Are you bummed out by your horse’s scores at shows?
You know that your horse is amazing, but it seems like they never show it at competitions. Every event you try something new: You might be trying different supplements, different bits, different calming pastes, or even different trainers…But nothing seems to stick.
Here’s what you should try instead:
Give your horse a long walk warm up. If your horse is nervous or physically tight, they will only benefit from a 15-20 minute walk warm up. This allows fresh oxygenated blood to reach all of the horse’s muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and allows the discs of the joints to better shock absorb. I’ve noticed that wound up horses often take a breath after 15 minutes of walking, and are better able to relax and foccus in their warm up after.
Breathe and center yourself. Did you know that deep stomach breathing releases something in your body that helps to physically relax you? Try breathing in for four seconds, holding for four seconds, and breathing out for 4 seconds.
Massage your horse before you get on. Massage requires both the person giving and the animal receiving the work to be present and calm. Take 15 minutes before your ride to massage an area of your horse that they especially like- my favorite is their face and neck- and center yourself while taking deep breaths. This will allow you and your horse to be on the same page before you even get on. You will be set up for success!
To recap: kill show nerves by taking a long walk warm up, breathing, and massaging your horse!
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