I’ve always believed the best lessons don’t just happen in the saddle—they happen afterward when we take time to absorb what we’ve learned. But let’s be honest, we don’t always remember every detail. To help my own development and apply what I know about adult learning, I created a simple but powerful technique to capture a trainer’s feedback and make it stick.
Many years ago, I rode with Kathy Daughn (two-time NCHA Futurity Champion and National Cutting Horse Association Hall of Fame rider). She has a remarkable ability to advance riders by focusing on key actions in the present that create future success for both horse and rider, even if the rider doesn’t fully grasp them at the time.
Even after all these years, I still recall things she said—words that didn’t fully sink in at the time but later clicked when I was ready to understand them. Sound familiar?
Now that I’m back riding with her, I’ve realized how much more prepared I am because of this technique to absorb and apply her insights. Something she said last week might not fully make sense to me now, but down the road, it will come to life in a way I never expected.
Here's the bottomline: To bridge that gap between hearing and truly understanding, I started writing things down. Right after a lesson, I jot down exactly what she said—word for word. Then, I write my interpretation of what it means and how I can apply it.
But I don’t stop there. For the first few days after a lesson, I take my notes with me to the arena. If something isn’t clicking, I refer back to what I wrote. This way, I don’t just rely on my memory—I give myself a structured way to process and reinforce what I’m learning.
It’s a simple practice, but it has made a world of difference in my training. If you’ve ever walked away from a lesson feeling like you forgot half of what was said, I encourage you to try this. You might be surprised how much more you retain—and how much faster your skills improve.
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