Show season brings with it the excitement of preparing our horses to compete.
Unfortunately for many of us, driving well in public is an elusive task. At home, our equine companion is doing great, but at a show we get tense. The horse misbehaves or loses flexibility and our performance is far from what we could achieve. Instead of fun, the competition turns into a frustrating disappointment.
show anxiety
Nerves made me impossible to bear even a week before the event: I was yelling at everyone! The day of the show, when I entered the ring, I panicked and said to myself “it’s no use, I’ll screw it up, let’s get this over with.” With the predictable result of me taking down jumps, getting multiple cross-country refusals, or failing to get gallop shots in my dressage trials. I had no faith in myself, which was ridiculous, because physically my horse and I had prepared properly and we should have done well.
Sounds familiar?
Address the mental side
Until he solved the mental part of the sports equation, he would never compete to the best of his ability.
Desperate, I visited a hypnotist. He taught me the following simple, yet effective method for overcoming my self-destructive behavior. Once I used his techniques, my performance in the show improved tremendously and as a result, so did my confidence. I started to win.
De-stress for success
Sit in a comfortable and quiet place where no one will disturb you for at least twenty minutes.
Close your eyes and very slowly start counting backwards from 10. After the word “ten”, inhale deeply and then exhale as long as you can, concentrating on each breath. Then say ‘nine’ and breathe in and out again deeply. Keep your eyes closed and relax your whole body: head, neck, shoulders, back, legs, ankles, toes…
You will find yourself slipping into that no man’s land between waking and sleeping and once you complete the countdown, you will focus within.
Record your perfect movie
In this state of total relaxation, imagine your show day. Review each action in detail. Start by waking up, getting dressed, preparing your horse for the trip, loading and transporting it. Visualize that everything is going well: your horse is relaxed, charging on the first try, there is no traffic, and your radio is playing relaxing music (I find classical tunes ideal). Upon arrival you will find a large parking spot.
In his mind, he is now saddling his horse, then mounting it and heading to the warm-up arena. Are you getting nervous? Take another deep breath. Imagine that you both look fabulous – your horse performs brilliantly. Allow yourself to see the shocked looks on other cyclists’ faces as you ride past them. Yes, it’s you they’re looking at!
An Oscar-worthy production
You are now ‘on deck’, calmly petting your horse while you wait to wow the judges and spectators.
Imagine a grand entrance, after which you and your horse excel in every move as you perform your dressage test, jump or whatever applies to your particular discipline. It’s important to see and feel that every part of your performance happens exactly how you want it to.
And here you are now, leaving the ring after an impressive show. You pet your horse enthusiastically, a big smile on your face.
Now you will ‘wake up’ with more confidence.
Rewind and play again
Repeat this process many times before the show.
If you’re really anxious, get into a class below the level you ride at home until you feel comfortable at shows. Combining that with this exercise will give you the best chance of success.
Soon, just visualizing your excellent performance, rather than the entire day, will be enough to reinforce the positive images in your brain and ensure a great competition experience.
