Build Your Mental Muscles

'Those who believe they can and those who believe they cant are both right' - Anonymous

Having mental focus takes time and practice.  Are you as strong mentally as you are physically?  Here are some simple tips to strengthening your focus.

Oh my God What do I do Next?

Forgetting your way in jumping or dressage is an awful feeling, and the worry of doing it again and linger long after the event is over.  So how do you over come such a challenge?

The first step is to learn how you learn best.  Is it by sight, sound or feel?  If you learn by sight then walk your test or course by yourself until you have committed it to your memory 100%.  Go over the course or test more than once and see yourself going through each movement, combination and challenging area perfectly.  What would that feel like to you? To your horse?

If you learn by sound, have someone read the dressage test to you where apon you recite it back.  Talk through the course you are wanting to do taking care to describe each challenging area clearly and with confidence on how you and your horse will successfully tackle it.

If you are strongly visual walk the test and the course as you would ride it.  If the test calls for shoulder in along the long side - you do it!  You will entertain others and remember each movement all the way to the winners presentation.

The Snowball Effect

This is when you make one mistake, worry about it, then make another and another, each time with the worry compounding to the point of crisis.  Remember:

• You have to be in control of yourself before you can have control of your performance.
• You have very little control over things around you, but you do have the control over how you respond to them.
• If your horse has a sticky place in your test, or your course, ride it right in your mind first, beautifully, easily, perfectly.

How to Overcome Emotional Challenges

Lack of confidence is the most common emotional challenge.  Planning for success is less  working through the past but focusing firmly on the future.  Use the past as a spring board for change!

The Steps to Success

Often we all get fed recommendations of we should, we can, and we might but rarely do you get give the steps for change, until now...

1.       Take responsibility by recreating the scenarios in your schooling.

2.       Respond by riding  through your test.  Let situations arise while schooling which would normally startle and worry your horse.  Work in a positive way through your horses reactions.

3.       Recognise your self-talk.  Is it defeating or empowering?  Do you say "Ok I just need to get his attention, and we will be fine." Or instead do you panic, pull the reins, kick and lament the woes of your stupid horse.

4.       Release with a physical touch to the neck if the situation arises and quietly encourage your horse.  The release on the rein stops your tension flowing along the rein and says 'I trust you' the calming word will make you breathe with will ease some tension out of your body.

5.       Regroup.  Return to the basics, a strong seat, a steady hand and a calm mind.

6.       Refocus, quickly consider what you have to do to regain both your and your horse's composure and do it.

7.       Relax.  You are regaining control of yourself and your horse so take a deep breath, it will all be ok.  Repeat this several times, breathing deeply down into your stomach.  Breath right into your centre or gravity, anchoring yourself into your seat.

8.       Get Ready to move on.  Clear your mind of all but positive thought.  Put all your energy into what you know - the positive, your training.

What to do about Your Nerves

"Ultimately, everything we do in our lives is driven by our fundamental need to avoid pain and our desire to gain pleasure: Both are biologically driven and constitute a controlling force in our lives." - Tony Robbins

By focusing on your nerves you further add energy to those nerves, compounding the tension.

To change that, shift your focus, think about the pain being nervous at the show will cause you.  Write down all the things that could go wrong,  you will fall off, make a fool of your self, people will laugh everything.  Next write down all the positive things  you will gain by not being nervous.  Things like; Ill win the class, my horse will go perfectly, people will love my horse, Ill gain confidence.

Keep writing down the pleasure you are gaining and recognise the nerves you once experienced are now departing.  As you continue your nerves will be replaced with confidence and a new found freedom.

Fear

Fear from past experiences such as a bad fall is another debilitating challenge that manifests itself as tension.  This tension is not useful because of the negative effects it has on blood pressure, muscle tension, and breathing.  All of these symptoms are by-products of this fear and is communicated to your horse.  Their reaction mirrors yours which increases the likelihood of your horse responding in a way which brought on the fear in the first place.

To conquer your fear means you need to change your state of mind.  Vividly imagine something you really love doing, are good at and which comes easily to you.  When you are riding and feeling fear, strongly focus on the pleasure of doing something enjoyable.  Singing loudly is a great way to release tension, breathe deeply and relax.  It will also probably give you a laugh too!

Simple tips to thrive

• Someone makes a negative remark about your riding. What do these have to do with all of the training and work you have done? They only have the power you give them. So, give them no power.
• You draw first ride in a competition. Remember all of the riders who have gone out before you and have won right from this beginning. You are going to set the standard that everyone else will be trying to reach.
• A delay occurs just before your performance at a big show. Instead of being upset, put the time to good use calmly walk your horse around, breathing and relaxing with him. As you feel your body relax so will he and his body with mirror yours. Think how much you love him and allow that energy and gratitude towards your horse flow into him and ultimately your performance.

Add your Comment

Name*

Email

Message*

Enter the letters above

Get a different image