in her more-difficult canter flat class, executing her skills solidly.


Emma, a youth rider mov- ing up to Maiden Riders Division, wasn’t as relaxed and solid as she needed to be in her first rounds. Her horse refused a fence, and rushed a few others, due to Emma’s nervousness on the more challenging course. Her trainer zeroed in on her two-point position, (the position a rider takes when going over a fence) and told Emma that she was not getting into two-point which was affecting her jumping. Before her last class, Emma and I tapped two rounds specifically on her two-point position; in her last class, her two-point position was solid and


her jumps were clean. She won Reserve Champion for the division, and the judge specifically complimented her two- point position in the last round.


Helen, an adult beginning rider riding in her first show, placed last in her first class, struggling with an understand- able case of nerves. To add to Helen’s challenges at her first show, she is from Russia and has only been in the US a short time. Her inexperience on horseback, language barriers, and show nerves gave her a lot to overcome. Between her first and second round she used her EFT skills, conquered her nerves, and finished 3d in the most challenging class of her division, the ridden pattern equitation class.


The judge’s comment to the trainer/instructor on these riders: “All of your students’ rides got better as they went along.” This is significant because riders and/or horses often become tired as the show goes on. Either the rider or the horse, or both, are likely to become less organized and less focused toward the end of the day than they were at the beginning. To see a consistent pattern of improvement among a group of riders of different ages is rare, and a significant outcome.


The trainer commented that EFT kept all her riders focused.


Each of the EFT rounds used during the show was done in less than five minutes, while the riders were mounted. The riders had fun using their tapping skills!


There are several significant takeaways for amateur com- petition from this example:


EFT was taught mechanically, and applied only to execut- ing specific skills


We did not work on any emotional issues, and we narrowly defined our desired outcomes: “Keeping Blue on the rail”, or “Improving my two-point”


At the show, we kept the rounds short and we kept them fun


Their trainer/instructor reinforced this tool, tapping with them or asking me to do so, and encouraging them to tap with each other. This helps give it credibility to the rider, who can then use it openly and with the assistance of team- mates as part of her tool-kit


Although the riders themselves knew they improved, the results and judge’s comments also provided an objective measure of how the EFT had helped


An added bonus for riders is that horses look for coher- ence in humans; that is, when biological systems such as brainwaves and heart rhythms become regular and synchronized. This gives a focused and relaxed energy that the horse, a prey animal expert at picking up on energy states, responds to. The horse can then also relax and access its own skills, and the team of horse and rider reinforces one another positively.


Thus, the use of EFT with easily-quantifiable goals and a focus on relaxation and skill-execution helps both horse and rider.


These results can be generalized to any sport or hobby. For amateur competitors, the relaxing and focusing aspects of EFT may be all they need to allow them to access the skills they have practiced at home and accom- plish their goals.


Article by Ange Dickson Finn, an AAMET-certi- fied Level 2 EFT Prac- titioner. She is based in the Houston, Texas, USA, and works with clients over the phone and via Skype. Ange has helped clients with issues including physical pain, health and well-being, work-related stress, equestrian sports and relationships.


Visit her on the web at www.TapIntoYourself.com or www.RideWithoutFear.com. Contact her via email at ange@tapintoyourself.com.


AAMET LIFE AUTUMN 2012 www.aamet.org 39


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