Don't Be Too Hard On Yourself!

Everyone has those awful days where just everything goes wrong. From knocking your head on the doorframe before your day even starts, to forgetting your riding boots, other horses kicking your horse and all the way to judges commenting on how on earth this mule you are riding got access to a show.

You feel annoyed and angry, especially with yourself and keep repeating things over and over in your head until it seems far worse than it actually was. Don't worry though, you are just human and the human brain tends to work overtime.

Here a few important points to remember in a situation like the one a friend of mine found himself in a couple of weeks ago. His 17hh Warmblood Gelding, who was just coming back into work after a pulled ligament, was entered into a 65cm SJ Class and managed to break almost every single pole in the ring. He was placed last and was mortified when he realised that everyone else was under 10years old and his horse outsized all others by nearly 6hhs!

Things to remind yourself:

1. Someone will be there for you! Everyone has good and bad days, even professionals who seem to handle their horses effortlessly. Just talk to someone you like and trust and revise some good old exercises that you and your horse can do easily. Talking about it and getting help, even if it is just comfort, is beneficial and gets you back on track.
2. Remember your past success. If things went horribly wrong, think about times when you had a glorious day. And think about it in a good way! Instead of asking yourself why it didn't work this time, tell yourself that this other day was perfect and thrive to do it again. Don't punish yourself for failures and start obsessing about them, it's a psychological trap!
3. Watch your timing. Don't try new things or difficult exercises when you aren't feeling great. There's nothing lost when you decide not to attend an event or don't practise a difficult exercise. Do these things when you feel your best as its harder for your horse to take advantage of you. Don't think you have to go to competitions or events just because your friends are trying to bully you into it. Rather stay at home and polish up what's not a 100% so you can astonish everyone at your next outing.

Don't beat yourself up over little things, remember that riding is supposed to be fun!

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