Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Success in shows can often be determined by a rider's confidence, as highlighted by the 'S.A.F.E' (State, Affirmation, Focus and Exhale) solution, devised by performance consultant Martin Murphy, writes Helen Blake.
State: It is important that you are in the right emotional state before you go near your horse, as it's your state of mind that sets the scene for the day's riding.
Suggestions to get into peak performance are exercise - physical exercise!
Apparently fear and performance tension are basically the same thing, but after exercise, your 'headmind' (tasked with decisions about what to do) thinks more optimistically when trying to work out feelings.
Affirmation: Many people advocate affirmations in all aspects of life - repeat out loud words like calm and confident, fit, healthy, beautiful and 'power words' such as powerful, strong or simply, yes. These used in conjunction with your anchor word is an effective way of boosting confidence.
Focus: Tune into what you do want, not on what you don't want. Visualise how you want the ride or round or competition to go, or even the lesson, and think about what you want to achieve.
Apparently, when people are asked what they want to achieve, they will often list all the problems they no longer want.
Exhale: When riders are anxious, breathing becomes shallow and they start using only the top of the lungs.
Exhaling fully, in a conscious way, has a calming effect on the body, so some real deep breathing is the order of the day.
So, before going near your horse, think about S.A.F.E. Your horse looks to you, you are his mentor, and if you are confident and happy so will he be, making for perfect partnerships.
helen2blake@hotmail.com
It's the same on the golf course, see Martin's tip on Page 30.
