This fall, my daughter, Sacha, took me horse riding in beautiful Langley, British Columbia.

My horse’s name was Drifter, and when we trotted up to a lane that led alongside a large field, the stables owner warned me that, as soon as we cantered or galloped, Drifter would… drift.

She said he would veer right into the field, and that he always canters at an angle – side on.

She said they had found that the easiest way to curb his drifting away from the beaten track was to rein him in on the left, while giving him some heel on his right side.

Sure enough, as soon as we started cantering and picked up speed, Drifter started drifting quickly away from the rest of the horses towards the center of the field, and, as predicted, a firm left rein and some good, solid kicks on his right side brought him back into the fold.

Frankly, I would have liked to have given him the freedom to break into a gallop across the field, but one has to stick to the rules.

We had a wonderful morning, and look forward to another outride soon. (I still bounce when we canter, but that hasn’t changed since I first rode at the age of ten, so I guess I’ll always be a “bouncer”.)

Are You an Unconscious “Drifter”?

Many people drift away from their goals, veer off target, get sidetracked, and don’t know how to get back on track.

Now drifting away from the pack is a great thing if the pack is heading in the wrong direction, and we know that the seething herd usually is heading the wrong way, but if you’re working with winners and you’re part of a winning team, here are a few pointers:

1. A strong, successful team will be aware when you drift off course, and they will bring it to your attention.
2. When you’re moving fast, you need to take more drastic, focused action than if you’re ambling along. I had to be strong with Drifter, not whisper sweet nothings in her furry ear.
3. Be aware of where you’re headed, where the rest of your team is, and keep perspective. Horses don’t have a reverse gear. And don’t spend the rest of the ride apologizing and beating yourself up; just don’t repeat the mistake, and if you find yourself drifting again, correct fast. (Like when you’re scuba diving: “equalize early and often.”)
4. Take advice from people who are experienced in dealing with your challenge. Drifter’s owner knew and understood both the challenge and the remedy, and she had the solution for me. Jim Stoval said:

“Never take advice from anyone who doesn’t already have what you want.”

By the same token, when you see that you’ve linked up with a bunch of losers, find yourself a winning horse that drifts easily, and gallop as fast as you can away from them.