Mental control

It is amazing to observe to what extent horse and rider influence each other both mentally and physically. This is especially true of horses and riders who have been working together for a long time.

From one rider to another...

When riding someone else’s horse I am very quickly affected by this influence, to the extent that if one does not pay attention it is easy to fall into the bad habits of the its usual rider
I recently rode a horse with regular paces, balanced and above all perfectly calm on the flat. After warming up, I decided to jump a few very small fences to start with. A few strides off a small fence I suddenly felt an abnormal anxiety in the horse. His breathing was blocked and his movements lost all their suppleness. The horse jumped but his jump was as if paralysed by fear. A few metres after landing, everything returned to normal and the horse started to breathe normally again.
It wasn’t hard to understand that the horse was reproducing his usual rider’s fear-ridden behaviour. The danger would have been allowing me to be drawn into the horse’s game. I think that very quickly my own breathing would have been blocked in front of each fence.
This example is a good illustration of the importance of always taking time to assess the situation, with regard to the horse’s physical and mental state, its experience, my position, my state of mind at that moment...in the long term this means saving a great deal of time. Short term it is a good technique for not falling into the trap of the horse’s bad habits.
There are also many other examples, such as the rider whose hands are too high, or who sits in the saddle in a specific manner. To compensate the inconvenience caused by this bad distribution of its rider’s weight, the horse will tend to organise his attitude so as to suffer as little as possible. If you were to ride this horse, you would quickly tend to assume the same defect as the rider, because the horse would put you in this position with his behaviour and his attitude.
Likewise, if you are sometimes tense and worried, the horse will perceive your tenseness and he too will be blocked. Usually this happens to the same part of the body as in your own: i.e. tense jaws or a rigid back.

Humans are beings of habit

I also often notice that the same riders often ride the same kind of horses. A rider who for a long period of time rides a horse with a particular technique and style, will tend to reproduce and look for the same configuration in all the horses he rides. Human beings are creatures of habit and tend to constantly re-create the same situations. I remember a rider who had won many competitions with a horse that was very hot, held his head up in the air and was ewe-necked. Nowadays, all the horses she rides look like that. I am convinced that her lack of analysis has resulted in her missing many experiences, which no doubt would have allowed her to progress in her riding. It is also very damaging to her horses that inevitably suffer due to this mistaken and unnatural position. In the short term, they all end up with the same pathologies.

Back to your true self...

To confront these situations, in which the rider tends to render his riding dependent on the horse’s habits or defects, it becomes crucial to constantly concentrate on one’s own sensations and to keep one’s centred position. One must do this until the horse understands that it is more comfortable to function in a normal position.
I often use the horse’s conformation as a starting point; with the objective of later ensuring that it has a frame of mind favourable for working correctly. I start for example by warming the horse up on the lunge. Without a rider on its back, the horse is able to move freely and assumes a better attitude, being physically more ready to do well when one rides it.
I can also start working with an analysis of my own mental or physical state. It is important to be free of pressure caused by fear, resentment or absolute will… In short, being oneself, and having an even spreading of one’s energy between actions, thoughts and feelings. If one is dominated by one’s emotions, by fear or anger, analytic capabilities are altered and actions lose their effectiveness. Communication with the horse can no longer be established in a manner that is clear and understandable for it.
Once the “head” is in order, it is possible to concentrate - with a free mind - and then physically work on being as close as possible to the ideal seat. It is only under these conditions that horse and rider can really be in harmony.

Extract of the book "Secrets and method of a great champion"

To reach the state of mental and physical relaxation, breathing is a useful method for concentrating on oneself and returning one’s mind to the present moment. Breathing calmly and deeply allows one to remain in harmony with oneself, to be vigilant and keep one’s reflexes alert in order to carry out movements with relaxed muscles.

Observe to what extent certain great international riders exaggerate their breathing. Two or three strides off a fence, one powerful exhalation chases away all emotions and brings one back to the present.

You yourselves have certainly noticed to what extent breathing can provide a good indication of mental tension. When all is calm, breathing is regular and deep. In the presence of the tiniest emotion, it stops and simultaneously the body stiffens.

The rider must know how to use his breathing to achieve the relaxation and suppleness indispensable for the body to work correctly. 

Most of the time, when one asks someone to breathe deeply they tend only to breathe with the upper part of their body, expanding their chests.

Correct breathing means allowing air to enter one’s body as deeply as possible, as if the air were reaching one’s pelvis.

Try now. Control your breathing by placing a hand on your stomach: it must rise. Ideally, exhalation must last twice as long as inhalation because it allows muscular relaxation and anchors the body towards the ground.

On a horse, the body’s position conditions the mobility of the chest and diaphragm. If you lean forward, with your shoulders and back rounded, it becomes very difficult to breathe deeply with your stomach.

Start by practicing at a walk. Look far ahead and breathe while imagining the air flowing down all the way to your boots.

You will notice that your muscles relax, you will unwind, your horse will calm down and you will have returned to a state of mind favourable to the supple working of all your joints.

When out hacking with a relaxed horse, one’s breathing is calm and regular, one’s eyes look ahead into the distance. You must make the effort to re-establish this same attitude when approaching a fence. 

To practice, once again start with very simple exercises, for example, working on poles on the ground. Try to discover at what moment you get the feeling that your visual awareness-breathing has changed in some way. Progressively train over 50 centimetre jumps, then 1 metre, then jump a course at home and finally in a competition. It is obvious that, when competing, your breathing will accelerate. The effort is greater, but one’s frame of mind must remain the same. Learn to control your mental activity.

We will study visual awareness in detail, but you should already know its influence on the rider’s relaxation is crucial. The eyes can be at the origin of muscular and mental contractions, resulting in blocked breathing and even causing asphyxia. I have at times been able to solve difficult situations simply by working on the eyes and on breathing.

Riders wishing to improve thanks to these breathing techniques can refer to yoga and other oriental disciplines.

Extract of the book "Secrets and method of a great champion"

As I already explained many times, the control of the mind is part of the rider’s training. That said, if you have a tendency to let your mind wander away with some parasitic thoughts, I suggest that you keep your mind busy with a sentence that you will repeat over and over again. Like a mantra, this sentence will help you fight mental disturbances. The goal is to focus your mind on the present moment. I personally like to use the sentence: “My position - My horse – My track”. It’s a “to do check-list” repeated on a loop pattern of the three most important statements to consider when riding. A kind of an on-going status-check that will help the rider to improve each parameter required for successful completion of an exercise. The point is to realise as soon as possible the potential roots of problems.
Imagine you enter a show ground, the spectators are here and while you are warming up your horse, you start focusing on a person. Your thoughts will quickly lead you to speculate: “What is this person doing here? Will she/he find me a bad rider? Will she/he find my horse like this or that? …”. Twenty minutes later you are still lost into your suppositions or other thoughts that are useless and will not get ready for your class.
Suppose, now, that you enter the warm-up ring with only one goal in mind this time: keeping your mind focused on your position, your horse and your track. Each time, your mind starts to wander away, focus back on your mantra “My position- My horse- My path”. I let you guess the difference these 20 minutes of preparation will make.

My position

Start with a full check list of the following key elements regarding your position:
“Am I in a state of relaxation and looseness? Am I above my horse’s gravity centre? Not too forward…not leaning back. Is my back flat or rounded or even twisted? My arms flexed….My shoulders loosened….Both my hands at the same level- Are my legs well positioned? The alignment feet-hips-shoulders-ears.”
One should establish a list that fits him best. When you’ll be used to check the key elements of your position, it will take you only 5 to 10 seconds to do so. It is, also, an excellent way to reconnect the sensors of your body, especially when you work on flat or in between fences. Each time I get in the saddle, I make an assessment of my position. It has become a sort of a ritual. The simple fact to think “position” will allow me to instinctively be well seated. For those who know about it, this way of proceeding is the same approach as the NLP (Neuro Linguistic programming).

My horse

To the extent that your position is correct, your body sensors are able to give you precious information on your horse’s condition.
Does my horse have enough energy or not? What needs to be done within the next few seconds or meters?
As soon as I think “my horse”, I have the image of the hind legs in my “inner screen”. I visualise mentally where they land. I become aware of the muscle mass that moves them. The most important is to feel what happens behind the saddle. The horse’s motion underneath the seat is what shapes everything else. According to the picture I established, I’ll take different courses of action by asking more or less energy.
Riders who focus on the mouth only or on outside elements such as the fence for example, forget systematically that the power comes from the hind.
To keep on with the mental assessment of your horse check list, think about the quality of the canter: Is the canter loose or does my horse have the hocks far away behind, with a hollowed back? Are his shoulders drifting to the right or left?
Unlike what most riders are doing instinctively, we worry about the neck and head last.

My track
 “…I’ve got to go in front of this flower pot over the right and this bush on the left….turn in front of the blue oxer…go straight toward the stand…empower my canter to approach the Liverpool…” Being one step ahead mentally will allow you to reset yourself on the predefined track while being aware of the speed. The horse could decide to speed up toward the exit gate of the ring or to slow down going away from it. He can also open his turn more than anticipated to decrease his flexion as well as the engagement of his hind legs. Therefore, it is important to react as soon as possible to get back on the track and the speed wanted. The faster you react, the fewer actions you will need.
However, when the horse is on the right path at the correct speed, we can give him some freedom, so he can step into a space of wellness. A space in which the rider doesn’t influence his mount as he has nothing more to ask.
To verify if all the parameters are correct, one can do this simple test which consists in releasing some of the connection with the hands and legs. If the horse stays on the anticipated track without modifying it, then the horse and rider are in a good disposition with the correct level of energy.

If you get used to do the inventory of these three essential notions, very quickly, you will need to mentally talk to yourself “My position- My horse- My track” to go instantly from a critical position to a favourable position. Ideally, one would need to assess them as fast as possible. It seems evident that if you spend too much time worrying about your position, you will forget quickly about your horse and your track.
Same if you think only about your horse without being aware of your position or even where you are supposed to go, difficulties loom ahead. It is the mistake made by a large number of riders who focus mainly on their horse and not also on their track and position.
I can promise you that it is rare to have a horse all over the place if the track and the rider’s position are correct.
To work every single day on “My position- My horse –My track” will allow you to gain the correct reflexes and not feel overwhelmed in front of a difficulty.

I am certain that each of us is capable of fulfilling his or her objectives.
I have seen so many average riders reach the highest possible levels thanks to the power of their passion and their conviction. There are however many opportunities for allowing oneself to become discouraged.

I have at times heard certain trainers say: «It’s not worth it, he or she will never make it ... « and then, only a few years later, to find the same rider in the medals at the World Championships or the Olympic Games.

All those who succeed share a common point: they believe in themselves. Like everyone else, however, they too at times are depressed, and their will to succeed and to believe in what they do remains hidden deep within their inner selves. Some riders come to see me and say: «I’ll never make it, I’m too old, too weak, too nervous, not sufficiently concentrated.»
On each occasion, I persuade them that every single rider, without exception, can progress. To do this it is necessary to “have faith”. Rather than comparing oneself to others, compare with one’s own the level of a year or a month ago. Being aware of one’s progress is encouraging for finding the strength to continue.

Look for those who encourage you and don’t listen to the others.

The same applies to your inner thoughts, by the way.

As far as horses are concerned, you should also trust your deepest feelings. Right at the beginning of my career as an eventer, I owned two young horses I greatly believed in. I had the opportunity to ask the French team’s coach what he thought of them.

After watching me ride in the dressage test and in the cross country phase his opinion was rather negative: too heavy, not enough of this, not enough of that… in short he didn’t leave me much hope as far as one day making them into high level horses was concerned. The following year
I became French Champion with one of them, Ut Majeur, and three years later, the best French rider at the Munich Olympic Games with the other. Of the four team horses present in Munich, two were mine!

Unfortunately, sincere encouragement from others is extremely rare. Personally I have to thank Marc, Gilles Bertran de Balanda’s father, a great deal. He really did encourage me with all his heart.

Most of our handicaps, weaknesses and complexes are above all in our heads. These are the mental barriers that hinder progress.

They are also the reason for which progress is faster or slower, depending on the rider. The body reflects the mind and vice-versa:  a rider receptive to advice and flexibly minded makes faster progress. On the other hand, those presenting mental resistance also resist with their bodies and progress is necessarily slower. I myself notice everyday that my manner of seeing and learning things, and events, influences my body and the way I ride.

It’s easy to feel calm and serene in our life if we stay in the comfort zone of our daily activities. The repetition of the same actions in the same situation is a reassuring way to chase away the concerns and questions about life. While riding a horse during a flat work session, doing the same movements with no specific goal or with no challenge, can make you feel serene and relaxed.

 However when you are getting out of the beaten paths of your habits, your emotions will rise up which will disturb the serene state. Approaching a fence, entering the show ring, going for a jump-off, taking an exam…or sometime, just getting upset with something….all these events will trigger some mental and physical nervousness.

Riders are taught all the jumping technics and movements to approach a fence correctly, however, very few riders work on their mind set. Nonetheless, the key of success is there: the control of our thoughts and emotions when dealing with a risky situation.

The basic principles of mental preparation when jumping, especially when approaching a fence, can be practised anytime without being on a horse. When comfortably seated on your sofa, are you able to control your mind to stay focus and not think about the past, the future, or even a noise in the house, a bird outside, or even a fly on your skin? If so, try to be as focused when approaching a fence as you are when seated on your sofa.

Be your own mentor: be aware of each thought, image or opinion crossing your mind and notice their consequences on your general attitude and especially your position.

For my own practice, I base the control of my mind on oriental methodology such as yoga and meditation which are essential to me. It is a daily practice. When walking in the street, or driving, I practise staying serene in any circumstances: I don’t let an advertisement or a nervous driver disturb my mind.  The goal is to keep the mind neutral and quiet whatever the circumstances. When riding, it is an essential element if you want to to stay connected with your horse. As we already talked about it in the past, it is important to stay focus on what is happening at the moment. The rider who lets his thoughts take over his mind, becomes an outsider to the current event and “loses” the focus of his horse.
 

One would say:”Yes, but if I don’t think about the future, I can’t anticipate therefore I lose my goal!” To live at the present time is perfectly possible. While on course, it takes only 1/10th of a second to see if the next fence is an oxer, and that will not prevent you to stay in touch with your feelings and the signals sent by your horse. There are many opportunities to be distracted by some comparisons, some dreams or some endless projections. They are like drugs, alcohol or TV… either you are a spectator of your own life, or you are an actor. Your choice.