For all you who compete - what do you think of?

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WishfulThinker

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I mean when you are riding. How does your mind process what is in front of you and what do you feel?

I know its a weird question, but recently I have noticed that when I ride it has no longer gone from me worrying about x/y or z, but I now seem to be calculating more.
When jumping I no longer look at the height and width of a fence as much as I used to - I sort that in my head when I walk/look at the course, and which route to take and where to turn etc. When riding the last 2 strides before the jump I am thinking about the next jump.

Now is that too early?

Whatever I am doing is working............for now. As we have not had a fence down competing (of 5 comps but still not bad) and he hasn't in the past 2 months knocked a pole jumping at home
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.

But is there a better way to think about my route or what I am doing?
Even for dressage - how soon is too soon to be calculating your next manouvre? I am no where near the stage where I think I would automatically physically act out a thought, so I still have a slow thought to action process.

Apologies if this is all a bit weird/complicated. I've had a very slow day and this is something I have wondered for a while.
 
When I jump the only think that goes through my head is:

Oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t oh sh111111t!

I have no idea how I manage to get around courses when my mind is such a muddle!
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Coming into a fence i just count random numbers through my head to keep in a rhythm, doesnt matter if i dont reach the fence on the count of 0 i just count randomly!! and i just come into the fence and think of squeezing Hattie hindquarters into her nose so i keep her nice a bouncy!!
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sorry not very scientific!! When im in the air of the fence i just hold on for grim death hoping i want get jumped off because her backend is sooo powerful. i never really think about getting to the fence, i ride the lines on kind of auto pilot unless it tricky inwhich case i talk myself through the approach to the fence under my breath as i get to it!!
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Dressage wise i set myself up for a movement a couple of strides before, and then as im riding it if i satisfied ill start thinking about prepareing for the next movement
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[ QUOTE ]
When I jump the only think that goes through my head is:

Oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t, oh sh1t oh sh111111t!

I have no idea how I manage to get around courses when my mind is such a muddle!
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[/ QUOTE ]


Hahaha i recon that is what i am like!!!!

To be honest, i dont actually know what im thinking about....
 
Jumping - I quite like talking myself through the movements cause I am a style freak
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most of the horses I ride are quite hot and excitable so it usually goes: set the rhythm, set the rhythm, half-halt, half-halt, slooooower, slooower, slooower, sit, sit and wait wait wait
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Next fence on the left, land on the left lead, and half-halt, half-halt, slooooower, sloowerrrr, rubber ball canter, rubber ball canter and hop
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In dressage I just set some good, relaxing music in my head, make sure I know all the movements and hope I won't go wrong
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XC - my thoughts are something like : "Where is my next fence? Where is it? Whete the hell is it? Aaa, here there is, off we go!"
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Beau2005 - Im exactly the same. In the past, Id often think about the size of the jump and worry about the striding on the approach etc. but Ive managed to re-program how I think. So when I walk the course now, I walk it properly - I no longer even glance at the height or how spooky the fence is etc. I just go out there and look at the striding / angles etc. So when I come in, I just seem to ride it 100% in focus. I never thought Id jump Foxhunters but now I am purely because I concentrate so damn hard on the proper things now! Same goes for XC. I dont approach thinking "oh my god thats huge" or whatever - Im thinking about the things which matter. Ive definately noticed a difference purely in the fact that my horses seem to be more confident and more forward thinking now.

I was trying to explain this to my mum the other day how your mind just kinda goes blank and you just focus on whats ahead of you. Its funny because at any other time I find it pretty hard to hold concentration!!
 
I've recently come back from a Will Faudree clinic (USA reserve member at Athens Olympics eventing) and he kept stressing how we need to think in slow motion, break everything down. Easier said than done, but I have been practicing. And to always concentrate on the quality of the canter.
 
This is what I have been told to do. Before you get on think about a time that it all went right and how that made you feel. So now you are feeling positive as you get on and the horse thinks great. Then as you are riding around think about it again and how good you felt and the high etc and then you will ride a lot more positively as you only have good thought flowing thru your mind.

That is the theory anyway.....
 
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