I have always been a strong believer that the lessons learnt and habits developed in the stable apply to everyday life. Commitment, hard work, patience and a genuine love for these animals has transferred over into other aspects of my life that has shaped tremendously who I am as a person today. Until now, I did not realize the extent of how “difficult rides” defined me, and what they have taught me about myself. A huge learning curve for me during my time spent in Europe was training young horses. Insecurities, anxieties and tremendous self-doubt have flooded my body and drowned my mind – as everyone learning something new faces. The tricky part is closing the floodgates and swallowing those negative thoughts as you step foot in the stirrup and begin to dance with your new partner. It is quite simple really; all young horses need to do is go forward willingly, with a quiet and steady connection in your breathing hands. What I have had the mental challenge of working through, is turning off my “over-analyzing mode” and instead, just getting on and riding. I ride with more feel and guts when I turn off my brain – something that is a continual struggle for my busy mind. So I have created little mantras as well as listening to my favourite tunes that help – but what I have found works best, is when I am under pressure. Not allowing myself time to overanalzse or try to create the ideal environment and instead, as Nike’s slogan says… Just do it.
Courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it.
All of the rides that have pushed me out of my comfort zone have encouraged me to push myself outside of my barn bubble too. I have learned over the years how to push myself in social settings or whilst setting fitness goals for myself. Setting goals – like all athletes do – has ignited a flame within that is the fuel for getting out of bed on the “difficult” days, and also allows me to run the extra mile or the guts to give a speech on a so-called “good” day. Sometimes I like to play around with my insecurities and anxieties… I force myself (or unwillingly find myself) in an uncomfortable setting and try to take a moment to soak it in. Can I feel that hot rush through my body as my face develops all fifty shades of red? Can process the tingly sensation as I slowly lose feeling in my legs? How long does it last? Does it come in waves? Normally at competitions I am not a nervous type, and quite frankly, it is one part of my life that I actually feel quite confident. However, occasional anxieties creep their way into my hyperactive brain
and cloud my riding in the moment feeling. By documenting these experiences it helps me break things down piece-by-piece, logically analysing it, understanding what caused the situation and feelings to arise. Ideally, this process will prevent anxieties and insecurities from happening again. OH but wait… those anxieties do indeed return – but the goal is to have them return at an intensity that is more manageable.
Don’t always believe everything you think.
It is totally natural and normal for people to experience periods in your life that are more anxiety ridden. The trick is to not let that define you or take over complete control of your life. Be kind to yourself; the way you think of yourself and the way in which you speak of yourself does matter. Just because you are going through a rough patch with your horse does not mean that you have failed. Horses are highly intuitive creatures and they can feel far more than we could ever imagine. Let’s say for example, you cannot get down to one end of the arena without your horse spooking or shying away. Make it your goal to get to that part of the arena but don’t hone in on that sole purpose for your whole ride. Instead, break down the steps to getting there – start with a relaxing warm up and begin making circles working towards the “scary corner”. Transitions are crucial and you can never do enough. Getting your horse properly on your aids and working back to front is going to be essential in your progression. In theory, if your horse is truly connected back to front, they will not spook. So once you have the feeling that your horse is on your aids, riding throughout the whole arena should become an effortless task. There is a catch however… you cannot forget to breathe. No matter how well you have your horse connected back to front, if you are holding your breath and are a tensed up bundle of nerves, they will sense that too.
Hot Tip: at every other letter around the arena, repeat the simple, yet effective breathing exercise: inhale & exhale.
It is quite cheeky to claim that the above is a Hot Tip, yet it is incredible how the human body can work so effectively most of the time, and at other times it can completely work against us. Involuntary actions such as breathing should come at no effort, but it is wise to spend the first five to ten minutes of your ride voluntarily focusing on them. In return, you will create a learned behaviour that will eventually become effortless. Funny how so many of these horse terms and training techniques are
actually in place for us to work on ourselves 😉
Take your time throughout the process. Some days you will find that it is easier to work through barriers in your training, and other days you will face more resistance. We cannot forget that these animals do not understand the stresses of work, family and general life that we carry. There is no difference if your goals are highly competitive or you are just in it for the joy of riding, horses have no concept of where you are at in your target trajectory. Do your best to leave your problems in the trunk of your vehicle when you arrive at the barn and enjoy the journey with your dance partner.
Be sure to praise your horse, yourself & smile because after all, this is supposed to be fun, right?
For any questions or comments that have arisen during your reading, please do not hesitate to contact me.