Good horsemen are mental

Cabin fever has struck me again. So here I am, babbling away because the cold & damp weather keeps me from getting in the saddle. In this time I've also been doing a lot of reading on different horse training methods. These books follow different training techniques from a classical teacher to a zen master & finally an old school cowboy. In reading their publications, I've found one thing that they all have in common-Attitude.
All of these books stress the importance of both the horse's & rider's mental state & how they relate to one another. From my experience I've also concluded that either the horse's or the rider's attitude will determine the outcome of their training.
For example, a rider that has fear tends to over-ride the horse. This rider worries when the horse reacts differently than what they intended. This worried emotional state can affect elements used for balance such as breathing, muscle relaxation, & body awareness. The loss of balance from the rider hinders communication between the horse that's essential for control. Control is needed to establish confidence between horse & rider. When the horse has no trust or confidence of it's rider then it will act on it's own. It's a cycle that could have been prevent if only the rider started with a good attitude. Unfortunately I see this pattern a lot. The outcome is never good & most often the horse is blamed when it's only the victim.
A positive attitude is essential for success not only in working with horse but also in life. So I'm going to continue to think positively that the sun will make an appearance tomorrow so I can get in the saddle again!