Have you ever gotten on your horse and no matter what you did, no matter how hard you tried to get your horse to move forward, or ride better, or differently, it just wasn’t working? You couldn’t seem to change what was happening between you and your horse?
Your experiences may have resulted in feelings of frustration, anger, and/or fear, even if you are a seasoned rider. Many times, these experiences can and do interfere with your self-esteem, your confidence, and impact your overall performance as a rider.
I want to share with you one of the biggest “AH-HA” moments I’ve had.
As a result of both my own experience, and the experiences of my clients, I have come to realize that, THESE NEGATIVE CHALLENGES AND THEIR “FIX” HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MECHANICS OF RIDING BUT EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE PSYCHOLOGY OF RIDING. And you too may be creating an endless cycle WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING IT!
Can you relate? You may be like many riders, who have your trainer warm up your horse. You watch them moving beautifully, with sheer delight, secretly wishing that when it was your turn, that you would experience the same joy, ease, and grace that your trainer just had.
BUT, when it’s your turn, you move out into the arena for your lesson, and sure enough, within a very short period of time your horse has forgotten how to move forward – at all. Apparently their ears have shut down too, and they are unable to hear your commands – at all.
And no matter what you do or how much you are banging your legs on the side of the horse, or holding your breath in an attempt to get them to hear you and to move forward, the only one that is getting a workout is you!
By now you are totally exhausted, not a happy camper and your horse hasn’t even broken a sweat!
Don’t fret, you are not alone. I am talking from both my personal experiences, and my professional experiences with clients, who have experienced some of these same frustrations, and more. I have helped them overcome these very issues and helped them to create amazing results so they can have the graceful, fulfilling ride that they dream of.
The psychology of riding came about for me by developing strategies, skills and methodologies based on my professional and personal experiences, and in combination with my knowledge and expertise as a licensed psychologist in the state of California. As a result of creating solutions that worked for me, my clients and our horses, I founded a company called Equi-Pathic®.
Equi-Pathic® teaches methods to assist riders in finding solutions to some of the many problems that arise when riders seek to create that perfect connection, whether riding for leisure or competition. Because each rider and horse are unique, we develop and apply customized strategies to meet their specific needs. It is not a one size fits all mentality.
In addition, we also include training around how your emotions may be reflected in your horse, and how they may impact your connection and performance. Without knowing it, you may be sharing the energy of many of your burdens, life challenges, and or other “lesser” emotions, with your horse every single time you ride.
