- We Help Equine Businesses
Ali Abdulaziz Al-Hammadi
Ali Abdulaziz Al-Hammadi - Qatar
Keeping Your Mind on Show Day
There are lots of books written on sports psychology and mind control. I am just beginning to read more about the subject and I`ll pass on some "good reads" advice when I find it. The information that I am about to write is gathered from personal experience and wise advice from fellow competitors along the way. Being a competitive Rider and a Coach at each show, has been a double whammy for me, especially in the 2003 season. I can`t think of another sport that requires you to be both top competitor and top coach all at the same time. Finding balance is key, but not losing my mind proved even more important. Here`s my advice on how to keep your mind with you at the show.
Cut Yourself Some Slack - You are ready, as ready as you are right now in your progress. You deserve to compete, you`ve worked hard, you belong here. You want to learn what the show experience will teach you. You know what your strengths are, you know what your weakness are. You need to try. You will be the best that you are right now. You will make a mistake, no question about it, so expect it but don`t let that stop you from trying. If you don`t make a mistake ... how can you learn from it? No one`s opinion is more important than your own, so be nice to yourself. Be realistic and positive.
Know What You`re Getting Into - Be as prepared as you can be. You won`t be able to know it all but spend some time getting prepared. Your coach will be a great help. Study rules, learn patterns, understand the judging system, pick out your clothes. Study your patterns, mentally run each maneuver several times before the show. Walk the pattern, spin yourself around, count to 8 at `hesitations`, etc. If you can`t learn it all, learn some ... it`s an on going experience. Talk to other competitors in your sport (but weed out the negative influences), how did they learn? Compete in the proper categories for you now .... plus 1 class higher, for the "oh my @#!$%* I`m really out of my comfort zone" experience.
Take Care of Yourself - This one is the most neglected of all !! Prepare to eat healthy ! Feed your mind often and drink plenty of water, this goes along way to helping keep your mind focused on the task at hand.
On Show Day - Comparing yourself to the other competitors in the warm up ring is just useless. This is about you and your horse and your run, and absolutely nothing else. When I`m in the warm up I am completely focused on the horse. If I want to watch other riders, you`ll find me in the stands, not on my horse.
Warm up exactly the same way that you do at home. Consider your horse the most important. Do every thing the same as you do at home so that you don`t lose your horse`s faith in you. Get into the main show ring at least once before you compete. Find your markers, get a feel for the size of your circles, test the ground for stopping and that`s all. It`ll be too crowded to focus on much else. This is not the time to try to teach your horse to spin faster or slide longer, that`s homework to be done before the next show.
Prepare for your class in plenty of time, but not too early. This is a real art and takes a few shows to get it right. In reining each run takes 5-7 minutes and check the program for lunch breaks, etc. Have a ground person to hand you water, polish your horse, hold the pattern book or what ever you need. It relieves a lot of stress to have a gopher! Go fer this and go fer that :-)
Mentally run through your pattern one more time before entering. Say it out loud to yourself, making the pattern with your hand in the air. Take a deep breath and enter the arena.
Erase any though about who`s in the audience, what so-and-so might think, "what-if" scenarios, etc. by telling your mind to focus on the first maneuver. Repeat after me -- "This is just a practice run for the next run I make!" Can you feel the pressure ease off? "This is just a practice run for the next run I make..."
Don`t freeze up! How unfair to the horse! It is your job to make this a good experience for the horse. Ride like you ride normally.
You won`t freeze up if you take it one maneuver at a time. There is no rush, no time limit, it is not a race. Prepare your horse for each maneuver and then perform it!
Good or really bad, it`s over ! Forget it! Breath, an move patiently on to the next maneuver.
Repeat above process, and breath at least once between maneuvers until all maneuvers are completed.
Walk to the judge and dismount to show the bit & bridle ... remember to keep your legs from shaking out from under you as you dismount.
Wow, what an adrenaline rush .... oohhh, that`s what we are here for! You did it! Pat yourself on the back after you pat your horse.
Don`t listen to anyone`s advice about your run, who isn`t directly showing themselves. Anyone who isn`t out there showing has no clue about what it takes to keep it all together. Pat yourself again.
Re-run, in your mind, your go and then check the judges score card to see how you did. Video tape is fabulous for this, accompany it with a copy of your maneuver scores.
The score cards are very important to Reiners, this how we know when improvements have been made. If you don`t understand the scoring and penalties, find someone to explain bits and piece of it to you.
If you had a rough go, think it out, learn from the experience and plan for the next run. After all, this was just a prep for your next run. Never be so small minded as to take your frustrations out on your horse!
Last, but not least, don`t talk negatively about judges, grounds, competitors, your horse, etc. ... I know this can be hard to curb (I`ve been there myself) but it just shows a loss of mind control.
In conclusion, I would just like to say that there is no conclusion. There is no end to this on going experience of teaching, training, learning and competing. For Reining this is a huge part of the draw to the sport. Reining - a one on one adventure towards perfection, between horse and rider, guided by a fair and impartial judging system .... does it get better than this?
Keeping Your Mind on Show Day
There are lots of books written on sports psychology and mind control. I am just beginning to read more about the subject and I`ll pass on some "good reads" advice when I find it. The information that I am about to write is gathered from personal experience and wise advice from fellow competitors along the way. Being a competitive Rider and a Coach at each show, has been a double whammy for me, especially in the 2003 season. I can`t think of another sport that requires you to be both top competitor and top coach all at the same time. Finding balance is key, but not losing my mind proved even more important. Here`s my advice on how to keep your mind with you at the show.
Cut Yourself Some Slack - You are ready, as ready as you are right now in your progress. You deserve to compete, you`ve worked hard, you belong here. You want to learn what the show experience will teach you. You know what your strengths are, you know what your weakness are. You need to try. You will be the best that you are right now. You will make a mistake, no question about it, so expect it but don`t let that stop you from trying. If you don`t make a mistake ... how can you learn from it? No one`s opinion is more important than your own, so be nice to yourself. Be realistic and positive.
Know What You`re Getting Into - Be as prepared as you can be. You won`t be able to know it all but spend some time getting prepared. Your coach will be a great help. Study rules, learn patterns, understand the judging system, pick out your clothes. Study your patterns, mentally run each maneuver several times before the show. Walk the pattern, spin yourself around, count to 8 at `hesitations`, etc. If you can`t learn it all, learn some ... it`s an on going experience. Talk to other competitors in your sport (but weed out the negative influences), how did they learn? Compete in the proper categories for you now .... plus 1 class higher, for the "oh my @#!$%* I`m really out of my comfort zone" experience.
Take Care of Yourself - This one is the most neglected of all !! Prepare to eat healthy ! Feed your mind often and drink plenty of water, this goes along way to helping keep your mind focused on the task at hand.
On Show Day - Comparing yourself to the other competitors in the warm up ring is just useless. This is about you and your horse and your run, and absolutely nothing else. When I`m in the warm up I am completely focused on the horse. If I want to watch other riders, you`ll find me in the stands, not on my horse.
Warm up exactly the same way that you do at home. Consider your horse the most important. Do every thing the same as you do at home so that you don`t lose your horse`s faith in you. Get into the main show ring at least once before you compete. Find your markers, get a feel for the size of your circles, test the ground for stopping and that`s all. It`ll be too crowded to focus on much else. This is not the time to try to teach your horse to spin faster or slide longer, that`s homework to be done before the next show.
Prepare for your class in plenty of time, but not too early. This is a real art and takes a few shows to get it right. In reining each run takes 5-7 minutes and check the program for lunch breaks, etc. Have a ground person to hand you water, polish your horse, hold the pattern book or what ever you need. It relieves a lot of stress to have a gopher! Go fer this and go fer that :-)
Mentally run through your pattern one more time before entering. Say it out loud to yourself, making the pattern with your hand in the air. Take a deep breath and enter the arena.
Erase any though about who`s in the audience, what so-and-so might think, "what-if" scenarios, etc. by telling your mind to focus on the first maneuver. Repeat after me -- "This is just a practice run for the next run I make!" Can you feel the pressure ease off? "This is just a practice run for the next run I make..."
Don`t freeze up! How unfair to the horse! It is your job to make this a good experience for the horse. Ride like you ride normally.
You won`t freeze up if you take it one maneuver at a time. There is no rush, no time limit, it is not a race. Prepare your horse for each maneuver and then perform it!
Good or really bad, it`s over ! Forget it! Breath, an move patiently on to the next maneuver.
Repeat above process, and breath at least once between maneuvers until all maneuvers are completed.
Walk to the judge and dismount to show the bit & bridle ... remember to keep your legs from shaking out from under you as you dismount.
Wow, what an adrenaline rush .... oohhh, that`s what we are here for! You did it! Pat yourself on the back after you pat your horse.
Don`t listen to anyone`s advice about your run, who isn`t directly showing themselves. Anyone who isn`t out there showing has no clue about what it takes to keep it all together. Pat yourself again.
Re-run, in your mind, your go and then check the judges score card to see how you did. Video tape is fabulous for this, accompany it with a copy of your maneuver scores.
The score cards are very important to Reiners, this how we know when improvements have been made. If you don`t understand the scoring and penalties, find someone to explain bits and piece of it to you.
If you had a rough go, think it out, learn from the experience and plan for the next run. After all, this was just a prep for your next run. Never be so small minded as to take your frustrations out on your horse!
Last, but not least, don`t talk negatively about judges, grounds, competitors, your horse, etc. ... I know this can be hard to curb (I`ve been there myself) but it just shows a loss of mind control.
In conclusion, I would just like to say that there is no conclusion. There is no end to this on going experience of teaching, training, learning and competing. For Reining this is a huge part of the draw to the sport. Reining - a one on one adventure towards perfection, between horse and rider, guided by a fair and impartial judging system .... does it get better than this?
