The Power of "Thank You"
“A simple THANK YOU has magic; it changes moods, opens doors, and warms cold hearts.”
If you ask any of my volunteers how I typically end my classes, you’re likely to get the same answer from many of them. I’ve found myself as having ended up with an unintentional “catch phrase” of sorts, but it sums up a lesson that I’d like for my volunteers and riders to cherish and remember so well that I can’t stop using it! That all important lesson is: the power of “Thank You’s”.
As children, how to be polite and courteous to others is taught quite early on in life. Our parents impress upon us to say “please” when we want something, “excuse me” when we need to move past someone, and “no thanks” when we don’t want something that another person is offering to us, but how often in our day to day lives is the simple gesture of thanking someone overlooked? Especially when we become adults and we no longer have our parents present 24/7 to remind us to be polite.
Unfortunately, it’s not only children who often overlook the power behind validating someone for their hard work. Adults, me included, are just as guilty. We often find ourselves falling into the rut of only thanking people when it is expected of us: when the barista hands you your morning cup of coffee, the cashier at the grocery store when giving you your change, the teller at the bank when they cash your paycheck, etc. And while none of these are necessarily bad, on the contrary they are excellent displays of humanity, but have you ever taken the time to thank someone for the good job they’re doing? Thanked someone for being the amazing person they are? It can truly make a difference in how that person’s day is going!
Working as a waitress, no matter the size of the establishment, you see this phenomenon (or its lack thereof) almost daily. When was the last time a customer thanked you for the job that you’re doing? I’m not saying it never happens. I personally have one customer that when he comes in will tell me: “Has anyone told you what a great job you’re doing today?”, but if we’re being frank, more often than not these words never leave people’s mouths. And how sad is that? Some days I just want to say to people: “How hard is it to just say ‘thank you’ for the work I’m putting into making sure you get your food in a timely manner?”
I am not saying this because I need validation for the work I do or to single people out, but I personally feel that thanking someone is one of the most important things we can do in this life. Sadly though, it is often one of the most overlooked. And I speak from experience when I say that this slight bit of validation can make a person’s day!
But I digress from the original meaning of this post! I know, I know, you’re probably sitting here wondering how I’m going to tie this into therapeutic horseback riding. It’s quite simple really! I am writing this to beg the question: How important are the words “Thank You” in the riding ring? And how can making sure that they are used frequently both inside and outside of the arena improve the mood of your instructors, volunteers, riders, and even horses?
Let’s dive straight in, shall we! I alluded to earlier in this post to a line of dialog that I use in each and every one of my classes. That “catch phrase” goes something like this:
“Give your horses a big hug and thank them for their hard work tonight. Make sure to thank your leaders and your sidewalkers as well for all of their hard work and we will be around to get you down. Awesome job everyone!”
This is actually a variation of something an instructor said when I first started volunteering in our program, long before I became certified myself. On my first night I remember her delivering this same line and having my rider look down from atop her horse and thanking me for helping her during her lesson. Without that moment, I would have never became an instructor! Feeling important enough to be thanked by both our instructor and our riders was very special to me and it is a memory I will forever cherish!
I had the opportunity to take my Onsight Workshop and Certification Testing at a large, nationally known therapeutic program in Ohio and one of the subjects they delved extensively into was how we viewed and treated our volunteers. Take a moment, if you will, to think about just how vital our volunteers are to our programs. Without dedicated volunteers, you would have no program. It matters little how good your horses are, how amazing your lessons are, or how many students are enrolled. Without volunteers taking part in your classes, they would never be able to run effectively.
So what’s the common denominator for keeping volunteers? Beyond even thoroughly training them to effectively play their roll in class? The answer is quite simple: Make them feel appreciated for the work their putting in! Thank them for all they do. Point out their strengths. Remind them individually that they are amazing and bring excellent things to the table. There was such emphasis put on this that, during my testing lesson, I was called out on and praised for thanking a volunteer for advice she had given me concerning one of the riders. My evaluators later told me that my recognizing her for the wonderful job she was doing, even though I barely knew her, meant a tremendous amount to her!
My “catch phrase” plays a dual purpose, in a way, which many people don’t immediately pick up on. I ALWAYS want to make my volunteers feel appreciated for the work they put into classes, but I also want to impress upon my students just how important it is to be thankful for what the people around them do. It puts a smile on peoples’ faces to be called out for something good they do! I always strive for my riders to be able to apply this lesson both inside of the arena and out. And what better way to do so then reminding them during every class to be thankful?
Last, but definitely not least, I want to post an interesting question to those reading this post. We have discussed making the PEOPLE around us feel validated for the things they do, but what about our ANIMALS? I know this sounds odd, but hear me out. How many times have our animals played secret keeper, tear catcher, or companion for us and how many times have we stopped to think about just how special that is? I know in my life, I don’t do it enough!
The therapeutic riding program that I work for is relatively small, so we share a facility with a larger boarding and lesson program. Over the winter, while we are on break, I have had the opportunity to take a few shifts a week on the boarding side of the stable. It has been amazing to see a whole other side to the facility and learn how it runs!
While I’m working my path often crosses with boarders and lessons students on their way to and from the arenas. It was one of these meetings that happened to have put the topic of being polite to others, animals included, so heavily on my mind.
It was shortly after lunch time. The horses were already fed and afternoon turnouts had just been wrapped up. I was trying to quickly finish the last bit of sweeping in the aisle way so I could head home, when I came upon an older woman untacking her mare after their ride. She slowly and methodically removed her saddle, pad, bridle, and boots. She blanketed the gorgeous gray mare and was just tucking her back into her stall for lunch when I heard her say to her horse: “You did so good today, girl. Thank you for the great ride.”
I soon finished my work and was heading home, but my mind was still racing. When was the last time, I silently asked myself, that I looked my horse in the face and thanked them for giving me an enjoyable ride? For being there for me? For all they’ve been in my life? It truly made me sad when I couldn’t honestly answer my own question. From then on I decided to strive to thank my animals more than I do for all they are and do!
As we head into this new year (yes, I know it’s February and resolution making time is well past), let us strive to make the people, and animals, around us feel more appreciated for all they do in our lives! You never know just how much a simple “Thank you” can make someone’s day!