Psychology Help

[auntienutnut]

Tell me your best psychology tips.

My brain just goes dead and cant see the wood for the trees, its getting very depressing.

My dressage and show jumping are fine, but when its gets to XC, if it goes wrong I struggle to put it right and my horses like all horses feels my nerves and then it goes really pear shape

This happens in training and at comps

I really want to conquer this and not give up.

When its going well, we can jump some nice fences, but when its going bad, it feels like my horse hi jacks me and I have no control, then I get into my brain dead mode and panic.

The way I managed to get myself out of it yesterday was to think "sod its I can only fall off" after we took a flyer at the first jump, I managed to get myself back into the mode and jump the rest of the jumps nicely.

Helpful ideas that have worked please, this roller coaster of emotions is depressing.

TIA

 

[Morgan123]

Hello, I think I struggle with the same problem as you, i.e. remaining sentient while competing! I often find I go into the ring with the best intentions then sort of switch off mentally in the excitement and forgot to think. Is that what you mean? I do it either from excitement or fear depending on the situation!

Very frustrating problem; once you come out you think 'omg why didn't I just think'! Anyway - I've been working on this and have overcome it dressage so now working on the jumping (which is harder as it's so much more exciting! Keep blanking out!).

Things I've found which help:
1) singing to my horse under my breath - we both like it (despite compelte inability to sing, they still seem to appreciate it). This is a Carl hester tip but I LOVE it, I do it all the time now and I ride so much better when I remember to do it - must be to do with a) breathing and b) rhythm. However, it also helps keep you calm and focus on something other than the 'OMG this is so exciting I'm competing I might die'. I usually go with Lion King songs! but whatever works. Sounds random but worth a try.
2) Pick a point in the course (or several points) and make it a mental marker - when you get to THAT point you are going to do a mental check of your riding. Am I thinking, am I sitting up, am I singing - whatever it is you need to remind yourself to do. This is helpful because at least then if you blank out, you only blank out on one half of the course/test.
3) Have also toyed with doing things like, tip-X spots on horse's ears/plaits. Anything that, when you see them, they will remind you to think 'sit up' or 'kick' or whatever.
4) Visualisations really help for me - I often imagine riding the test/course and firstly imagine it going well, feeling confident, remembering to think and use my brain. Next imagining the things that mgiht go wrong (e.g. dropping out of canter or whatever) and how I will deal with them quickly and efficiently. If I'm scared jumping I'm often imagining jumping the jump well, even as I'm approaching it....

For me it's all about finding ways to remind myself to be sentient but might obviously be different for you? hope this helps a little anyway and good luck.