Change It Up!

This creative exercise is easy, fun, and guaranteed to get you focused on your riding—instead of your nerves.

- Cody Crow, With J. Forsberg Meyer

Here’s how this exercise came to be. An older student of mine had been bucked off in a lope depart and was terrified of loping. Even the thought of it brought panic attacks. She spent her entire lessons worrying about the moment I might ask her to pick up a lope.

I knew I had to get her mind focused away from her fears, so I started shooting directives at her in short intervals.

“Now trot,” I’d say. Moments later: “Now turn across the arena.” Moments later: “Now stop and back up.” I kept at it until I saw a smile that indicated she was having fun. Eventually, I slipped in, “Now lope,” but only for a stride or two, then back to a walk.

And she did it without even thinking about the fact that she was loping. Goal achieved!

Why It Works

When you’re nervous about something, it’s almost impossible to stop thinking about it. Telling yourself to stop is useless. It’s like telling yourself not to think about an elephant: The only thing you can picture in your mind is huge and gray, with a trunk.