The following blog was inspired by a rider who told me, "I have a
wonderful, talented thoroughbred. We can do Second and Third level work
at home, yet when we compete, we can barely get through a First Level
test. The missing link seems to be relaxation. My horse is off the
track, and we seem to feed off each other's tension. How does a
normally tense person learn to relax?"

This rider is right in thinking that relaxation is her priority. When
you're tense, your work can't be of as high a quality as when you're
relaxed. That's true for both horses and riders. Sure, a certain rush
of adrenalin is normal and even welcome. But when you're so tense that
you feel immobilized, you've got a problem. Here are some tips to help
you relax at shows.

1. First, try to figure out why you get so nervous at shows. Are you
worried about what people think of you? Have you put unrealistic
pressure on yourself to win? Are you afraid you won't measure up to the
expectations of others? If those are the kinds of things that make you
nervous, focus on "performance goals" rather than "result goals". In
other words, rather than having a goal of scoring 65% or placing in the
top 3, make a new goal that reflects your effort rather than the
outcome. For example, how about sitting elegantly and quietly, or
remembering to breathe, or maintaining a metronome-like rhythm for an
entire test?

2. Do you ride defensively because you're afraid that your horse will
be fresh at a new place? If so, go to the show a day early. Work your
horse on the long line so he can get his bucks out of his system. Take
him out of the stall several times for hand walks or grazing around the
arenas. You'll be amazed at how grazing your horse calms him down. By
the time you ride, he should be as comfortable with his new
surroundings as he is at home.

3. Stage some dress rehearsals. Drive to neighboring farms; take your
horse off the trailer, warm-up, and do a practice test. Do this often
enough that going to a new place and "performing" gets to be old hat
for both of you.

It's even a good idea to braid and put on your show clothes to simulate
a competition. I remember one horse that would warm up beautifully, but
as soon as I went around the ring, he'd get tense. I didn't think I was
making him tense, but I would consistently "lose him" between the
warm-up and the competition arena.
I finally figured out that I never wore my shad belly jacket with its
long tails during the warm up. When I finally put my coat on, the tails
brushed his sides, and he'd catch a glimpse of them moving out of the
corner of his eye. These new sensations scared him. So for several
weeks, I pinned a large bath towel to the back of the saddle pad. When
he moved, the towel flapped against his body, and he could see it
waving. He soon got used to it, and our problem went away.

4. Use humor to break up tension. Go to shows with friends who get
silly and make you laugh. The less intense you are, the more fun you'll
have. Go around the arena and as you pass the judge, think to yourself,
"Hey, Baby! Get ready to have your socks knocked off!" Hear the bell
and say under your breath, "Oh, Yippee! It's my turn!" Come down the
centerline, see the judge sitting in the trailer, and visualize that
you're going to put the tailgate up so she can't see you. Do whatever
goofy thing helps you to dissipate tension.

5. Think about what happens to you physically when you're tense.
Muscles get tight while respiration and heart rate increase. The good
news is that with a little work, you can regulate all of these
reactions.
Let's address muscle tension first. Understand that the more you
tighten a muscle, the more deeply it relaxes when you let go. To learn
the feeling of muscular relaxation, sit in a chair and tense every
muscle in your body. Hold the tension until your body quivers. Then let
go and feel yourself sinking heavily down into your chair.

Now, go through this process starting at your head and working down to
your feet section by section. Each time you release the tension in a
muscle group, anchor this feeling of deep relaxation, by saying the
words "let go". Eventually as you ride, you can scan your body for
tight places. "Talk" to that area with your cue words. For example, say
out loud, "Neck--Let go." Wrists--Leg go." "Legs--Let go."
6. Now, let's talk about breathing. Normally, when you're tense, your
respiration becomes more rapid and shallow. You might even find that
you occasionally hold your breath. You can be sure that if you do this,
you'll transmit your tension to your horse.

So, practice deep breathing. As you inhale through your nose, keep your
shoulders down and let your stomach get "fat". As you exhale through
your mouth, feel your seat lowering into the saddle so that you
"dissolve" into your horse's body. Consciously breathe like this when
you first get on, during every break, and as you go around the outside
of the arena. In fact, one of your performance goals can be to take a
deep breath in every corner.

7. You can also train yourself to regulate your heart rate by using the
stress and recovery cycle that occurs during exercise. Go for a
twenty-minute walk and periodically increase your heart rate by walking
faster or even jogging for 10-30 seconds. Each time you slow back down
to a comfortable walk and feel your heart rate and breathing returning
to normal, anchor this feeling with a specific cue. Pick a cue that you
can use easily when you ride. For example, clear your throat, touch
your thumb to your forefinger, or tap your fists together. Then when
you feel tense at shows, you can use your cue to slow your heart rate
because you've trained yourself to do so.

You're not alone. Everyone gets tense when competing. Contrary to
popular opinion, professionals are not immune to sweaty palms and
rubbery legs. But the exciting thing is that you can learn to deal with
your anxiety so that you can still do your job well and enjoy yourself.
All it takes is some handy tools in your toolbox.

A Happy Horse