Welcome to The Emotional Side of Riding, a new column covering the emotional aspects of riding. This installment will focus on leaving behind anxiety, stress and daily distractions so you can be present with your riding.
You might be thinking, “What does meditation have to do with riding?” The answer is “everything,” because riding is about mental and emotional centeredness as well as physical technique. And I promise, you’ll see just how easy meditation can be once you try it.
Getting centered helps us stay in the moment and ignore distractions.
Knowing that positive distractions can be just as disengaging to the present moment as negative ones, having a plan to be mentally and emotionally centered and present throughout your ride can be extremely valuable.
One client of mine was always rushing to fit time with her horse into her busy work schedule. Thrilled to arrive at the barn, she would jump out of her car and race to her horse’s stall. Her voice, calling his name, echoed her restless enthusiasm. Working with her for the first time, I saw the tensing reaction of her horse and knew a pre-ride, mini-meditation could do the trick.
I first explained what I observed in her actions and the horse’s reaction. She confirmed my suspicions of bringing stress with her to the barn and we discussed the signs of stress in her horse. A tight jaw and muzzle, fidgeting in the crossties, and a variety of agitated behaviors signaled that he was picking up on the stress.
I suggested instead that she have a plan to switch gears upon arriving at the barn by doing a mini-meditation. In this way, meditation becomes a tool that is both simple and effective. Meditation helps us become more mindful, so that we are aware of the emotions distracting us or causing us to be “in our heads,” instead of in the present moment. With a clearer mind, we have a chance to focus our thoughts instead on any aspect of our riding that we wish to work on.
Not only does meditation help to center us, it helps center our horses as well. Our mental and emotional state can easily transfer to our highly intuitive horses. At the least, this works against our connection with them and at worst it triggers negative behaviors.
Be Quiet
So how do we get centered and learn to be present? That’s the magic of the mini-meditation. Here’s what it looks like. Find a place to be quiet before seeing your horse: a favorite spot at the stable, perhaps. Sitting comfortably, take three minutes to breathe, reflect and focus. Allow your eyes to soften or to close completely, and become aware of your breathing. This will bring you to the present. Watch what comes to mind. Try letting go of any distracting thoughts, letting them pass by like clouds moving through the sky. Once you’ve done this you are free to focus on what’s important right then, for that particular ride, on that particular day.
For my client with the “restless enthusiasm,” the mini-meditation has brought a composed and centered approach that has improved every interaction with her horse. His reaction when she approaches his stall is one of quietness and pleasure to see her. (Don’t we all want our horses to be happy to see us?) His agitation in the crossties has completely disappeared.
This little bit of time: just three minutes, is a gift you can give yourself every ride. Give the mini-meditation a try over the next month and see how it feels to be calm, centered and focused in the present.
Managing self-talk will be the topic of my next column.
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