trainer’s POINT OF VIEW
Improve your Performance with Sports Psychology By Doug Payne
W
hat separates equestrians from other athletes is the emphasis on the partnership between horse and rider. The equestrian, like other
athletes, is not only undergoing physical training and mental preparation, she is simultaneously building and molding the physical and psychological components of her horse. When you consider the unpredictable behavior inherent in animals, certainly the fear/flight instinct in horses, along with unexpected occurrences in the environment, you may understand why sports psychology might enhance equestrian performance. For any performance rider, whether
it’s dressage, hunter/jumpers, polo or eventing, she devotes attention to detail and expands limitless energy and discipline toward her sport. Have you ever watched an equestrian event, and thought, “Wow that’s such a nice horse, it must be nice to get to ride such a talented animal. If only I had the money and luck to find such a horse, I could do just as well.”? I believe “great horses are made, not born.” Financial backing will open up the possibilities with regards to finding and purchasing the ‘right’ horse. But without proper training, that ‘right’ horse will soon be the ‘wrong’ one. Likewise, great riders are made, not born. In addition, as a rider, every time you ride your horse,
you are training him. His good or bad behaviors are being changed. The goal in training is to produce a reliable performer. Your horse is not going to train itself; the reins are in your hands; you can make it happen! The first step involves attitude. That is the essence of sports psychology, whether you are playing tennis, swimming or driving race cars. The obvious difference is that equestrians are working with a large animal which reacts to the environment and is affected by everything the rider does. In addition, the horse affects the rider. I am going to present two sets of training tips. The
first group describes the necessary attitude to adopt in responding to your horse for successful outcomes in training. The second set focuses solely on the rider’s mental preparation.
Above: Doug and Running Order at Boekelo, The Netherlands.
PERFORMANCE STEPS FOR YOUR HORSE 1. Accept Fate. Things can happen that are out of your control. These setbacks are not your fault and they aren’t your horse’s fault either. That deer will jump out of the woods in front of you, the horse is going to get scared and you might fall
off...get back on! I was in a dressage ring a few years back, and a ream of paper took flight and attacked my horse. Frustrating? Of course, but I couldn’t blame my horse for spooking and becoming upset. It’s going to happen, so move on. As a proficient rider, your goal should be to minimize the effect the event had on your horse’s confidence and trust. This will only happen if you react in a calm, confident fashion. Animals will always be set at ease if you show them the way. Reassure
them, but don’t dwell on the event. Quickly move on as if nothing has happened, put them to work, give them a task which will require their attention. They will soon forget that they were attacked; it might take a while the first time around, but soon enough your recovery period will diminish to a point where the spook will become nothing more than a blip in a stride rather than the unraveling of your ride. If you’re looking to train a predictable horse, you have to be as consistent as possible. 2. “Keep it simple, Stupid.” You’re the smart one in
the relationship, right? I sure hope so! I find that people often over-think problems they encounter. Remember, as much as we’d like to ascribe human traits to horses, they are simple creatures. Everything you do needs to be a logical, sequential set of exercises that arrives at your ultimate goal. 3. Raise your expectations. It’s very easy to come up with 10,000 reasons why your horse isn’t performing to his potential. About 9,997 of those excuses are just that, excuses without solid backing. You have to treat your horse like the horse you want him to be. Ninety-nine percent of horses are born to please. They want to do things right, and they want to please. Make it possible
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