Breath holding

supertramp

supertramp

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I need help. During a lesson today and concentrating on canter, by the end of two 20m circles in canter and then down the long side I was so out of breath, my poor instructor was horrified and worried. I went very red in the face, felt a bit faint, and had to sit concentrate on getting my breath back. I know that I am inclined to hold my breath even when watching TV, but this seems that i breath in but dont breath out enough leaving me gasping, as I cant get any more air in. Does anyone have any good exercises i could try, this is affecting my riding, i have a lovely section D who is happy and forwards, yet still i hold my breath. This also leaves me feeling a bit nauseated. Any help will be wonderful, thankyou.
 
Good plan, thats how I feel, ready to hurl. Need to get it sorted before I go to a comp, wouldnt look good collapsing half way round to have a breather.
 
I see someone’s beat me to suggesting singing! Jingle Bells was my go to. Not necessarily for holding my breath but just to relax in general.

Out hacking if I spotted something I thought would be scary I’d sing to myself. I relaxed, horse relaxed. Win win!
 
Practice tuning in to and noticing your breath off horse. And off horse breathwork where you can just focus on that. It will translate over to ridden work more easily.

I've lost track of how many breathing exercises I've experimented with, but one guided exercise stuck with me which focused on slow out breaths and then "letting the in-breath take care of itself". I'd not heard that before and actually found it quite soothing. It also seems to be true; I guess our lungs will just naturally inflate as long as they're empty!

Maybe the visual of blowing up a balloon or blowing out a candle or blowing bubbles or something like that could be helpful?
 
The good ole stride counting out loud will help. In faster paces skip a stride or do 1 2 1 2 and just get into the habit of taking a breath between numbers.

Ask for a lesson on breathing also. Have the lesson be you doing whatever your doing but teacher reminding you to breathe each stride.
 
I do this, particularly when concentrating. It's good your aware of it, so you can try and focus on it. I'm particularly bad in a test environment, so I know that at a key point, transition to walk for example, I reassess what I am doing with my breaths! My coach is also very good and keeping me talking, even if it's just explaining my aids to her, it keeps me breathing and reduces feinting!
 
I used to do that if I was about to do anything a bit exciting when riding, just hold my breath for what seemed like forever. I didn't knowingly feel nervous but I guess I must have done to a certain extent. Ten green bottles even under my breath was enough to get my breathing rhythm working.
 
SaddlePsych'D said:
I've lost track of how many breathing exercises I've experimented with, but one guided exercise stuck with me which focused on slow out breaths and then "letting the in-breath take care of itself". I'd not heard that before and actually found it quite soothing. It also seems to be true; I guess our lungs will just naturally inflate as long as they're empty!
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Same! My instructor said "your body wont let you not breathe in, so just focus on the breathing out" and well, duh, but hadn't thought about it that way! 🙃

We had several sessions where "breathe" was the most common instruction provided. Breathing "properly" though. From the diaphragm and using your whole ribcage, not just shallowly and holding your tummy in (lifelong habit!). Hands on the bottom of your ribcage and feel the expansion with your hands until you can do it more naturally. It takes practise! I am going to practise now! 😂
 
I narrate my own riding when I know I'm likely to hold my breath. 'Inside leg on, flexion around the circle, sit central, he's falling in so correct my seatbones, don't allow that shoulder to lead, small ask, more ask, one stride, two stride, don't allow the spook at this corner..' that sort of thing, definitely helps but actually my instructor also likes it as she knows then what I am thinking and whether I am actively putting her directions to use.
 
The NHS provides some very useful breathing exercises if your search "dysfunctional breathing".
Because, if you have a bad lung infection like pneumonia or Long Covid you can forget how to breathe properly and have to re-reach yourself. Daft isn't it that you can forget to breathe 😅

Just thinking that if you stop breathing while watching tv or doing stuff other than riding some general breathing re-hab might be helpful.

Onceo you've nailed stuff off the horse, you can then try and replicate while riding.
 
I used to do this all the time - I'm so glad it's not just me! Sorry OP.

I usually sing but I started doing lessons where with a trainer who uses an ear piece and mic and I didn't realise that it was two way to start with until she had to cough, and say "are you aware that I can hear you?" midway through my repertoire of Disney songs 😨

Box breathing has helped me to keep more even. I breathe in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four. I'll do that three or four times, and then do the same for six, and then for eight if I can keep it even. I also practice breathing deeply down into my diaphragm by lying flat and forming a diamond shape with my hands, laying at the base of my ribs, and focusing on rising then up and down when I breath.

The other thing that has really helped my breathing is focusing on dropping my shoulders, especially when I'm doing anything with weights or carrying anything heavy like shopping bags etc, and making sure my shoulders and muscles around the sides of my ribs are supple by stretching properly regularly.

My shoulders creeping up means that I end up breathing high and shallow and I'm more likely to hold it and then hyperventilate.
 
supertramp said:
I need help. During a lesson today and concentrating on canter, by the end of two 20m circles in canter and then down the long side I was so out of breath, my poor instructor was horrified and worried. I went very red in the face, felt a bit faint, and had to sit concentrate on getting my breath back. I know that I am inclined to hold my breath even when watching TV, but this seems that i breath in but dont breath out enough leaving me gasping, as I cant get any more air in. Does anyone have any good exercises i could try, this is affecting my riding, i have a lovely section D who is happy and forwards, yet still i hold my breath. This also leaves me feeling a bit nauseated. Any help will be wonderful, thankyou.
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Oh yes! I do this too! Especially when I am nervous and when I am jumping … It’s so embarrassing … my instructor told me to shout out my strides in our last lesson and I just didn’t have the spare breath for shouting anything .. I felt quite sick as well .. had to have a little rest and put the jump down … it’s an awful feeling .. I wonder if I too am holding my breath ?
 
I used to do this when I used to go jumping, I would frequently throw up as I was leaving the ring it was so bad. My old coach gave me the simplest remedy for it……and that is to smile! It really is so simple but it actually works and it never happened to me again after I started smiling my way around the ring 🤣🤣
 
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