![Strengthen Your Mental Game](https://cdn.magzter.com/1397566326/1688122780/articles/tNxft74Re1690452907334/STRENGTHEN-YOUR-MENTAL-GAME.jpg)
My philosophy toward competition is to stay positive as much as we can because we tend to sabotage ourselves. We're hard enough on ourselves as it is. So finding good things about our riding, using mental exercises that will keep us in a positive place, and having a mental game plan are all important. It's just as key for us as riders to have a mental game plan for ourselves and our horses, as it is to have a plan for how we'll physically prepare our horses to show.
Slow It Down
Performance events such as reining and cow horse are very fast-paced. Something I've found helpful for riders in these disciplines is trying out ranch riding. The ranch riding is slowed down a gear, and you purposely want to take your time in some places. You don't want to rush.
So going into an arena to show in ranch riding, you can see how you can mentally slow down and not be in a hurry. I've found that makes you a better reiner and cow horse competitor because you learn how to be more patient, think through each maneuver, and separate the maneuvers as well.
Handle Errors
If something goes wrong, learning to mentally tell yourself 'that maneuver is done, I'm not going to dwell on the mistake we made' and being able to move on to the next one is key.
Often, an open competitor can mark two points higher on a non-pro horse than the non-pro can. Why is that? It's because when a non-pro rider performs a stop, and they have a -1 score on that stop, they start to focus more on that stop instead of planning for the next two stops.
Denne historien er fra Summer 2023-utgaven av Horse and Rider.
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Denne historien er fra Summer 2023-utgaven av Horse and Rider.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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Re-Rescued: Aslan's Story
One special gelding learns about three different types of love during his rescue journey.
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The Country's Hottest Horse Motels
Take your next trail-riding adventure to the next level by staying at one of these six horse motels across the United States.
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Outbreak! What We've Learned
Learn how disease outbreaks in recent years have changed the horse industry, and why it's so important to play your part when it comes to disease prevention efforts.
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TRAINING THE SENSITIVE HORSE
Shift your mindset and grow your sensitive horse's pressure-handling skills to improve his confidence and your riding enjoyment.
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Make Summer Fun and Safe
More saddle time means more time for fun and games.
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Nice to Meet You
Taking the time to know your horse outside of the arena pays off on the trail or in the show pen.
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Why the Rush?
A horse that hurries into lope departures can tank your placing in the arena or ruin your ride at home. Here's how to prevent it and fix it.
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Fix Your Flying Lead Change
Before kicking your horse into a lope and asking for a change of lead, you need to take time to have the fundamentals in place to be able to isolate the body parts of your horse individually and together to properly execute a flying lead change.
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Year-Round Horse Care Guide
Maintain your sanity and your horse's health with an annual horse-maintenance schedule.
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A Horseback High
Riding vacations can be found around the world, and here are five bucket list rides in the United States