In a sport environment, the consequences of jealousy can be quite costly. Every time you have a jealous thought, you are breaking your focus; you are giving away energy to another competitor and thereby strengthening their advantage. That doesn’t sound like a good idea, does it?
You need that dream picture, that vision in your mind to fuel your training. It inspires you to stretch yourself that much further, to grind through those days when you would much rather be anywhere else than the training ring.
We all love that feeling of strength in our bodies, and the increased energy it brings. The only problem is getting there; we want it now. It’s the same thing with mental fitness, it sounds great, but it seems like such an uphill climb. If you want a jump start, try the following five-week program.
Registered Psychologist - One core thing all mentally resilient riders share is a very particular perspective on adversity. They are more likely to think of difficult circumstances in terms of opportunity. If the same error keeps reoccurring in training, this kind of rider might think: “I love puzzles, and once I figure this out I’m going to be that much further ahead.”
You are in desperate need of a mind makeover. Identify the parts that aren’t working and get some productive chatter going. With a little work it can be just as doable as putting together an immaculate turnout.
Perhaps the most important component of goal setting success is intention. Deciding on a goal is determining your destination, but intention is about focusing your mind on your path. It is your intention that ultimately creates the energy that moves you forward.
You’ve got the championship, the horse you always wanted, moved up a division, or mastered a high level skill. You feel as though nothing will ever hold you back again because you, the winner, are in complete command. Now what?
What’s the Antidote? We are inundated with images and stories of shaming these days. Some are humorous, some very hurtful. Shaming is attempting to make someone feel pain and remorse for something they have done – or worse yet, for just being themselves. Shaming and blaming are close cousins.
Researchers at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, MA, and at Washburn University in Topeka, KS, recently completed a study funded by the Horses and Humans Research Foundation to investigate the effectiveness of equine facilitated psychotherapy (EFP) in the treatment of posttraumatic stress symptoms in children and teens.
Many horses have some level of separation anxiety. If the anxiety is mild, it may only be annoying or a minor inconvenience. But, if your horse is so herd-bound that her behaviour makes you feel anxious, it may be endangering your and your horse’s safety.
