Strides for Success

Tag: clarity

  • Creating Planned Responses In Your Riding (rather than messy reactions!)

    Creating Planned Responses In Your Riding (rather than messy reactions!)

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    Do you have days where, after you get home, sit down, and think over the day’s events, you think to yourself “Why did I react like that?!”?  I know I do, even now.  I find that if I allow my emotions to run things, the chances of everything turning out exactly as I would have two chances. Slim and none!  This is why I began, a few years ago now, creating planned responses in my riding.

    Simply put, I began thinking about what ‘could’ or ‘might’ happen… And how the ‘best version’ of me would respond in the moment to the situation. 

    Being able to think about what I would like any outcome to be and then plan, in advance, the best response to achieve this changed everything. It meant that I didn’t have to necessarily change ‘me’, I can still have the same emotional response.  However, I also know what actions I want to take in order to deal with the situation.

    Make a List of Planned Responses

    I began by creating a list of things that, when they did happen, often ‘triggered’ me to react differently than I would have liked at the moment.  For riders, this list might include things like ‘my horse begins to act up and dance around’.  Or it may be something like ‘my horse begins to gain speed and momentum in the canter’.

    Literally, begin by thinking about a few ‘unpleasant’ things you have already experienced with your horse, or you have seen other people experience, that did not turn out well.

    I think that it is important to include things that are not actually caused by or related to your horse.  Like the wind, or other horses’ behavior.  Other considerations might include being on the ground… I had a little person years ago that seemed to have a knack for putting her toes under the pony’s hooves! Ouch!  While she initially would scream, shout (all understandably enough), and carry on, pinned under the pony and waiting for help, we began to change that.

    Approaching the topic at times when she was relaxed and calm, I would ask her what she thinks she could do to have a better outcome…

    Now, obviously, keeping her toes out of the way of the hooves was top of the list ;).  However, we also discussed the possibility that, even with the most cautious of intentions, the pony did the unthinkable and stepped on her feet.

    And that was key to her beginning to choose better responses – approaching the topic when everyone was calm and relaxed. 

    Letting Your ‘Best Self’ Guide You

    For most of us, when we find ourselves knee-deep in a situation we don’t feel comfortable with, self-awareness can seem difficult to practice!  This is why I strongly suggest thinking about all of these things BEFORE they happen. Create planned responses. Obviously, you cannot account for everything.

    Start with your most recent or memorable (usually for the wrong reasons) experiences. What do you wish you had done differently in the moment. Then, figure out why…

    Begin thinking about a ‘best case scenario’ if that were to happen again. Or if you could ‘do-over’ that day.  What could you have changed about how you prepared, or how you responded, that might have changed the outcome?  Even if that change was just that you felt better afterward.

    Thinking about someone whom you know would have successfully handled the situation and noticing the actions they took may help if you’re feeling stuck. 

    The key is to do this when you are feeling good, calm, and focused.  See this as an investment in your future self.  You are ‘safe proofing’ your responses in stressful situations going forward.  Allow the calm, level-headed version of you to lead the way with regards to how you would like to respond next time around.

    Responding Versus Reacting

    Once you have a clearer vision for how you would like to respond, the trick becomes putting that into action!  Easier said than done!  I find that one of the best ways to do this is to begin to notice as soon as possible when you choose a different response to the one you wanted.  Initially, this may only happen after the fact.  However, the more you practice this, the better you will become at self-awareness.

    I find that I can begin to move the awareness closer to the actual event that triggered me each time.  Until eventually, I have awareness at the moment of the event – and can choose a different response.

    Even if you are seconds or minutes into your usual reaction, when you do notice yourself – change your actions immediately. Begin your ‘planned response’ instead.

    The more consistent you can become with this in your riding, the better you can show up as a rider. And, from there, the more consistent you can be with your responses on a day-to-day basis.

    Having consistency in your planned responses, and them being in alignment with your vision of yourself as a rider, builds confidence. 

    It will build your own confidence in your own abilities.  But also, your horse’s confidence in your abilities as well.  That will, over time, deepen the partnership. And maybe, you will find yourself in space someday soon, where you no longer need your ‘planned responses’…

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

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  • Riding Alone; How To Keep Moving Forward

    Riding Alone; How To Keep Moving Forward

    Riding Alone - How to Keep Moving Forward

    Riding alone – does this best describe you and your horse when schooling and working?  If so, I understand how it can sometimes leave you feeling like you are trying to piece together a difficult jigsaw puzzle – with no ‘picture’ to help guide you!  Things not quite fitting together how you would like them to.

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    You’re not alone.  Equestrians who are riding alone often find themselves struggling with:

        • a lack of motivation
        • not knowing if challenges are caused by horse or rider error
        • a lack of accuracy & consistency
        • no accountability (“I’m just too tired to ride today”, anyone?!)
        • riding the same 30 minutes for the last three years…
        • the temptation to jump from A to B (without doing all the required work in between)

    It can be disheartening, especially as you probably were initially so excited about riding alone and working your horse by yourself.

    However, if you are struggling – there are definitely ways that you can start, today, overcoming those challenges.  So before you give up, which is the unfortunate end result for many of the thousands and thousands of riders out there riding alone, I want to give you a few ideas today on how you can turn your situation around.

    How you can make riding enjoyable, pleasurable, interesting, and, well, fun again for you and your horse.

    1.  Regular Inspiration

    Now, this seems a little obvious, but a lack of motivation can often be overcome by tapping into some really small, but potent, inspiration.   What is it that really gets you excited about horses and riding?

    For some people, this can be a simple as doing something different, such as getting out of the arena.  However, I am willing to bet that you have already wrung every drop of inspiration out of riding somewhere new – meaning a different approach is needed.

    Different mediums work for different people, so find what works for you and then make time in your schedule to tap into that source or feeling regularly.

    And remember, motivation will wear off, so it needs to be repeated on a regular basis to be effective.

    2. You or Your Horse?

    This one can be tough and confusing to try to figure out.  You find yourself riding alone and trying to work through a specific movement, or master a particular principle.  Over and over and over again you try, but it is just not coming together or happening.

    If you had a pair of eyes on the ground to guide you alone, the ‘course correcting’ would be much easier, but you don’t.  It is just you and your horse – and this problem!

    There are two ways you can deal with this challenge and I would suggest trying both, together, in order to really gain some insights on what is going wrong and why.

          • Start a riding journal
          • Take regular videos of your riding for comparison purposes

    The riding journal can be initially a little time-consuming and bothersome.  However, if you can capture a few details after every ride you will find that it becomes one of your greatest resources in identifying patterns.   I have a full detailed blog post on this HERE

    A riding journal will also help you pinpoint the cause, as opposed to treating the symptom. 

    With the videos, I have written a full blog post on this and how to implement it in your riding HERE

    3. Increasing Your Accuracy & Consistency

    This is actually one of the easiest pieces of the riding alone puzzle to begin putting together.  There will be a little work up front, but overall it will be something that can be put onto ‘auto-pilot’ pretty quickly in your riding.

          • Install ‘markers’ around your arena or riding space
          • Identify potential ‘markers’ if working outside the arena

    Now, many riders think that they have to get the expensive markers, or they feel that they must have an actual arena.  But ‘markers’ can be as basic as a large rock or a tyre and as sophisticated as professional dressage markers.

    And regardless of where you ride, this is something you can make work for you.  You can even go so far as to use trees, electricity poles or (yes, I am Irish, so don’t judge me here) potholes in the road as your markers!!

    What is important is that there is something or somethings that don’t move and you must ride past.  Then begin planning your transitions, your halts, your bends, your circles, your school movements, your leg yielding, your lengthening, your shortening (the list is endless) at those markers.

    Accuracy happens when you can do what you want to do at the exact point you want to do it. This is when your body passes the marker, not your horse’s head or tail.  You.  

    Now, you can also use these markers to improve consistency by creating little challenges for yourself.  “Every time I pass a marker, I will half halt and rebalance”.  Simple, yet effective.

    Implementing Change to Move Forward

    So there you have it.  We have covered the first three challenges on our original list and I really hope that you get some ideas here on how to move things forward.

    You can also download a free plan HERE to show you how to use One Exercise Mulitple Ways

    In there I will show you how you can begin mapping out some work for your riding.  There will be an actual plan you can use.  I will also be showing you how you can begin adding more outside accountability into your riding and how you can get out of frustration and move into clarity when riding alone.

    Happy Riding

    Lorna

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