Back to Basics
tight places. “Talk” to that area with
your cue words. For example, say
out loud, “Neck--Let go.” Wrists--
Leg go.” “Legs--Let go.”
6. Now, let’s talk about breathing.
Normally, when you’re tense, your
respiration becomes more rapid
and shallow. You might even find
that you occasionally hold your
breath. You can be sure that if you
do this, you’ll transmit your tension
to your horse.
So, practice deep breathing.
As you inhale through your
nose, keep your shoulders
down and let your stom-
ach get “fat”. As you exhale
through your mouth, feel
your seat lowering into the
saddle so that you “dissolve”
into your horse’s body. Con-
sciously breathe like this when
you first get on, during every
break, and as you go around
the outside of the arena. In
fact, one of your performance
goals can be to take a deep
breath in every corner.
fists together. Then when you feel
tense at shows, you can use your
cue to slow your heart rate because
you’ve trained yourself to do so.
You’re not alone. Everyone gets
tense when competing. Contrary to
popular opinion, professionals are
not immune to sweaty palms and
rubbery legs. But the exciting thing
is that you can learn to deal with
your anxiety so that you can still do
your job well and enjoy yourself.
All it takes is some handy tools in
your toolbox.
Are you sick and tired of complicated
and confusing training techniques? Are you
frustrated by negative emotions like fear
and lack of confidence? Would you like to
be trained by a Three Time Olympic Coach?
Learn how by going to: http://janesavoie.
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7. You can also train your-
self to regulate your heart rate
by using the stress and recov-
ery cycle that occurs during
exercise. Go for a twenty-min-
ute walk and periodically in-
crease your heart rate by walk-
ing faster or even jogging for
10-30 seconds. Each time you
slow back down to a comfort-
able walk and feel your heart
rate and breathing returning
to normal, anchor this feeling
with a specific cue. Pick a cue
that you can use easily when
you ride. For example, clear
your throat, touch your thumb
to your forefinger, or tap your
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