Casey Morgan's DISC Profile

Like all DISC Styles, your style has certain traits that can work for you, or might hold you back, depending on how you manage them. Examples from your profile are listed below. Keep in mind that a strength can be “over-done” and become a weakness.

Working For You	Could Hold You Back
Exacting: Casey's exacting nature drives a strong desire to do things correctly and avoid making mistakes.	Exacting: Casey's exacting nature can sometimes lead to riding “tight” and having an unhealthy fear of making mistakes.
Analytical: Casey's strong analytical traits help them understand what they are doing with their position and aids, and how their horse responds.	Analytical: Casey's strong analytical traits sometimes lead to over-thinking and getting in the way of riding their best.
Fact-Finder: Casey wants to have the most accurate information possible when making their ride plan.	Fact-Finder: Having only a rough idea of the course, the test, or the horse might lead Casey to feel they are making uninformed choices.

Riding Temperament Tendencies

Exacting Nature

Casey looks forward to competing against the course, other riders, and their own expectations. Their riding temperament is driven by their exacting nature, and a strong desire to do things as correctly as possible. They may appear to be emotionally low-keyed, but their mind is actively concentrating on the “hows” and “whys” of what they are doing.

Expects To Do Things Correctly

While Casey's exacting nature is a strength in many ways, their expectations for doing things correctly can sometimes lead to riding “tight” and having an unhealthy fear of making mistakes. They'll do well to remember that while a strong desire to do things correctly is a strength, overdoing it and expecting unrealistic results can become a weakness. Horses aren't machines, and even a well-ridden plan sometimes needs adjusting in the moment.

Rarely Feels Deep Anger

Casey can have times when Casey becomes quite frustrated with how they are riding, but periods of really deep and prolonged anger are rare for them. They can reinforce this favorable tendency by using positive self-talk phrases as a strategy for quickly turning frustration back into positive mental energy.

Pre-Ride Tendencies

Mind Is Active Before The Ride

While Casey's emotions appear to be fairly calm before Casey rides, their mind is actively thinking about their ride. They are uncomfortable if Casey feels rushed, and tends to be most productive when Casey allows adequate time to warm up at a comfortable and unhurried pace.

Rehearse Some Of The Actual Ride

Casey sometimes focuses more on their position and technique as they are warming up than they do on getting ready to ride the elements the same way they'll ride them in the ring. Taking a few minutes to “rehearse” a few pieces of the ride – like the opening line or a key transition – as if they are actually in the ring will help them get a good feel for riding with the same routine and thought processes they'll use in competition.

Believes In Good Preparation

Casey is not one to take good performance for granted, and instinctively understands that good preparation is a logical step towards getting the ride off to a good start. Developing a quality warm-up routine, and using it on a consistent basis from ride to ride, will reinforce this mindset, and likely position them to get more rides off to a positive start.

Tendencies In The Saddle

Ongoing Search For The “Best Way”

Casey's ongoing search for the “best” way, or the “correct” way, to ride is part of the challenge and enjoyment Casey feels for the sport. While this “search” helps them learn more about what they are doing with their position and aids and how their horse responds, it can also lead to over-thinking in the saddle and getting in the way of riding their best.

Over-Thinking Can Create Tension

Sometimes the more analytical and mechanical Casey becomes, the more mental and physical tension Casey creates in the saddle – and a horse feels a stiff back, a braced leg, or a set hand right away. Incorporating deep breathing into their in-gate routine and approaches will help reduce tension, and promote a soft, following position.

See The Line And Feel My Horse

Casey is at their best riding with a “see the line and feel my horse” approach, as opposed to trying to mentally program every aid along the way. Practicing their visualization skills, and keeping thoughts about their position simple and feel-oriented through good coaching and practice, are especially helpful strategies for analytical style riders like them. This also applies to their flatwork and transitions.

Ride Planning Tendencies

Thinks Through The Ride Plan

Casey is a “thinker” and typically doesn't waste a lot of rides on high-risk/low-percentage options. They are not so conservative that they won't ride an aggressive option; Casey just wants to think it through from a risk/reward perspective before choosing to ride one.

Wants Accurate Information

Casey have the patience to walk the course carefully, count strides, study the test or pattern, and learn how a horse tends to go. As close as possible, Casey wants to know exactly how many strides are in a line or exactly where a movement begins before committing to it. Having only a rough idea is often not enough for them to feel comfortable they are making an informed decision. When Casey has to ride an unfamiliar horse, a few specific questions to the horse's regular rider or trainer can give them the information Casey needs to ride confidently.

Ride Plan Strategies

Casey's commitment to their ride is usually strong when Casey feels they have made smart choices. They can reinforce this mindset by making certain ride plan decisions while walking the course or learning the test. For example, by deciding beforehand where they'll take the outside track or add a stride, they'll likely be fully committed to those choices as Casey rides them.

Approach To Riding Improvement

Seeks Clarity

With Casey's process-oriented thinking style, Casey seeks clarity as to what they are trying to accomplish when they are working on their riding. With this in mind, they can create a clear sense of direction for improving their riding by developing a few meaningful goals they would like to accomplish out in the future, and an action plan for accomplishing them.

Schooling Rides Need A Competitive Balance

Casey tends to put most of their focus on position and technique when they are schooling. They can add a sense of balance to their schooling rides by spending part of their time on exercises that simulate “in the ring” competitive situations – riding a full course or test start to finish, without stopping to fix things. The more they can make their schooling rides feel like they are actually competing, the more likely their practice will produce actual improvement in the ring.