In horseback riding, our minds play a significant role in shaping our experiences, from moments of tension and fear to those of calmness and joy. One day, I had just got on my horse, and I can feel the tail swishing and her back tense. There was a sense of electric energy, a feeling of sitting on a powder keg. Get ready, you know it is coming. Just writing that made my heart race and my palms sweat. Our minds are so powerful. I am sitting on the couch, writing this blog for all of you and I caused my heart rate to increase and my palms to get sweaty, just with those thoughts.
Now, what about that ride through the bridle trails to the park. It was a beautiful day filled with spring flowers, the little bubbling creek alongside the park, the birds singing, the rhythm of the horse's feet and just a beautiful ride. Just writing this, sitting on the couch has my breathing slowing, my body relaxing, the tension flowing out.
Our minds are powerful, for the good or for the bad. The good news is, we can work through our fears to some degree sitting in our home.
There are a few different types of minds though and it is important to see which one you are so you can create relaxation techniques that fit for you.
- Visual people - These are the people that really can see things easily in pictures in their mind. This is me, but this is not everyone. If you are one of these people, visualization is a great technique for you. Visualize what you want to see, what the view is like while you ride, all the sites that will be on your rides, see that picture and put it into a calm beautiful picture.
- Auditory people - These are the people that know things, hear things, are very mind focused. For you, create the sounds that you would want to hear in a meditation format. Hear the birds, the horse's footfall, the rustle of the leather, the breathing and all the sounds that are around you while you ride.
- Kinesthetic people - These are the people that feel things. Create a meditation where you feel the mane, feel the movement of the horse, feel the light breeze on your face, feel the movement in your body as you are in rhythm of the horse. Feel how great you feel relaxing into a nice ride.
It took me a long time to realize that not everyone is visual! I think most of us can include all three of these into our ideal ride, sitting on the couch until we feel really good but try and use your primary one the most. Once you have this relaxation really good, practice it while you are riding! You will be refreshed, and your horse will feel it too.
I talk more about how to become the eye of the storm or the storm when you need it in my latest podcast: Episode 8: Mindset Mastery
For those of you that would like a little more support with getting over riding fear and anxiety, join my free support group here: Equine Courage Community
I have tall horses, all three are 16'2 hands. I am not so tall, 5'3. I have to admit, when I go to saddle up, planning on using my nice western saddle, I almost alway switch to the lighter western saddle or my english saddle because they are lighter. Like many of you, as we get older, we can lose strength, flexibility, and balance.
I believe we were made to be healthy, even as we live more and more years so I made it my mission to figure this out.
We can do a few things before we go to ride to help us out!
Stretching - this is so important so that we don't get hurt. If we are tight and inflammed, we are more prone to get hurt with soft tissue injuries and if we have to deal with an incident, it makes it even harder to contort if necessary, like when my mare swung to bite my other horse and I was between them. I was able to duck and twist and she just got the back of my sweatshirt on my arm. Here are some of my favorites and why I like them:
1. Quadriceps Stretch: Riding can tighten the quadriceps, leading to discomfort and restricted movement. Stretching this muscle group promotes flexibility and eases tension in the thighs.
2. Calf Stretch: Flexible calf muscles support proper leg position and aid in maintaining balance while riding, reducing the risk of cramps and improving overall comfort.
3. Side Stretch: Loosening the muscles along the sides of the body enhances flexibility, allowing riders to move more freely in the saddle and maintain better posture.
4. Lower Back Stretch: Stretching the lower back helps alleviate tension and discomfort caused by prolonged sitting in the saddle, promoting a more comfortable and enjoyable riding experience.
5. Shoulder Stretch: Flexible shoulders facilitate better rein control and upper body movement, enhancing communication with the horse and improving overall riding performance.
6. Neck Stretch: Releasing tension in the neck and shoulders improves comfort and range of motion, making it easier to maintain proper alignment and focus during riding activities.
I combine this with flexibility and balance which I talk about in my most recent podcast you can find here: Episode 7: 3 Exercises Before Riding
For those of you that would like a little more support with getting over riding fear and anxiety, join my free support group here: Equine Courage Community
My horses have been plagued with issues and we have had MUD, lots of mud. That means time off for The Bay Girls. Sigh. I have used the time to play with umbrellas, work on low stress movement and relaxation for them, but it is just to slippery to ride. Although they do still race the pasture with my cringing the whole time. Have you had a break from riding and want some help getting back. I am planning on riding again this spring so I put together my plan to get there.
Here are the last 3 key steps in my plan:
4. Listen to your horse. Really get in touch with your horse and have conversations with them. Are they nervous, help them. Are they feeling really good, up the ground play and make it a little more challenging. Really get in tune with their body language and how you can affect them with your feelings. If you come to them with all the stress of your day, how do they react? If you are peaceful, are they different. This will help when you start riding to really be in tune and used to listening to them.
5. Be consistent. Not only with the time you are building them up to get them ready to ride, but also with your cues for everything. You are always training your horse, either to do what you want or to do what you don't want. This was a hard one for me. I was moving out of my horses space, slightly. And it didn't take long before she actually walked into me. I realized that I was moving away when I needed to be leader and hold my position energitally. My horses are so much happier when I am consistent in my movements, my emotions, the way I act around them, and my cues.
6. Get proffessional help if you have any doubts. Don't be afraid to ask for help. There is so much available to us now with the internet, that even out in the middle of nowhere, we can get help. I follow several training programs from hoof trimming to ground play and riding. It really helps.
I am happy with my plan and have started working through it. I have a support community that is doing Spring Bingo, getting ready for riding this spring together and we are having so much fun. If this sounds like something you might like, would love to have you join us! Spring Bingo here!
My horses have been plagued with issues and we have had MUD, lots of mud. That means time off for The Bay Girls. Sigh. I have used the time to play with umbrellas, work on low stress movement and relaxation for them, but it is just to slippery to ride. Although they do still race the pasture with my cringing the whole time. Have you had a break from riding and want some help getting back. I am planning on riding again this spring so I put together my plan to get there.
Here are the first 3 key steps in my plan:
1. Healthy horse. I trim my own horses feet so that is the first priority. It is hard to trim when they are slipping and sliding in the mud so they feet have been a little long. It hasn't been too bad since they grow a lot less hoof in winter. I also know that they need to build up some muscle to get ready for riding and I have been doing a lot of in hand play and planning on doing a lot more. This also helps as I adjust their feet to get their muscles and flexibility adjusted as well.
2. Hiking and/or walking with the horses. I have great hills for taking them for walks. This also helps ME get in shape for riding again, imagine that..... While hiking, I love to do some backing up hills. The key here is making sure they stay straight and start out really slow, I mean like a snail slow. This is hard for them but great for building up their muscles. Make sure you are walking up the hill backward with them and you will see what I mean. Also go over any and all fallen logs, branches, etc that is safe to go over. (Watch for SNAKES!)
3. Do lots of grooming and really use that time to massage them, find any spots that need some more in depth focus. I also love to take this time and remind them of moving off where my leg goes. I make sure they are relaxed in their flank and not tense. Grooming is a great time to observe their attitude and make adjustments to keep them happy.
While you wait for the next three steps tomorrow, join my support community that is doing Spring Bingo, getting ready for riding this spring together and we are having so much fun. If this sounds like something you might like, would love to have you join us! Spring Bingo here!
When I was young, I couldn't wait to be older! I loved riding as a kid and would go anywhere and do anything. As an adult, I have enjoyed so many hours of riding. Jumping and competing are by far my favorite but there is a lot of stress built in to that. I recently heard a quote from an eventing superstar (sorry, I don't remember which one, and I am paraphrasing), being asked about when do you get to the level the nerves stop. His answer was - they don't ever stop. You say thank you for keeping me safe, get on and go enjoy your ride, knowing that the nerves mean well but they don't bring you the joy, the riding does.
I also know that the feelings of excitement, when you get to do something really fun, feel almost identical to the butterflies of nerves. When I learned this, it was life changing. Why not shift the meaning I put behind the butterflies to excitement instead of nerves? It is my choice, right?
We have so many opportunities to enjoy life and we have to grab onto those opportunities and embrace them. Riders have the added benefit that riding fills us up with not only great feelings, but we can go into these amazing golden years filling up with empowerment! We are so much wiser than we were as kids and I know I must have almost killed my horses at least a hundred times and I know better now.
One of the keys to riding with confidence after 50 is embracing the wisdom that comes with our age! Over the years, we accumulate a wealth of knowledge and experience that improves our riding and enhances our understanding of horses. By drawing on this wisdom, we can approach riding with a greater sense of confidence and self-assurance, knowing that we have the skills and expertise to handle whatever challenges may arise. We have more finese and knowledge to do things better for our horses. As a community, riders have taken leaps and bounds in knowledge of our horses and their welfare just in the last 10 years. We have evolved!
The second key is that riding keeps us physically healthy. It helps our flexibility, strength, and balance if we focus on it while we ride. That is beautiful to age with grace and I know I feel younger and younger as I get to ride more.
The third key is that we have a huge horse friend community, whether in person or online. We have a support system that is world wide. We can even take lessons from trainers around the world if we want.
I would love to have you join our small support group! It is for everyone. We are either getting over fear or cheering on the rest of us and would love to have you! Join group here!
