The trick to building confidence for important horse shows is maintaining as much of a normal routine as possible. Develop a comforting routine to perform at your best with advice from a sport psychologist in this video on horseback riding techniques.
Hi I'm Tonya Johnston. I'm a Sport Psychology Consultant. It's my job to help riders be psychologically prepared and mentally tough. In this segment we're going to talk about riding well at the most important shows of the year. When you go to a horse show that's really important to you, it's important to, as much as possible, bring with you your regular routine. This is something that might need to be adjusted based on schedule or the organization of the show, or demands that are outside of your control. But the goal is to control the controllables. What things can you bring with you, for example, that would help you feel more comfortable. As far as your personal preparation routine, are there certain foods you like to eat for breakfast? Are there certain things you like to drink, bringing your music with you. These kinds of things can help you feel comfortable and more prepared in a regular way so that the important show doesn't become a distraction to you, as far as getting ready and getting in the ring. Another major point in helping you feel comfortable and confident at an important show is recognizing what things are exactly the same at the venue, that you're at whether it's a championship or a medal final, what is the same about that ring and those demands of that class as a regular horse show, so that you don't feel, oh this is a special place, I have to be extra special perfect or there are all these new and different demands. The jumps are the same height, they're the same shape. Some of the questions or tests being asked are going to be identical to things you've been doing at other horse shows and certainly that you've been doing at home. A nice illustration of this is a movie called "Hoosiers" where a small high school basketball team makes it to the state finals. As they walk in the auditorium they are awe struck. It is big. It's beautiful. They're in a big city. The coach has them measure the floor. They measure the length, the width, the height of the basket and slowly they start to recognize hey this is just a basketball court, the same kind of court we practice all the time and we're here to play basketball. It really helps take away the distraction of being at a big and special place. Another thing you can do to help yourself feel confident at the big show is to brainstorm solutions to some of the more challenging aspects of time management when you're there. You may have a class that starts very early in the morning and your horse likes to get out and be hacked for a long time. So you adjust your time schedule to make sure that you and your horse feel comfortable and feel ready to compete but by brainstorming this and talking with your trainer and coming up with ideas before you get there, you feel like you're on the ball as soon as you get to the show. As much as possible, being prepared ahead of time will help you feel confident when you're there. There are lots of people who want to do well at the important shows. It's the winners who concentrate on getting themselves comfortable and confident before they start.
Specialty: Sports Psychology
