In this episode of Come Ride With Me, we’re throwing perfectionism out of the saddle and riding straight into the messy, beautiful truth: your horse doesn’t want you to be perfect—they want you to be present.
Host Anna Fox explores how horses, in their natural state, model emotional regulation, alignment, and presence without judgment or pressure. We dive into why so much of the traditional horse world runs on outdated, fear-based systems—and how embracing imperfection can free both you and your horse.
You’ll also get this week’s experiment: Make It Messy—a bold exercise in letting go of compensation patterns and learning to feel crookedness before you fix it.
Whether you’re stuck in “shoulds,” burnt out from over-trying, or just ready to feel more you in the saddle, this episode invites you to drop the pressure and reconnect with what riding was always meant to be: a relationship.
🧠 Listen in and let the mess be the message.
🐴 Then head back to Season 1 for deeper insights into leading, following, and building the freely forward horse.
Take the Are You a Perfectionist Quiz? at www.equusenlightened.com
Find me on social media as @equusenlightened. Join our Facebook group titled Horse-First Dressage: Compassionate Training and Connection or join the community and the Dressage Naturally Video Classroom at www.patreon.com/equusenlightened.
You can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube. My channel is Equus Enlightened.
https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened
Email me at anna@equusenlightened.net
Happy Riding!