A HAUNTINGLY TRUE TALE ABOUT HORSES: Not for the faint of heart, but what rider is?

Sit, dear rider, and close your eyes,

if you would be so kind,

    for I'd like to take you on a trip 

inside your horse’s mind.

Pretend we’re at a haunted house...

how would it make you feel

to know the ghosts and ghouls inside

are not imagined but real?

Behind every door and every wall

creatures lie and wait

to make a meal of you and me

if we dare to tempt our fate.

Could you bring yourself to enter in

just because I say?

Would you happily skip the halls with me

if I wanted you to play?

Could you sit still for a cup of tea

or relax while I brush your hair

in a house where there is danger

lurking everywhere?

Would your nerves be on edge?

Would you be prepared to run?

Would you try to tell me

you are not having fun?

A silly question, you might think,

but this I know for sure…

that’s what horses try to do

but often they’re ignored.

Predators are real to horses,

even if they can’t be seen…

every day of every year,

not just on Halloween.

When horses snort and stomp and bite,

when they buck and bolt and rear

they are trying desperately

to tell us of their fear.

It is frightening to ride horses,

if you can't get them to behave.

Do you know that when your horse acts up
he is not feeling safe?

So when your horse acts scary or spooky,
know this without a doubt...
BY BECOMING A BETTER LEADER
YOU CAN HELP YOUR HORSE CHILL OUT!

P.S. If you'd like to get started 
but just aren't quite sure how,
order yourself a copy of
The ALPHA Equestrian Challenge now.

LUNGING FOR CALMNESS: Get Your Horse Tuned In, Not Tired Out

Doing some groundwork before riding gives you a feel for how your horse is feeling that day.  If he’s feeling a little stiff, you can loosen him up.  If he’s feeling a little lazy, you can get his energy flowing. If he’s feeling distracted, you can help him focus. Never is groundwork more crucial than when your horse is feeling like he’s ready to jump out of his shoes. 

On these days, you might be tempted to lunge your horse just to wear him out. Before you go that route consider these two things: 1) the more you allow your horse to blow off steam and get his bucks out on the lunge line, the more your horse will think it is okay to behave in a steamy, bucking manner when he is with you; and 2) speeding around on the lunge line will cause your horse to waste a ton of energy. 

Wouldn’t it be nice to save some of that energy for the ride ahead?  Wouldn't it be even nicer to get to the point of just being able to hop on your horse anytime trusting that he will behave calmly? Lunging can help get you to that happy place… but not the kind of lunging that just tires a horse out.  So when you feel you need to do that, use your lunging session to help your horse tune in to you by helping him calm down as quickly as possible.  Not only will this allow you to reserve your horse's energy for a pleasant ride, but it will get your horse understanding that he is to behave calmly whenever he is with you – even on the lunge line.

Here are some tips to get you started lunging for calmness:

Create calm energy in you. Think about how you are feeling. If you are ticked off or frustrated that your horse is high as a kite, your horse is going to sense it and the lunging session will turn into something of an adversarial experience. Take control of the situation by remembering that you can guide your horse to calmness only if you are calm yourself. 

Spiral in and out. Smaller circles are harder work for horses so use them to your advantage. When your horse starts flying around and kicking up his heels, spiral him in toward you until he comes to trot.  Keep him on that smaller circle until he gives you a calm rhythm at the trot, and then allow him to go back out onto a larger circle as a reward.  If he speeds up again, repeat the spiraling process.  As soon as he is able to keep himself calm for at least one large circle, reward him.  Bring him to a halt, give him a nice rub, and then just let him walk around for minute. Make it very clear to him that you reward calmness.

Mix things up at the slower paces. When you start thinking about it, you can come up with tons of things to ask your horse to do at the walk and trot, such as: trot one circle, walk one circle, change directions and repeat, halt, back up, step sideways, come forward, step over a pole, back up over a pole, take one step forward and one step back, etc.  By asking your horse to do lots of different things, you encourage him to settle down and focus on you. Make that your number one goal, and then ask for canter only when your horse is completely calm.

A huge part of providing good leadership to your horse is helping him make decisions that make his life easier and more pleasant. The phenomenal benefit to you is that it makes your own life easier and your time with your horse so much more fun! To learn more about developing your leadership skills, buy your copy of The ALPHA Equestrian Challenge today.

ZEN YOUR WAY TO CALM RIDING: Five Tips for Overcoming the Jitters

Today I talked to a woman who was perfectly comfortable on her horse until it was time to canter.  Just thinking about it made her fear rise and her muscles tighten.  Letting your nerves get the best of you around horses, especially while riding, is never a good thing. Part of a rider’s job is learning to remain calm no matter what. The following techniques work wonders in helping you reach that goal.

Tell a success story.  Thoughts and words are energy, so use yours to send yourself in the direction you want to go. “I’m afraid to canter,” leaves you stuck in the here and now, focusing on the negative.   “I’m in training for the canter. Like all great riders, I’m learning to remain calm and focused at all times.”  Both statements are true, but try saying them out loud and see which one makes you feel as if you are already in a better situation.  Which one sparks some excitement and gets you looking forward to the journey ahead?

Learn to breathe from your belly. Deep belly breathing oxygenates the muscles, clears the mind to help you focus, and is one of the easiest ways to relax anytime. To learn how to do it, lie on the floor and put a book on your stomach.  As you breathe in, try to make the book rise. If your chest rises instead of the book, you are not breathing deeply enough. Once you get it down, make it a habit in the saddle. Check frequently to make sure you are deep belly breathing by placing your hand on your stomach. 

Develop better body awareness. To stay calm, you must train yourself out of unconsciously tightening your muscles. Develop better body awareness by consciously tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups.  Hold the tension as tight as possible for five seconds. Be aware of your breathing as you do this. You will notice that the tighter you tense your muscles, the shallower your breathing becomes.  As you release the tension, use your deep belly breathing to allow for total relaxation.

Visualize the new you.  Visualization is priceless because your subconscious retains memories of events whether you imagine them or if they happen in real life.  If cantering is your challenge, visualize yourself making canter transitions remaining perfectly calm and everything going right.  Think about how you will ask for the canter. Are you in two-point or sitting position? Are you asking for a clear balanced transition, or allowing your horse to dribble into the canter?  Try to feel yourself riding ten or twelve strides, then easing back into trot. Cantering for longer periods, speeding up, slowing down...a marching band popping up out of nowhere, and although you wonder what the heck, you remain calm and focused...breathing deeply from your belly...feeling the pure joy of following your horse’s movement in perfect harmony. Do you see yourself smiling?

Practice, practice, practice.  Remaining calm and focused is a learned behavior so plan to practice. Each day before entering the barn, take a moment to remind yourself that you are in training to become a bastion of serenity. Do some deep belly breathing until you actually feel yourself relax...then go greet your horse. 

Challenging yourself to step outside your comfort zone allows you to reach greater levels of calm confidence. Let yourself have fun and enjoy the process by taking one small step at a time.