Psychology

The Power of Intention

Updated:

March 21, 2018

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.

What to do When You've Met Your Goals

Updated:

March 21, 2018

meeting horse riding goals, achieving horse riding goals, horse riding maintenance plan, horse rider psychology

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?

Confidence: Get it - Keep it!

Updated:

March 21, 2018

horse rider psychology, confident horse rider, horse rider confidence

Riders all too often give up on their “confidence” with the first failure. They think, “Well, that didn’t work. Thinking positively just doesn’t work.” Sure it works, but it’s not magic. The good news? Confidence is yours to have and to keep if you develop it and take care of it properly.

Dealing With Jealousy

Updated:

March 21, 2018

horse riding jealousy, overcoming horse rider jealousy, horse rider psychology

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?

Horse Shaming

Updated:

February 4, 2016

Horse Shaming, april clay, horse rider psychology, equine psychology, horse psychology

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.

Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy and Post-Traumatic Stress in Youth

Updated:

October 30, 2015

Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy, horse therapy, equine therapy, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, HorsesandHumans

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.

How to Help Horses With Separation Anxiety

Updated:

February 11, 2015

building trust with your horse, horse trust, equine trust, anne gage

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.

Exposing Kids with ASD to Horses

Updated:

October 23, 2014

Michael Cameron, ASD Horses, Kids with ASD, autism horses, disabled children horses, autism physical activity

A recent study published in the Autism Research and Treatment Journal showed that children with autism are far less physically active than their non-spectrum peers, although just as physically capable. This finding suggests that children with ASD simply need more exposure to opportunities to engage in physical activity, which all children need in order to set a foundation for a healthy life.

HorseWise: Getting Back on the Horse After a Fall

Updated:

September 24, 2014

By Lindsay Grice - Falling off hurts! It can shake a rider’s confidence so much that many choose to abandon riding altogether, and it can scare their horse, too.

The Psychology of Performance Horses

Updated:

August 18, 2014

optimal horse fitness, horse peak performance, equine athletes, Dr. Sebastian McBride, understanding horse temperament, horse temperament testing, horse care, Psychological Factors Affecting Equine Performance, temperament of a young horse, Psychology of Performance Horses, Margaret Evans

It is common knowledge that a horse must achieve optimal physical fitness in order to deliver a peak performance, but what kind of impact does psychological condition have on equine performance? In a competition environment, equine athletes in any discipline may show symptoms of stress, but to what degree does the expression of that stress affect the quality of a jumping round, dressage test, reining pattern, etc.?