tonyajohnston.com

“Problem Solving” with Sport Psychology

tonya — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:11:30 +0000

by Tonya Johnston, MA
Appeared in Eventing USA, February 2010

The field of sport psychology is thought of in a variety of ways by the general public. One commonly held idea is that it assists those who “Strive for Excellence”. This attracts people who look high and low for any advantage or new skill to help them succeed. There is also the opinion that sport psychology means “Consistent Preparation/Consistent Performance” which highlights all of the ways to ready yourself for riding in order to perform well. In addition, and perhaps most often referred to, is the “Help, I Have a Problem!” model that consultants deal with frequently. This involves using sport psychology techniques with a rider to help them fix a specific problem.

Is it correct that sport psychology can help you accomplish all of the above? Yes! For the current column, we focus on the last approach and look at how you can use sport psychology tools to help you solve some common riding challenges. From here forward these ‘problems’ will be referred to as ‘challenges’. You see, a ‘problem’ is static and unchangeable; a ‘challenge’ contains an implied solution.

In riding, you and your horse are a team. When you feel that challenges interfere with optimal performance, the reasons behind them can be multi-faceted. Now, it goes without saying that you and your horse’s mental and physical health, strength, training, etc. need to be addressed, as solutions often exist within all of those areas. Adopting a solution-oriented approach where you explore a variety of ideas to help you overcome your challenges is ideal. In this article we focus on the mental strengths and tools the rider can utilize to work through these sometimes complicated issues.

Challenge: Rider (and Therefore Horse) Extremely Nervous/Tense/Fearful at Shows

Everything was going so well at home, but you got to the show on Thursday, got on to school your horse, and the wheels came off the wagon. Why? Well, there may be many reasons, and you might require help in order to figure it out. In the interests of this article, however, we will simply accept this somewhat unpleasant state of affairs and examine some solutions.

1. Dress Rehearsal: When you observe a drastic difference between your performances at home and at an event, then you know that the show environment is creating a fight-or-flight response in your nervous system. Preventative medicine can be best for this challenge. In order to normalize the experience it is helpful to run through the show scenario as thoroughly as possible at home. Not only can it be helpful to actually wear your show clothes, but doing things like warming-up in one area, and then riding a course or test in another ring can make a big difference. This will make the process more familiar and natural for you, enabling you to be able to focus on the process of riding well once you get to the event.

2. Manage Your Energy: Be sure to have tools in mind that you can use to adjust (and lower) your energy level. It is helpful to use things like breathing techniques that can help you put your mind and body in sync and help you feel like you are in control of the situation. You may also use: music; scanning your body for tension, then shaking and releasing the muscle groups that feel tight; keep your physical energy even by eating small amounts often throughout the day; and taking time to sit down, rest and relax away from the barn or ring to gather yourself in a peaceful setting.
“The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem.” - Theodore Rubin

Challenge: “All-or-Nothing” Thinking

There are riders who feel like complete failures as the result of any mistake - however large or small. Have you ever felt that way yourself? This constant critical voice can create quite a roller-coaster for your confidence, not to mention how it can damage your motivation (and enjoyment!).

Debrief Progress First: Reflect on progress with your performance goals (e.g. kept counting each step in stadium round), immediately after each ride as a way of guiding your debriefing process. Instead of focusing on mistakes in the ride (e.g. drive by at the corner) use your mental strength to pick out two or three parts that were successful. Particularly when they are things that you set as goals before you your ride, that process will help you stay committed to valuing progress and effort. In addition, when that routine becomes habitual you will enter the arena, ring or start box with an eye on remembering success (instead of wondering where the ‘problem’ will crop up).

Boundaries for Negative Emotions: Of course it is unrealistic to think that you will not feel upset or frustrated after a mistake. What is realistic is to set up specific parameters for how, when and where you are allowed to engage in those negative emotions. By setting a time limit (e.g. two minutes), or a physical boundary (e.g. by the time I have walked back to the barn to get off) you can acknowledge the upset and then make a conscious plan to switch gears. You are allowing the negative feelings to be experienced, but then choosing to move forward and focus on solutions.

Challenge: Returning After a Fall or Injury

In every discipline of riding, falling off is a part of life. Sometimes you land on your feet and hop back on (and smile at your good fortune), but sometimes injuries occur that are both physical and/or mental. In addition, competing with or recovering from injuries that are unrelated to riding can greatly impact your ability to be confident and assertive on your horse.

Be Good to Yourself: When returning to the saddle after a fall or injury it is important to take more care and be gentle with yourself. Be patient as you do regular tasks around the barn, tack up or get on - they may all take more time and that is OK! Being kind to yourself is a part of accepting the reality that you feel differently than you did before the injury or fall. Remember that all of your talents, skills and strengths are still within you; they may just need a little extra time to come back on-line.

Adjust Goals and Expectations: It is extremely important to sit down and adjust your goals in a calm and realistic way before you return to the saddle. Your competition schedule, your training and outcome goals will all be naturally affected by your physical and mental health. Depending on the severity of your injury, length of your rehab or time off, the adjustments required will vary in scope. Get help with this process from family, trainer, or friends. Adopting a modified timeline and new goal strategies will take off a lot of pressure, and thus give you the flexibility to listen to your body and comfort level as you return to riding.

“The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year.” - John Foster Dulles

Challenge: Stopping

Your horse occasionally chooses extremely inopportune times to say “No thank you, the ground is my friend; I’m not leaving it right now.” This seems to be another simple fact of the sport of jumping horses over obstacles - sometimes they won’t. However, particular stops or patterns of stopping can begin to leave footprints in your mind that interfere with your ability to ride effectively.

Focus on Things in Your Control: Ultimately whether your horse lofts him or herself into the air over a pile of lumber is out of your control. Focusing on that reality can cause stress and anxiety that does not help you do your job: creating the best opportunity for them to jump the jump. You control your attitude, your ability to problem solve, and your own physical performance. Keep your mind squarely on those factors and you will create the best environment for your horse to do his job.

Use Process Goals: Process goals focus on position, strategy, or the technical aspect of a task to perform an entire skill (like jumping a trakehner) successfully. For example, if your eye drops to the ground beneath the airy vertical, causing your horse to lose his nerve, a process goal would be getting your eye up on a specific focal point three strides out from the jump.

The Optimal Idea

“How you think about a problem is more important than the problem itself - so always think positively.” This quote by Norman Vincent Peale is a wonderful way to frame the ‘problem’ scenario, and it states the utmost import of maintaining a ‘can-do’ attitude no matter what the challenge. When you add that attitude to a mental toolbox full of strategies to utilize, there is no mountain you can’t climb.

Tonya Johnston, MA, is a Mental Skills Coach who specializes in working with equestrian athletes. Her coaching sessions teach mental strategies for optimal sport performance and help riders develop personalized preparation routines. Tonya’s clients have attained competitive success at every level, including national titles and awards. She has presented at both the USEA and USDF national conventions. Tonya has a master’s degree in Sport Psychology from John F. Kennedy University. She conducts “Mental Skills for Riders” clinics throughout the country as well as phone consultations with individual clients. Phone: 510.418.3664. www.TonyaJohnston.com

Sitting (and Staying) ‘On Top’

tonya — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 23:58:57 +0000

by Tonya Johnston, MA
Appeared in The Plaid Horse January/February 2010

There you are, at the bottom of the list to come back for round two, or last to enter the ring for the work-off. What does that mean? In a millisecond it registers in your mind (and the butterflies start chaos your stomach): you’re on top. Fantastic! Exactly where you wanted to be, right? Or is it?

“It’s more difficult to stay on top than to get there.” - Mia Hamm

Being in the top spot is a challenge unto itself for a lot of riders, but why? Isn’t it what you worked so hard to achieve? To be sure, coming back under pressure and nailing it for the win takes mental discipline, focus and strength. Here are some useful suggestions for ways to help make that happen.

Keep It Simple

Once you realize you are sitting in the top spot, you may notice a compulsion to start thinking a lot. Making mental notes of what to do, what not to do, what to be careful of, awareness of what others are doing - the list can be endless. Instead of giving in to this over-thinking, keep your ideas simple and smart. For example, as your horse fidgets in the line-up, simplify your first priority. Decide your first task when they call your number will be to simply go forward and straight. Another example of keeping it simple would be to take one thing that you did well in the first round and focus on how to integrate that into your course plan for your second round. If your trainer gave you feedback that using your leg off of the ground at the oxers really helped your horse, then that could be a good, clear-cut thing to focus on to keep you riding effectively.

Stay Aware of How You Feel

Be sure to stay aware of how you feel mentally and physically. Are you energized? Centered? Breathing? Strong? Going in on top can hinder all of these factors and more by putting you in ‘protection mode’ where you tend to adopt a defensive attitude. When this happens you go in trying to protect your lead, instead of simply riding your best. This can manifest as tension in your muscles, curling up or adopting the ‘fetal position’, worry, self-criticism, and striving for perfection by ‘doing nothing’ (e.g. If you take your leg off and make no decision - then you won’t have done anything wrong).

In order to stay aware of how you feel, take a moment (or two) to inhale slowly as you lift your chin and open your chest. Exhale slowly through your mouth and notice how your center of gravity feels low and weighted at the bottom of your belly. Briefly look away from the ring or any action in order to direct your attention inwards, then use a positive attitude to direct the energy you feel into physical strength and confidence.

“It isn’t hard to be good from time to time in sports. What is tough is being good every day.” - Willie Mays

Follow Your Preparation Routine

Once it has registered where you are in the standings, be mindful. Take nothing for granted. Truly. Paying careful attention to details in your preparation routine is often what created the great first round ride in the first place, so stay on it. Remain vigilant and careful about your down time the night before, the morning of, and immediately before the next round. Did you eat an early breakfast? Take time alone in the tack room to listen to your iPod? At the top of every division it always comes down to the little things, both in the ring and out of the ring. Being mindful to go through every part of your pre-ride routine will help get you into your groove, and enable you to produce a stellar round.

Strive to Be Better Than Your First Round

Sitting on top going into the last round of any final, classic or championship should never lull you into thinking that you should ‘just do exactly what you did in the last round.’ This is a dangerous attitude because: 1) It is impossible, 2) it has you looking backwards instead of forwards and 3) it assumes you can’t possibly ride any better.

Let’s face it: in any performance there is always room for improvement. Each trip contains things that can be done better, opportunities to fine-tune details and smooth out the overall trip. Remember, it is the effective and assertive ride in which you are looking to improve yourself and your horse that will result in success. Going in hungry to show off what you do well, and improve on any specific areas you identified in the last round sets you up to be pro-active and ride your best.

The Audience Effect

tonya — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 23:47:40 +0000

by Tonya Johnston, MA
Appeared in Showbiz Magazine January/February 2010

You ride beautifully at home, even in group lessons with people watching and waiting their turn - so why is it that the horseshow spectators can feel so different?

While it is true that the ‘Audience Effect’ can help some riders focus more, and perform better, there are those riders for whom it creates nothing but worry and concern. Which type of rider are you? Would you like some ideas to make riding in front of people at a show a consistently positive experience?

Reverse Psychology

Let’s say you are tired of feeling anxious and uncomfortable when you notice a lot of people watching your ring at the show. It is maddening that you make so much effort to be there, spend countless days preparing, and then it is all thrown out the window by distractions that feel out of your control. Stop for a moment and ask yourself, why did you go to the show? You are aware that spectators are a part of competing; surely it is not a surprise. A key question becomes: What would happen if you never went to another horseshow? You would keep your horse, take lessons, and work to improve your skills; you just wouldn’t horse show. Consider that option and then ask yourself: Would riding be as much fun to you?

Be honest as you turn the question over in your mind. Notice the ‘But I want to show because…’ and the reasons you can quickly list that make your motivation clear to you. By reminding yourself that the ‘pros’ outweigh the ‘cons’ you re-acquaint yourself with the simple fact that you have a choice in the matter, you signed up to attend, and you truly want to be there no matter what. This knowledge is strength, and strength is what you need to overcome the distractions you face in front of an audience.

‘Notice’ vs. ‘Focus’

This principle is a fantastic way to acknowledge what you are aware of in your surroundings, without letting that awareness dictate your ability focus on the task at hand. For example, you may ‘notice’ your old trainer standing by the in-gate watching as you enter the ring, but you then make a conscious decision to say ‘Focus’ to yourself. You then return to activating your horse, staying tall with your body and getting a forward canter on the way to the first jump. You haven’t denied who you noticed on the rail, but you have taken charge of the situation by purposefully directing your attention to small, specific goals that will help you have a beautiful start to your course. You can remind yourself throughout the day to observe what you ‘notice’, but to direct your ‘focus’ productively at every opportunity.

Trying to Impress, Instead of Going after Success

Trying to control other people’s opinions of you is a no-win situation. Hopefully you have a healthy desire to go ’show off’ - after all, it’s a horse show! But if you go in the ring with the all-encompassing desire to have everyone impressed with your riding, your horse and your round, then you are setting the stage for an amazing amount of unnecessary stress. You don’t control other people’s beliefs, ever. It is a simple fact but can be hard to remember. To achieve excellence you must ride into the show ring for yourself; striving to accomplish your goals. Constantly remind yourself to focus your mental and physical energy on things in your control (your position, your goals and strategies, your course plan, etc.) in order to lower your anxiety level and use your skills to their fullest.

The Competitive Edge

tonya — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:28:57 +0000

by Kelly Sanchez
Appeared in The Equestrian News June/July 2010

Watching Olympians Beezie Madden or Steffen Peters as they put their horses through their paces, it’s tempting to imagine that they were simply born great. These riders work hard, to be sure, but through some happy accident the must have been blessed with the raw talent to launch themselves into the stratosphere of the sport.

Tonya Johnston rejects this view. A San Francisco-area mental skills consultant, she has discovered that top competitors have one thing in common: Resiliency. “They feel good about themselves no matter what,” she says. “Even if they have a bad day, it doesn’t change the confidence and faith they have in themselves and their process. Elite athletes display a mental strength so that even if something goes wrong, it doesn’t damage their self-concept.”

Johnston, who works with athletes from a variety of sports, believes that this ability to stay focused on the long term is something that can be learned and perfected. A lifelong equestrian, she works closely with riders of all disciplines to help them overcome fear, come back from injuries, develop confidence or just polish what they’re already doing well. Many riders come to her because some difficulty in the ring has affected not only their confidence but their motivation. “They come to me saying they know they can be better, that they ride better at home than they do at shows, and that they’re not supporting themselves mentally,” she explains. “We talk about things like preparation, attitude, focus, energy management and communication as well as how they’re handling their down time. It’s not about how many strides to the jump - I leave that to the trainers.”

Equestrians, Johnston emphasizes, are faced with an inherently unique challenge. “You have a teammate with whom you communicate nonverbally,” she says. “A horse is a truth detector - they can tell if you’re nervous or feeling pressure.”

As a teenager, she remembers struggling at the beginning of every horse show she entered. “I’d do great in the last class on Sunday,” she says with a laugh. “I thought, Why can’t I ride like that on Friday morning?” So began a journey of understanding that athletic success was about “being able to focus and be in the moment,” she says. “You can be the best rider on the planet, but if you’re allowing worry, anxiety or self-doubt to affect you, it’s like tying one arm behind your back.”

Dressage rider Michele Cooper, who currently trains with Shannon Peters in San Diego, swears by Johnston’s approach. “I would never do a show without calling Tonya the night before to fine tune my strategies,” she says. Cooper first sought out Johnston when she was returning to competition with her talented but volatile Hanoverian, Lucky Girl BC, on whom she’d suffered several injuries. A badly broken arm kept Cooper out of the show ring for more than a year, during which time Steffen Peters showed the mare. Cooper says her fear wasn’t about getting hurt again, “it was about failing,” she recalls. “I kept thinking, I can’t do as well as my Olympic trainer. But Tonya helped me focus on what I could control, what I could do.”

In a series of phone consultations, Johnston asked Cooper to examine what made her successful in the past and had her create an intensive pre-show routine that involved everything from getting her own tack room where she can “cocoon” herself before a competition to visualizing the show grounds and playing what she calls “happy music” for herself.

The system worked. At the Dressage Affaire in Del Mar this spring, Cooper and Lucky Girl came in third out of a very competitive field of 18 (including Steffen Peters) at Fourth Level, Test 1. “At this level, a lot of dressage is mental,” Cooper says. “The difference between being an amateur and being a professional is that competitive edge. Being able to slow things down in my mind to become more of a thinking rider in the moment has been my most valuable lesson from Tonya.”

Hunter trainer Beverly Jovais of Chestnut Hill in Northern California often kicks off the show season with a clinic in which her entire barn participates in mounted and unmounted sessions with Johnston. But she’s also called on Johnston’s services in an emergency, such as when a rider’s confidence is shaken or if they’re preparing for a major competition. “We have a vet, a farrier, an acupuncturist and Tonya,” says Jovais. “If Tonya weren’t a rider herself, she couldn’t relate. But she can work with the ten-year-old who forgets her course and the older student who is afraid because her horse just runs over the jumps, and she’s helped my riders get over some really bad falls.” If a student is having a problem with negative or catastrophic thinking, Johnston will give them an index card with a stop sign on it or a mantra to repeat. Notes Jovais, “You always leave a session with a concrete tool.”

Johnston crafts individual plans that are unique to her client’s needs and goals. “All I need is someone who is interested in improving,” she says. “But until you build your awareness - understanding what went right and what went wrong every time you ride - there’s no way you can do anything differently.” Homework is part of the process. “I’ll have clients write things down and refect on them. Habits of thought are just as difficult to break and change as are physical habits.”

Hope Glynn, who has 49 horses in training at her Sonoma Valley Stables, says working side by side with Johnston has taught her to be a better coach. “The biggest stress of my clients revolves around competitions or when they’re transitioning to a new horse or new level. Whether she’s giving students cues to work through anxiety or helping them stay focused in a difficult situation, Tonya teaches them new ways of thinking that carry over to other aspects of their lives.”

Rediscovering What Inspires You

tonya — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:37:07 +0000

by Tonya Johnston, MA
Appeared in The Plaid Horse, January 2010

Imagine yourself going through your daily routine at the barn or a horse show and then ask yourself this question: What inspires you? What brings you joy, helps you work hard toward your goals, and reminds you how much you enjoy riding a horse? Is it a nice hack through the country? Succeeding in a hard exercise during a lesson? Watching a rider you admire look elegant mastering a difficult course at a horse show? Finding the moments and experiences that inspire you to ride and compete is an important and on-going process. It’s what gets you revved up, excited to try again when times are tough, and gives you hope that you are progressing down the road toward becoming the best rider you can be.

Sometimes inspiration comes to you out of the blue, and sometimes you need to sharpen your awareness, look around, and gather it up. Either way, the start of a new show season is a great time to identify ways to keep it present in your day-to-day experiences and routines. Everyone needs a lift from time-to-time; what can be hard to figure out is how to get one. Here are a few ideas for some places to look.

Watch Riders you Admire

When you know how to ride, at any level, you understand how hard it is to ride effectively, elegantly and consistently. Appreciating the difficulty involved allows you to be inspired by excellence that you see around you. Some of you are lucky enough to ride at facilities where there are riders you admire and can watch regularly. For others that is not the case, and you must create opportunities to observe the very best. Being able to be a spectator at the bigger horse shows is one way to watch high-level riders not only perform in the show ring, but warm up and relate to their horses before they perform. Using video can be another way to view a level of riding that is inspirational to you.

Use observation to fuel your imagination of what you can achieve in your own riding. Let’s say you have a performance goal of keeping your eye up and focused through each corner. You would want to then watch someone you admire and look specifically at where their eyes focus on course. Notice their habits of directing their gaze and let it motivate you to strive for the same level of accuracy.

“The best and fastest way to learn a sport is to watch and imitate a champion.”
- Jean-Claude Killy, 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist

Revisit the Best Rides of your Life

Remembering your greatest rides is a wonderful way to generate positive emotions and excitement. Ideally you have a method of tracking your rides, so that you can visit the specifics of the experience with ease by reading back through your notes. However, with or without a log of your rides, you can use visualization to remember back to that specific time and place (whether it was a lesson, hack, or a round at a show). Allow yourself to relive, enjoy and experience the ride fully with all of your senses as you walk yourself through it. When you remind yourself of the best you have been - the most in tune, the most focused, the most in the moment - you bring those skills to life and remind yourself that you are capable of creating them in your riding.

Use Music

You can influence your mood, attitude and inspire yourself to greatness with just the right song. Music is a simple way to impact your motivation effectively and immediately, at just the times you may need it most. The music you listen to may be useful on many levels: it may be tied to successful memories from your past; have lyrics that get you going or help you persevere through tough times; or contain a tempo/rhythm/pace that is energy producing. Creating playlists and mixes has never been easier, and it is worth learning how to create them if you don’t already know. (Any 12 year old can help you out if you get stuck!) By sorting, mixing, freshening, and being creative with your music you can generate inspiration anytime you push ‘Play’.

Appreciate the Simple Things

Rushing to the barn for a quick lesson after school or work, cramming in homework in-between classes at a show, commuting long distances to ride, getting up early to compete without enough sleep - all are examples of the ways that you can get tired and worn down. Once you are in that state it can be difficult to feel ‘inspired’ at all! In fact, you may start to feel like riding is part obligation, part enjoyment. In order to find your inspiration it can be helpful to look to the small pleasures to get you back in the groove.

Can you remember the last time you gave your horse a hug? Or took him out to graze and sprinkled carrot pieces in the grass? Or gave your trainer a big smile and thank you at the end of your lesson and quickly told him/her what you felt the most proud of? Finding joy in the small acts can help you bring joy and inspiration back into your daily riding routine. Everyone on your team, including you, will be the better for it.

The Night Before…

tonya — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:30:05 +0000

by Tonya Johnston, MA
Appeared in The Plaid Horse, March 2010

It’s a dark night outside, and you are bundled into your hotel. Tomorrow you have to be at the show grounds at ____ (early!!). Your most important class goes first, and you are hoping you feel prepared and ready to go when you enter the ring. Your horse has been schooling well at home, your trainer is happy, and you are riding effectively and confidently. So why is it that you are sitting in your hotel room biting your nails, feeling tired and slightly queasy? And, more importantly, what could you be doing instead?

‘Rest’: You Need it, How to Get it

It is safe to assume that the night before a long horse show day you need to take it easy; but what truly counts as rest? Is resting staring at the ceiling for three hours worrying and hoping that you lay down the winning trip? Is it resting if you stay up late eating pretzels and talking about horse show gossip with your friend? How about those two hours from 2 - 4 am when you lie there in the dark? Do those count as ‘rest’?

Rest can be defined in a variety of ways (leisure, sleep, physical relaxation, etc.) but we will define it here as time you are not thinking about riding or physically exerting effort (or holding tension in your body in any way). So how can you rest when you need it most? Experiment with the following to find the best combinations for you.

Physical Rest and Relaxation

There are various ways to help your body feel that it is in a state of relaxation. (Do any of them involve pacing your hotel room or running up and down the hallway at the hotel being silly with your friends? Ah, no.) Good ideas do include: Gentle stretching, yoga, a hot shower or bath, lying down with your feet elevated, slowly doing range of motion exercises, etc.

Mental Rest

Taking a true break from thinking about the show, your horse, or riding in general is very important. You can plan to occupy some of your down time with fun TV, movies, magazines, music, books, games - anything that is enjoyable and low stress that will hold your attention away from horses will be useful. Plan ahead to have these kinds of things on hand! (Notice how homework and work were not on the list, those may be required of course, but do your best to also have some true time off if possible.)

Relaxation Techniques

So you want to relax but you just can’t seem to do it. Now what? These can help: long, slow breaths with a focus on exhaling for longer than you inhaled; tensing and then completely releasing all of your major muscle groups, particularly areas where you tend to be tight; or creating mental and physical relaxation by imagining you are on a beach in Hawaii (or some place you associate with resting, relaxing and being at peace).

Preparatory Visualization

Realistically, you are going to spend some time thinking about the horse show. It’s best if you can harness that time and make it truly productive. When you vividly imagine yourself riding successfully in the show ring, you are in effect teaching your body how to respond to the challenges you will face in competition.

By drawing out some courses for yourself the night before the show you can visit the environment you will be riding in the next day. Keep this brief, ten to fifteen minutes at the most. It is ideal if you have shown at the venue before, or if you have at least been at the show grounds and know the ring you will be in so that you can create a specific and accurate image. If you are at a multi-day show, use some time at night to revisit the best parts of your rides that day to strengthen the aspects of your performance that you want to repeat. (Be disciplined about focusing on your successes and imagining solutions to the things you would have liked to do differently.)

Nutrition/Hydration

People have slightly different approaches to what they think is ‘good’ nutrition. Suffice to say that you may have an idea of the importance of eating a balance of protein, carbohydrates, fresh fruit and vegetables, etc. especially the day before exerting yourself in competition - go with that knowledge! What follows are a few suggestions about nutrition management the night before the show and perhaps while you are on the road for a few days.

Plan ahead: Be realistic about your timing for dinner (yes, be sure to eat dinner!), eating at a reasonable hour can greatly impact your ability to fall asleep and to get going in the morning.
Bring healthy snacks from home: Have things on hand that you can use to fill in that last pang of hunger before you go to bed (a candy bar from the vending machine is less than ideal!).
Drink water: Staying away from caffeine and sugared beverages at night is hopefully something that has already become of your regular routine before you show. If not, consider changing your habits as you will see a real difference your capacity to settle, calm your mind and get your body into a relaxed state.

Going to a horse show is a time to focus on having fun and feeling confident in your ability to accomplish the goals you have set for yourself - use the above suggestions to help you prepare the night before!

Staying On Course Or “Where’s the GPS on this thing?”

tonya — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:47:30 +0000

by Tonya Johnston, MA
appeared Eventing USA, July/August 2008

OK, let’s not pretend. Famous or not, international or local - it has happened to all of us. You know it, I know it, your friends, family and trainers know it. (Heck, it has even happened to many of those same trainers at some point in their riding careers!) What are we referring to? The dreaded competition moment, “Oh dear, not now - is this really happening? I absolutely, positively have no fathomable idea where to go next.”

At this point most of us have either pulled up, jumped something at random that looked inviting, or circled until a jolt of inspiration hit us like a meteor from outer space. In addition, feelings of shock, mortification, sadness and the-floor-just-dropped-out-beneath-you often ensued. Is this normal? Yes. But if it happens to you more than once in a (very) blue moon, then the strategies and tips provided here will assist you in making it a thing of the past once and for all. (Frankly, even a fear of losing your way can inhibit your riding skills. Better safe than sorry, right? Read on.)

Why do we go off course?

How do we get lost in the first place? We learn the course (if that is difficult for you, fear not, we will address that as well), we can recite it to anyone around us, we practice in our minds, we ride the dressage tests at home, we walk the cross country three times, we visualize the show jumping course, etc. etc. etc. So where and how does it go out the window in the moment(s) we need it most?

“Right now I’m having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I’ve forgotten this before.” - Steven Wright

Nerves/tension: Excess energy that comes up in competition can be a distraction for our minds and bodies. For example, we may find ourselves internally focused and therefore not able to react, think and ride effectively (e.g. noticing a pit-in-the-stomach feeling, shortness of breath, racing heart).

Distractions: These may come from a variety of sources such as external factors (crowds, other riders, etc.), internal factors (rapid and unfocused self talk), or our horse (for example, unexpected spookiness). These distractions take us out of the moment and prevent us from riding our course plan the way we intended.

Lack of preparation: A lack of sufficient preparation before entering the ring or going on course can easily leave us feeling rushed and scattered; therefore vulnerable to memory lapses and many types of distractions.

Incomplete learning: If your method for learning the course and making your course plan is faulty to begin with, you are setting yourself up for trouble when you get in the ring.

Thinking behind ourselves: Allowing the past (a rail on the first jump or a missed transisiton) to consume our focus, making us ill-equipped to respond to what is in front of us.

Thinking ahead of ourselves: Worry or fear about a particular part of the course may cause us to take the more ‘basic’ components for granted, or create a complete lack of focus that makes staying on target impossible.

Faulty belief system: If you have a deep-seated belief that you are a person who goes off course a lot - guess what?

Complete system failure: This is self-explanatory - the “blue moon phenomenon” - but it can be prevented!

Identify Your Learning Style (and stick with it!)

Do you know your learning style? Are you a kinesthetic learner - best on foot, taking extra time walking and looking at the track you will ride while getting to know the unfamiliar surroundings at an event? Or will visual representation help to cement your course plan - by writing it down and then using visualization to help process the information? How about listening to the course plan described in detail by your trainer or talking it through and describing it to someone else?

Knowing your learning style (kinesthetic, visual or auditory) will help you choose methods and strategies that will be particularly effective for you. Learning and remembering are two different things, but make no mistake - they are also intimately intertwined! You can discover your style by thinking about what has worked best for you in the past, or you can find learning style assessment instruments online (Find a nice review of learning style assessment instruments at: adulted.about.com/od/learningstyles.) Although learning style is only a piece of the puzzle, it can help you immensely in building your competition routine.

Methods to stay on course

Many people do not take the time to recognize that mental mistakes that happen in competition have roots in the practices they employ every day in training. You may find yourself wondering how strategies for riding at home can help you remember competition courses you haven’t even seen yet. Or you may find yourself saying, “But I always stay on course at home!” Please try these strategies anyway - you will be surprised at the difference these ideas make when you work them into your practice rides and lessons.

At home strategies:

Practice with pressure: Create competition situations in your mind and then give yourself one opportunity to ride the exercise, test or course successfully. (See my article in the July/August 2007 issue.)
Practice warming-up and riding your test or course in two different rings.
Visualize specific to the show grounds: In the weeks before your event imagine yourself riding in those arenas or out on that particular cross-country course. Create vivid images that so you build your comfort level and confidence specific to the venue.
Practice walking courses at home: Both in actual rings and simulated arenas you create for yourself. Make a detailed course plan that integrates your goals as you walk and vividly imagine yourself riding the plan successfully.
Practice strategies for dealing with distractions, such as: a) Create cue words that are tied in with your performance goals to get yourself back on track should you become distracted on course. b) Choose places to incorporate a brief exhale on course, and use exhalation when you find yourself taken out of the moment to regain your focus and composure.

Remembering courses and tests in competition is a skill, no question. As with most skills it will improve with experience, but there are also a vast array of strategies you can employ to make the process easier. Below we explore a few of the best methods for staying on track at the event. (Be sure to bring the applicable strategies from the ‘at home’ list as well!)

At the event strategies

Find and note focal points for each ring or course on foot.
Write the course or test out on your own pad of paper.
Visualize your course specific to the competition ring - if certain courses do not make intuitive sense, or you find yourself making mistakes keep at it with your eyes closed until it is locked in (people sometimes give up too early on their preparation). Be sure to visualize the specifics of what you want to have happen in the corners of the show jumping ring or during the ‘breathers’ on the cross country course. Ride the course or test in ‘real time’ (for example, a show jumping round should take longer than 38 seconds to visualize!)
Integrate performance goals into your course plan.
Jump warm-up jumps imagining that they are particular jumps on course: Integrate turns before and after the jump to mimic turns you will face in competition. In this way you will practice the thought process you will use once on course to remember certain portions of the track.
Have a plan to deal with extra energy/nerves (breathing techniques, progressive realization tools, etc.).
Have one word cues to regroup from internal and external distractions on course. (For example, “Eyes” or “Forward” - cues that activate your focus and keep you mindful of your goals.)

The Optimal Idea

“Learn from the past. Prepare for the future. Perform in the present.” This quote by Gary Mack encapsulates how we need to view those days and times we have lost our way on course. Learning from past mistakes, take care to prepare mindfully, then trust your efforts will keep you on the right track.

What Are You Thinking at the Back Gate? Part II: After Your Round

tonya — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:29:15 +0000

by Tonya Johnston, MA
appeared in The Plaid Horse, September 2009

You jump the last fence in your course and make your closing circle. As the applause dies down (yes, there was lots of whooping and clapping) you exit the ring giving your horse a pat on the neck. What happens next? Obviously the five minutes after you come out of the ring are very much driven by your trainer, but, like many things in riding, there are a lot of opportunities to support, encourage and teach yourself as well.

As your trainer debriefs the course with you, you are also reviewing your effort. If you have another round right away this process will of course differ slightly than if you do not. Either way, there are strategies you can employ to cement the good things and lock in the lessons that you would like to embrace in the future. We discussed your pre-ride routine for the back gate in Part 1; now we will look at some ideas that can be a consistent part of your post-ride routine in Part 2.

Find the Gems First

Whether your ride was fantastic and full of ‘Wow’ moments, or not so great and full of ‘Oops’ experiences, there are virtually always pieces that you can be proud of. When you come out of the ring, take a deep breath to gather yourself and allow a brief period of reflection. Find the gems first by identifying the best moments of your course - along with why they occurred. For example, what performance goals did you accomplish? The benefits of this process are two-fold. First, a post-ride routine that includes looking for the great moments creates a positive expectation before you begin. In effect you will have ‘primed the pump’ - which means you will have done something to ensure your success. Second, by examining what went right first you are strengthening the habits that led to those moments, thus improving the chance that they will happen again.

Craft Solutions Where Necessary

If there were some mistakes on course, allow disappointment to have a time and place, but keep moving through the experience. It is unrealistic to think a “Drat!!” or “Argh” won’t flash through your mind after a particularly unfortunate error. So, acknowledge your disappointment, then go quickly into ‘problem-solver’ mode (your trainer will be a big part of this process).

Instead of focusing on the mistake itself (”We stopped at the single oxer again!”) try to look at why it happened (”I looked down and tipped my upper body.”) then craft the solution (”I will keep my eye up on the middle of the front rail and open my chest at the single oxer next time.”). As a result of this process you will have found a succinct and realistic solution that you can focus on. Then, instead of replaying the mistake, replay how the solution will feel the next time you jump a single oxer with finesse and flair.

Visualize Successes Immediately

After coming out of the ring, have you ever noticed yourself replaying your mistakes over and over again in your head? Do you know what kind of effect that has on your mind and body? What you are doing is strengthening the likelihood of more mistakes, wasting your energy and a solidifying a gloomy attitude. Focus instead on those truly magical moments on course where you felt completely focused, smooth and in sync with your horse.

It is true that dedication, determination and perseverance may be required to help you visualize the best memories once you complete a round that also contained mistakes.
Why work so hard? Recreating the great parts of your ride strengthens the muscle memories that led to those successes - making it more likely you will repeat your finest moments. As you run through them again, also try to recapture the positive emotions in order to ’stamp’ them as helpful and encouraging experiences and those aspects of your riding will be further reinforced. The effort required will be well worth it with not only successful habits being built, but significant deposits being made into your bank of confidence.

Take Post-Ride Notes

Once you are back at the barn (not technically at the back gate anymore - but this is a valuable debriefing strategy worth mentioning) tracking your rides and courses can be a great way to reinforce the good, and learn from the not-so-good. Create a regular template for: writing down your course, remembering your preparation, specifying the goals you accomplished, and the things to improve (and how to improve them) and you are sure to make your horse show experiences work for you. Ideally you will take five minutes sometime after your ride to jot down these details, no matter how briefly, so that you can remember the keys to your success (and/or future success!). The act of writing them is also valuable as they will also create an encyclopedia of your skills and achievements to reflect back on in the future.

As you strive to be the best rider you can be, remember that your effort and progress need to be rewarded and acknowledged by someone very important - you! Never ignore an opportunity to give yourself a pat on the back when you come out of the ring, and recognize the constant development of your talents.

Sport Psychology 101: Pop Quiz

tonya — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:24:22 +0000

by Tonya Johnston, MA
Appeared in Eventing USA September/October 2009

People’s knowledge about the field of sport psychology and specific performance enhancement techniques can vary quite a bit. This breadth of information can range from the basics (”What is positive self talk?”), to the more subtle benefits (”Can breathing techniques energize me?”). In the interest of promoting education about sport psychology, my column for this issue will be a small quiz. To play along: take a folded piece paper to help you read each question slowly, decide if you think it is a true or false statement, check yourself and then read the explanation. How do you think you will do? There is no need to keep score - this game (as with many things in life) is about the process, not the outcome.

Positive self talk just means saying “I can” instead of “I can’t. False
Using positive self talk to turn negatives into positives can feel weak and untrue to many people who don’t fully understand the technique. It is crucial to include the how in the response to the negative thought. For example, to counter the little voice in your head that says “I never feel confident before my stadium round” you want to shift gears and focus on what you can do or think (the how) that will help you feel confident. Instead of saying “I am confident before stadium” (which we know you don’t truly believe), you would say “I breathe and focus on my course plan before stadium”. The second statement is positive because it is realistic, in your control, and leads you to confidence - which is clearly what you felt you were lacking in the initial negative statement.
Goal setting can negatively impact your motivation and performance.

True
Goal setting can be dangerous if it isn’t properly balanced and crafted. To make sure goal setting enhances your motivation you must equalize outcome goals (winning, accolades, team selection, etc.) with performance goals (improvements in your own performance over time). This ensures that you are always able to track progress, even when results may be disappointing. You also need to phrase your goals positively (”Keep my eye up to every jump” vs. “Don’t look down”) to ensure that you are sending your body appropriate messages about what to do to be successful.
You have to have to be a nervous rider to benefit from sport psychology. False
Many, many riders who have never been nervous or anxious have benefited from adding mental techniques to their mental toolbox. Instead of focusing on any one ‘problem’ the field of sport psychology offers many strategies to help athletes achieve consistent high-level performances. Since riding at every level requires both mental and physical skills, you must be excellent at both to truly excel. Many people now cross-train physically to be sure they are physically strong and fit; sport psychology can be looked at as a way to cross-train your mental skills.
Visualization is only effective once you are at a show and you know the course.

False
Visualizing before you get to the venue can be a terrific way to build your focus, confidence, and improve your performance. In the weeks before an event you can imagine your rides (specific to the arenas and terrain of your next show) several times a week to train your mind and body how you want to ride once you get there. Obviously this is facilitated by past experience at the show-grounds, but research on the internet for pictures and video can assist you in building positive expectations and life-like visualizations.
It is OK to make mistakes in your visualizations. True
You can, and will, make mistakes in your visualizations and it is important to understand why that can be useful. There you are cantering to the last oxer in your stadium round and you feel yourself pull and pull again, adding two strides and dropping a rail in your pre-ride visualization. This is a moment that is based on habit and muscle-memory - but the fact that it happened in your visualization gives you an added opportunity to fix the habit. Re-wind the tape and focus on one or two things that are keys to maintaining your forward rhythm on the way to that jump. It’s OK to make the mistake, but you want to be sure to finish with a visualization of yourself riding the solution.
Mental techniques are only for competition.

False
Like any muscle you use to succeed physically in your riding, the more you practice, the better you get. You may occasionally use the techniques for different reasons in your schools at home, but you still need to practice in order to build strength of mind and focus. For example, in your lessons at home you may use your breathing techniques to bring your energy up; whereas at an event you may need to breathe effectively to relax and let go of extra energy before a ride.
With practice, you can control every aspect of your rides.

False
Somewhat of a trick question here, right? In riding there are many things that are out of your control. The weather, your horse’s mood, the course, etc. What you can learn to control 100% of the time - with practice and mental techniques - is your response and reactions. For example, your horse has more energy than you would have liked as you enter the dressage arena. Instead of being negative and frustrated, which can easily escalate the problem; you make a choice to respond proactively. By making a mental note to find additional places to exhale during the test, and concentrating on lowering your own arousal level, you take conscious control of your reaction and response to something that you have to cope with in the moment. By having awareness, presence of mind, and recognizing that every thought and behavior represents a choice, you can learn to react optimally in every situation.
Understanding your motivation to ride can greatly improve your performance.

True
When your goals are in line with your motivation, you ensure that your efforts will have a direct impact on your performance. Having a crystal-clear understanding of why you compete helps you make choices that bring you enjoyment, fulfillment and happiness. A happy rider is a resilient rider who will bring their talents to every situation.
World class riders don’t use sport psychology consultants. False
Here’s hoping you got this one correct! Of course many of the world’s best have used sport psychology to get to the top and once there continue to use sport psychology. Your riding skill or level of competition does not determine the potential usefulness of these mental techniques. From beginner novice riders struggling to remember their courses, to Olympians looking for an extra edge, great riders embrace that there is always more to learn, and ways they can improve.
It is best not to bring your goals with you into the ring. False
While bringing outcome goals (”I want to score xyz…” or “I am excited to go make my trainer proud”) can be detrimental to your focus because they are ultimately out of your control, performance goals can truly enhance your focus. Take a personal, performance goal such as “Stretch and lengthen my body with each half-halt” and shorten it to a cue-word like “Stretch”. Then insert that cue into your ride plan, and you have brought one of your goals into the ring to strengthen your ability to focus in the moment. It is a simple way to unite your goal with your focus and physical awareness during a ride. It is proactive, positive and links a psychological pursuit - goal setting - with a physical accomplishment on your horse.

So, how did you do? It is a useful process to test your assumptions and challenge your knowledge about a given subject, just as we did with this quiz. In addition, Alice Rollins says, “The test of a good teacher is not how many questions can she ask her pupils that they will answer readily, but how many questions she inspires them to ask that she finds it hard to answer.” After reading this article you hopefully learned some new things about sport psychology and ways that it can help you ride your best, let me know if you have any questions.

Believe in Yourself!

tonya — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:49:12 +0000

by Tonya Johnston, MA
appeared in Eventing USA Magazine, July/August 2009

What do you think you can accomplish on a horse? Do you believe you can be calm and focused in your stadium round next week? Are you going to get strong enough to sit your horse’s trot for more than three laps of the arena? Do you think you will be successful at the next level?

What you believe about yourself, your abilities, your horses and the world at large play a large part in creating your experiences. Although these beliefs exist at a deep level, and are thus sometimes hard to identify and adjust, it is important to take stock periodically to ensure they are 100% helpful to you.

The goal of this article is to help you investigate the role your beliefs have in your day-to-day riding life. How to assess them, evaluate their usefulness and fine-tune them as necessary. This work is a true ‘inside job’ – others can give you advice, encouragement, or instruction, but only you can be sure the faith you have in yourself is helpful and true.

The Belief Pyramid

Do you believe it was random luck when your horse bulged left, spooked at a shadow to the right, and ended up staying on the direct track to the chevron? Or were you balanced and secure (to correct the drift), prepared for anything (including the spook), with your eye locked on your focal point to make sure your horse knew where you were going? Can you see the difference between those two perceptions and thus the beliefs that will ensue? (“I am a lucky rider.” vs. “I am a prepared and tenacious rider.”)

Beliefs you hold true are the basis for your expectations, self talk and actions. In the field of psychology, a term called self-efficacy describes the belief you have in your ability to be successful. When you believe that you will be successful, does that mean you will be every time? Maybe, maybe not - but you are much more likely to have positive expectations, tell yourself you can do it, and utilize your best skills and abilities.

What do you believe?

Try this: write a list of the beliefs you have about your riding abilities. First, focus on the positive by listing specific mental and physical skills that contribute to your success in the saddle. Give yourself 15 minutes to think, brainstorm and write only affirmative things. Next, write down things that are negative or limiting. Now compare the two. Are the negative beliefs fun, helpful or entertaining? (Trust me, the answer is no!) Hopefully the positive beliefs outnumber the negative ones, but if not don’t worry - there are ways to modify and erase those pesky negative beliefs.

The first and best thing to do to get rid of limiting beliefs is to determine if they are rational or irrational. It is the irrational ones (that hold us back unnecessarily) that we are pursuing here. (Such as, “I will never be confident jumping a down bank into water.”) These irrational and negative beliefs are suspect - they don’t help you succeed, and yet they linger in the deepest recesses of your mind.

Common Irrational Beliefs

Irrational beliefs are generated by many different thought patterns. It is not out of the ordinary to experience them, most everyone does. The problem occurs when you as a rider accept, preserve and endorse these self-defeating beliefs as universal truths. You have then severely limited your potential and your performance.

The following are examples of athletes’ commonly held irrational beliefs and distorted thinking:

Perfection is essential: “I must be perfect to be respected as a good rider.”

Catastrophizing: “I know that look in my horse’s eye means I will _____ (get run away with, trample my ground person, get eliminated for jumping out of the start box, etc.).”

One-trial generalizations: “I always forget my stadium course.”

Personalization: “Those people watching on the rail are all laughing at me.”

Polarized thinking: “I am not a true event rider if I can’t be in the top five this year, and I will quit if it doesn’t happen.”

Worth depends on achievement: “Thank goodness I won last weekend, now I finally know how to ride.”

Assess your Beliefs

Put your negative beliefs to the test and assess if they are rational or irrational, productive or unproductive by using the questions below. For example, let’s investigate the following belief: “I always ride terribly in my stadium round.”

Is the belief based on objective reality? Would observers see the event the way you perceived it, or do you exaggerate the situation?
Is it useful in some way?
Does the belief help you reach your goals, or get in the way?
Does the belief create emotions that help you feel empowered and capable while reducing your stress level?

It should be evident that when put to this test, the above belief is irrational. It may feel true to you but it is not based in objective reality (you stay on course, your horse leaves many jumps up and you have sections of every course where your trainer tells you that you rode well); it is not useful in any way; it prevents you from achieving your goals by creating a constant negative expectation; and it makes you feel tense and anxious.

Adjust Your Beliefs

In order to get a handle on your irrational beliefs and adjust them appropriately use a method, developed by psychologist Albert Ellis, called “ABC Cognitive Restructuring”. To use this method take an irrational belief you have identified and work through it using the following strategy:

Irrational Belief Example: “I can’t stay focused when my horse is bad.”

A: Activating Event

First, describe a typical event that leads to the belief, feelings and behavior.

My horse spooked five times on the way to the warm-up area.

B: Beliefs or Interpretations

Second, record the negative self-talk and beliefs.

“This dressage test is going to be awful.”

“I can’t stay focused when he is bad.”

C: Consequences

Third, identify the bodily reactions, feelings, and behavior that resulted.

Worry; my legs are not down and around my horse; my shoulders, jaw and neck are tense; my elbow is locked.

D: Dispute

Fourth, write rational and adaptive responses to use in the same situation.

“This is a challenge, but one I can solve. I know some good flatwork exercises to get his mind back on me.”

“I am in control of my body and my energy. When I remain calm, centered and keep my goals realistic I can make the best of any situation.”

You can see the negative impact the belief has on your behavior. Your expectations are negative, your self talk is unhelpful, your body is tense and locked – how do you think the dressage test would go if the belief is left unchecked? By taking the time to realistically and actively dispute the negative belief you mobilize your skills and talents. The “Dispute” section is crucial to this process. The next time you are faced with a similar situation you will remember that you have choices about your mental and physical responses. The experience of your horse repeatedly spooking does not have to equal a horrible test – so you can leave that belief behind and remember that there are many productive things you can do to create a solid performance.

The Optimal Idea

Wouldn’t it be silly if all that was standing between you and your best event ever were the old beliefs that your horse ‘doesn’t like new places’ and ‘I am really too old to be doing this’? Wilma Rudolph, the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field, and a childhood polio survivor, said, “My mother taught me very early to believe I could achieve any accomplishment I wanted to. The first was to walk without braces.” To develop from a child who couldn’t walk to an Olympic champion, her beliefs in her abilities surely grew and developed as her skills increased - be sure yours do the same.