you're learning how to think differently because every time a question comes in it's like okay here's how I'm looking at this and here's the here's the more information I need in order to be able to answer the question.

And then based on that here's what I'm seeing here's how we would approach it.

So we're always trying to help explain to students or demonstrate like how what's our logic like how are we thinking through the problem the quote unquote problem and then and then here's why we're going to give you this answer of what to think about or what to do and the instructors are just you know all amazing.

People and I think so you get a chance to first of all have somebody to go I get it I know that can be really frustrating but guess what that's a normal problem to have with a horse like this at this stage like that's really helpful like that's a normal problem like oh really everybody has this problem.

So just being able to do that and then to hear to have people modeling how to think through the problem in a lighthearted but really effective way over and over you know for for an hour every week that's I think people underestimate the power of that kind of immersion.

Even if you only listen to the recording you're going to still be infused with with how you know how how did this the instructor start to frame that problem and think through that problem.

Hey I've got some great news for you registration for the finding the sweet spot of healthy biomechanics program is now open at a special discounted price.

We only open it twice a year so if you don't do it now you're going to have to wait six months that's half a year.

Now this is our most transformative and most highly supported program it will forever change the way you think about how your horse moves and how you confidently improve it.

You get six months of live weekly Q&A calls with my coaches and private coaching included and that's along with lifetime access to all the training materials.

Now the vast majority of students surveyed rated this program a five out of five and they said that they would confidently and enthusiastically recommend it to their friends.

Because of the unique exercises and concepts taught inside the program it's appropriate for riders of all disciplines wanting to improve how their horse moves even with no prior dressage experience.

And it's also appropriate for even season dressage riders looking for a more harmonious way to ride and train.

You can find out all the information at dressagenaturally.net slash sweet spot and check it out now because registration closes for the semester after April 6th.

That's dressagenaturally.net slash sweet spot SWETSPOT.

All right now back to the pot.

Oh and and I have a whole training on how to ask the question which is it's pretty it's pretty funny but I have a whole protocol in there of how to ask a question.

So that you get the best chance of a good answer and the joke is that when people follow that protocol you'll get the email it'd be like they're doing all the things how to ask the question and at the end they go oh I think I figured it out.

That it is so cool.

It happens all the time even on people will start like they'll come up with a question on the calls and it happens to start to talk about it and then they're like oh okay like by the time they finish asking us they're talking about the thing they they've also figured out and that that's I mean that's just a testament to the course right like you were saying of how it's laid out and how people can learn through this course how to think for themselves and how to know.

And there's each of those moments what to talk to what they need to be talking to their horse about you know or that and they don't have to worry about messing things up that they you know getting curious and trying something and exploring all that and playing with all the possibilities is really what causes such good results and helps them be better as a you know thinking in that mindset as a trainer for their horse and being able to.

And being able to help their horse and knowing that this is for the horse and and I just all the time to like because I've done this for so long you know I go out and I have so much fun and I'm like easily laughing like you are you know the same when you're seeing your horse you're having fun and you're enjoying and the things that.

It just doesn't become frustrating it becomes like oh my gosh this is so cool like a fun little piece and now I know how to go deeper and talk to my horse about relaxing and I see it before it ever gets to be a big thing or you know escalates into something and you can help your horse right there.

They have students too especially you know we're the ones I teach live but even now that I'm doing more live p-vote sessions like people are just like I just want to embody you Sean and like because like we're laughing and like and they're like how do you not get frustrated.

But it's like it goes back to just this whole embodying the way we teach and the way we help students you know that will add it to the horses and they it's fun it's it gets exciting to see when you can help your horse with this one little piece and they're even their expression changes the way that they look at you.

Yeah it was you said something before we jumped on the when we're talking before we jumped on this and it was like it's it's not just about making horses do stuff.

Right here's an exercise your horse has to do and here's it's all for well one of the principles is the basics of dress order for the horse that should feel good to the horse so I think that's one of the reasons it just feels so good and it's endlessly interesting.

Because you're constantly building harmony and communication harmony and communication and then we do stuff with that harmony and communication but you're the feeling of of dropping the have feeling the horse drop their defenses or start to go I get it like got that right.

You know I just I was riding my own horse core today who's sometimes hard to convince that things feel good and she she can be a little like intense and I'm just going around going where's the spot where's the spot and you know I'm like where where is it where is it where do I need to be for you.

And I'm wiggling around in the saddle and then at some point being her ears go forward and like oh there it is and she's like yeah that feels better mom like that never gets old and that always feels so much better because I I do.

It's just worked with my horse to find the place that the horse says feels good and then when we're there I completely agree like yes that is a lovely spot but I think that's what in one of the you know million ways this process in this course is different.

Because it feeling good and it being enjoyable is the whole point like you can't do just naturally.

And have it not feel good because the whole point is that it feels good.

Like there's you can't yeah it's just it's supposed to be enjoyable and that's not just a filthy word like we're going to the whole point is that you find the place that you and your horse can enjoy and then it's light and we model a process of experimenting.

Trusting that you can tell the things that work better worse or better you know and giving students the freedom to to make those mistakes like you said like let's find out what doesn't work because I will be more sure of what does.

And yeah I think it's it's the way we navigate the process and we can only help I mean I can I can show that in a video once but that's where those weekly calls are pure gold because we.

Are with students as they go through the process and they go through the process of learning it and then practicing it and then the horse changes a little bit now something else is popping up and we get to be with everybody.

All the way through that process for six months at least on the live calls which is long enough to go through a few a few different cycles and stages and after immersing in that.

You know that that's enough time to make a complete transformation and how you think and feel and act and perform and that's why I wanted to build into this course those those weekly calls and I just you know I have other online offerings that don't offer that sort of support and they're less expensive.

The sweet spot courses you know has the highest tuition of anything I do but like this is why I've got five professionals in their helping.

Oh and we didn't even talk about the private coaching so the course comes with two private coaching sessions and then you can get as many extra ones as you want on top of that.

And and it's really cool because you got five five professionals to choose from sometimes on the Q and A calls you kind of make a connection with a particular instructor or their have a specialty of you know just the kind of challenges you have.

You can mix and match and you know anyway it's so you you can have that one on one opportunity and Shawnee you even do like the pivot ones where it's it's live you're actually there out with the horse.

Of course live it's not even just a video.

Yeah yeah those are some.

Yeah and I was going to say to you one more thing about the course and going through it and we were talking about things in the course I always want you know want to tell people to you this that sweet spot protocol like it's not something that you're just going to go to the course and be done like this is something that.

You're going to use all the things in this course if you decide to progress up the challenge levels if you go do something else you're always going to be thinking about these these things in the sweet spot course and how to talk to your course about it so it's not like a one and done okay now.

It's you're always going to be thinking about it which is so cool no matter what worries at what level I'm riding or working with or helping a student with worth thinking about these things.

Yeah yeah yeah.

We could go full day.

I know I could.

It's just you know I'm so glad you know and part of me is like people are going to think it's just about marketing it's not if it was just about marketing we wouldn't be carrying so much.

When in there and we're successful it's it's just for me it's it all feels really normal and that I have to remind myself that what we offer is absolutely not normal it's not typical it's unique in so many ways.

And yeah I just have to remember that and I have to do I never feel like I'm quite sufficient at explaining just how special this whole program is and how special the people are and you know the community so we have you know the close Facebook group.

So you're in there with a community of students going through the course but there's also the all the alumni.

So it's it's such a huge base of support and sometimes I'll see people asking questions in the Facebook group and you know if you know by the time I see it you know either an instructor or a whole bunch of other students have like given really great advice.

So usually I get in there and like yeah what shall be said what you know whoever the name of the student said which is just makes me feel like the very proud grandma.

In the best possible way in the in the youngest sense of the word.

I know you're excited to every time somebody signs up or every time I start helping somebody go through this it's just because you know things are going to change like you just know like.

Not ever going to be the same and it's like they're going to.

Yeah make huge progress I just get I just get so excited about it and you know I see I see it all the time with every every words or every new student that I have.

You know.

Yeah and they really starts to feel like family because there you know there's when you first sign up there's six months of the weekly calls that's a lot of time we spend together.

And then you have lifetime access to everything so you always have the course and that any time you know after the first six months if you want to.

Do another six months of life calls you can do another six month of life calls whenever you want we've had people like years down the road get a new horse and they want to go through it again and they want to support.

The life calls and oh and you know if you're listening this episode in the future this won't necessarily apply but if you're listening to it right now when it comes out.

If you start before March 31st so March 30th would be the last day instead of just six months of the weekly life calls you'll get a whole year.

And so what's really cool about that I mean six months is already a long time.

But I know a lot of people you know whether changes your horse gets a stone bruise you you know have to go away for a month or something and an online course that's this kind of investment can sometimes feel like a pressure.

And so with a year like you have time you have time and it doesn't mean you have to like be on every single call like you can it's there when you need it.

And if you can't make them live you send in a question you can submit a little video clip and we answer the your question as if you're there and we follow up and like hey you know if you have any follow up when you listen to the answer just post in the Facebook group.

And we can you know get back with you so that you know if you for people who want to do it it would be so wise to do it sooner rather than later because that year of weekly life calls is just.

Raceless.

Yeah.

Very special like so much learning so many people be like oh my gosh it's like getting a lesson every week.

Like being able to be on this calls some people ask lots of questions some people are there to listen and then they'll share one later and there yeah it's really really cool.

And plus the you know I have the whole video classroom that has like 500 videos in it and the first six months in the sweet spot course you get free access to that also so a lot of times on the calls.

You know there's the main teachings inside the sweet spot course but then sometimes a student question is like okay this particular horse and there's a particular little challenge I'm having and be like oh there's a video for that in the classroom with the horse just like yours or.

You know here's Karen explaining you know she's riding this and explaining it just slightly differently or here's another supplemental exercise you can try so we've got this it's like a prescription right you come in with a problem and we can write your prescription you watch this video in this video and then try these things so the the amount of.

Resources and support is just it's something I'm super super proud of and again that that one marketer who just said that line of like we don't care and I just like you know what I do care.

So you know kind of going back to the title of this episode how to take an online course you know my best advice is first of all you know.

Do you have a way of confirming that this is the right course for you right so anybody who offers an online course you know and you're not sure.

Make sure there's a way of confirming like we have a way of confirming email us book a college book a book a private college on a like we'll help you figure it out and we promise we will tell you if it's not the right time to do the course and we've done that I know I've done that numbers of times.

Like no this I think I think you'd be best focusing on fill in the blank at this point and and then ask yourself like when you're looking at the course ask yourself does this course want me to succeed right or is it just wanting to get your money and the sale and then after that it's like good luck.

And you know I don't know how you're going to tell I know I hope we exude that we do want you to succeed and we have lots of ways to that you can as a student check in with us and get the extra help that you need.

So we have those systems built into place but maybe you know if you're looking at something else like just ask yourself that question and maybe try.

You know asking for some customer support and see what happens like for us we will get back to you and if we don't emails again because it means it got stuck in spam or something like that but we have multiple ways of getting in touch with us and if one way doesn't work it just means something happened but we absolutely want to hear from you and answering questions and yeah and do they offer what are the ways that they that help is offered if you get stuck.

And that might be a question to ask well what if I what if I get stuck like we have systems in place for that we can happily answer that and show you all the ways that we can help you get unstuck.

I think that's like to like it's really what's so good about us to in our programs and I know like some past people are like oh my gosh you have so much stuff I don't know where to start.

Yeah even within my own program right.

I can tell you know I always tell them to you like people just like because you were talking about the video classroom and we refer to the videos we know it so well like we we can send you like you can be like this is what's happening or this is what I'm working on is where I'm stuck is where I'm frustrated with like I you know we always very well to send them to video or go back and watch this video or have you thought about this thing and like or be able to know the questions to ask them to get them to the world.

Get them to the right right place or we meant like this might be a great time to do a video coaching or some type of coaching session like but yeah they never like I just feel like we think I just never want people to feel like they don't have a place to go.

Yeah and we check on people like if you're stuck in a module for a little longer than we think well you'll get an email from us going hey and we just check in.

That's not pressure because like hey just wanted to check in you know is everything going all right and sometimes we get a reply like oh yeah I've been on vacation or oh yeah I broke my leg or you know or you know like no I really I really am trying to like perfect this and sometimes we'll be like you know I think it's time to move on to the next module and sometimes we'll say you know if you like rip through all six modules in two weeks we might go you know.

So that's another thing we help with is and that's a question that comes up like should I like should I go to the next module or should I hang back and there's the perfectionist that kind of stay a little too long and then there's the ones who just stay at the surface and zip through and they go that's not working and so we can really like that's one of the great questions to ask is like what should I be focusing on on now and we get we get really good at the art of good enough.

Right so we're like what's good enough because sometimes if you know you get something good enough and it won't get better until you try the next level of stuff but it has to be good enough so that's a that's a fun thing that we tend to play with is like how to know when is good enough which is a great training question that's a question that every trainer asks themselves or they should be like is this good enough to move on and have another little challenge to get more information or do I need to go back.

And refine the basics and that's something that's influx all the time and so over six months that strategy is going to change and yeah and just getting that help navigating that so yeah I do have lots of resources and I really try to feel like everything I put out gives huge value but if you want the most value for the money.

The sweet spot course is absolute like if you do one thing like that is going to I don't know what's the word like cut to the chase it's going to be the you if you drop into the sweet spot course like you you've got something that will last you the rest of your life and we'll put everything else in place.

Because the sweet spot course kind of covers everything from the basic foundational pieces necessary to help improve how yours moves in harmony and communication all the way up through understanding the different categories of gymnastic training and why you do those exercises so it's it's the biggest overview and the most depth as far as mental emotional physical changes for you and your horse.

It's like it's it's it's my life in a course well maybe not my whole life but it is that it's yeah that was the first course I built and I was like if I just do one course this is it and how do I do it in a way that's not overwhelming.

That's actually actionable and that I know somebody who's doing this course in the middle of Sweden in the winter time can still get full value and good results and that's what I was aiming for and by golly I think I did it.

Anyway well if you're still listening thank you for listening and I will put in the show notes or you can go on my website you can easily find.

You go to the contact us page and you can find a link for the booking a free private consult with Sean I will put the link in the show notes I'll put a link to the course oh yeah we only open it twice a year so you know now is one of those times so it's it's definitely a time to.

Yeah just decide that this is going to be the next six months is going to be awesome and oh I was I was thinking Sean if the sweet spot course had a sound it would be it would be the great exhale just like oh I've landed.

I'm like I've landed here's what are other words people have used my north star it's like coming home yeah it's just it's the place to like play and enjoy and not be judged and to just get in there and and we'll help you find the harmony in the communication and the balance that you've been craving with your horse.

In a way that you can replicate it for the rest of your life and everything you do.

I feel like I need to disclaimer there but I'm not going to put on there actual results may vary you know whatever we've seen it we've seen it worked too many times it's it's what I live in breathe every single day with my horses is what I teach in the sweet spot course.

I can't not be doing all the exercises that I do on the sweet spot course.

Yeah it's that.

Yeah okay do you think we we emphasized our point obviously enough Sean.

Do it.

Do it.

Oh my goodness all right well thank you Sean because it's yeah it's really helpful I don't know I like to talk about my stuff but it's easier when you're

helping me talk about it so thank you for letting me call you at 6.30 in the evening and get you off your nice comfy couch.

Now this is great like I love I'm passionate about this I love it I get excited about it I love every you know twice a year when we get to open this up and people get to be in there it's just.

It is it's so fun seeing everybody on the on the calls and just kind of going.

I know where this is going to go.

All right Sean well I will let you go thank you so much and you know anybody listening has any questions.

You know where to find us info at Dressage Naturally.net and you'll have the lovely Sean answering your email.

You can email me too Karen at Dressage Naturally.net.

All right goodnight everybody.

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Training horses is a long game.

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Most of all remember you got this.

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Till next time love your horse move in harmony and enjoy the process.