December is the season of light, Christmas lights and Hanukah lights. As co-authors of Enlightened Riding, a holistic approach that develops the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of both horse and rider, light reminds us of the harmony that is possible when horse and rider connect in understanding and harmony. The resulting lightness is reason to celebrate. Now is a good time to acknowledge riding accomplishments, however large or small. These attainments provide motivation to continue a riding program through next year’s challenges and the darker, colder winter months ahead.
January brings the tradition of the New Year’s resolution, another word for goals. Clearly formulated riding goals can light the training path by providing focus, challenge, and motivation. All too often, resolutions are forgotten somewhere between the distractions of daily life, the fears of getting back on after a fall, or the disappointment of low scores at the last show. Two important traits, hope and optimism, can make the difference between giving up and continuing on to success. Fortunately, these twin attitudes can be learned through mental training.
Psychological research shows that the difference between those who achieve goals and those who give up is hope. Hope, the belief that we can and will attain our goals, inspires us to reach for them. Without hope we wouldn’t try in the first place. Creating and using affirmations to reinforce belief in goals is an excellent method to develop hope.
Effective affirmations are positive statements written in present tense. Sensory language or metaphors add power. Here are three variations on affirmations to increase motivation: “I am filled with inspiration to envision and manifest my riding goals. I am at one with my dream and ride to express my full potential. My resolve to reach my riding goals is as powerful as the wind, firm as the mountains, and as strong as the redwoods.”
Because an affirmation is stated as a present fact, the mind more readily incorporates it into the belief system. “I will ride daily” is less convincing than “I ride daily.” Positive statements are more helpful than those that use negatives. A statement such as, “I won’t pull back to halt my horse,” risks being encoded as “pull back to halt.” The unconscious mind hears the command more loudly than the negative injunction.
Words that appeal to the five senses or evoke metaphoric images also make a deeper impact on us. For example “My joints feel supple and warm,” is more powerful than “My joints are relaxed.” Reciting an affirmation several times daily reinforces hope, the belief that goals are attainable.
While hope generates possibility and sets us on the journey to reach our goals, optimism helps us cope with problems and find strategies to overcome defeat. Optimism is the belief that we have or can muster the skills or resources to reach our goals in spite of obstacles or setbacks. It’s not a naïve, simplistic view that everything will magically turn out as we like. Rather, it’s a mature and realistic ability to tackle problems. Without optimism, a rider blames herself for failure, becomes dejected, and gives up: “I just didn’t learn to ride when I was young, now I’ll never be a natural.”
With optimism, a rider analyzes the variables, changes the ineffective component, gains knowledge or skills, and believes in her ability to meet whatever challenges come her way. The optimistic rider is more likely to say, “I need to develop a deeper, more effective seat. I’ll do 20 minutes of stretching exercises before I ride and then ride without my stirrups for 10 minutes a day.”

Building Optimism

Guided imagery can also help equestrians develop attitudes that underlie optimism, such as confidence, focus, relaxation, presence, courage and inspiration. This is a powerful form of mental practice because the mind accepts guided imagery as if it is real. By tapping into a deeper state of consciousness, riders more quickly acquire and retain learning. Through guided imagery, riders visualize performing “as if” they have achieved their goals. This increases a rider’s sense of mastery, which translates into a more relaxed and confident rider, an increased connection between horse and rider, and thus an improved response from the horse. By engaging in guided imagery several times a week, a rider erases defeatist attitudes and encodes new positive beliefs.
Riders can create their own guided imagery scripts or purchase professionally created CDs. The following excerpts from Vision Quest, an Enlightened Riding CD, illustrate the components of a guided imagery script:
An imaginary journey or ceremony creates involvement; sensory language allows the experience to become real, and background music and metaphors engage the right brain. Our variation of the ancient American vision quest guides riders through a ceremony to envision and manifest personal riding goals that express their full potential.
Fire building serves as a metaphor for building inspiration and obstacles are identified, written on bark, and symbolically burned in the flames. Whatever resources are needed, such as “the persistence of the wind” or the “endurance of the mountains,” are gathered from the surroundings and internalized. The rider’s unique vision then rises from the ashes like a Phoenix bird. Finally, the rider performs “as if” she has achieved the summit of her potential. Visualizing riding at peak performance is key to the power of guided imagery. By believing in our potential, we can create it because our mind directs our body to act in harmony with our beliefs.
Hope is inspiring; optimism ensures that we keep perspiring. To reach goals, riders need both. Successful attainment of riding goals is a combination of talent, skills, and capacity to deal with defeat. It is this capacity to overcome defeat and persevere that can make up for whatever we may lack in talent and guarantee that we develop the necessary skills. Added to the mental training program, affirmations and guided imagery can help riders learn hope and optimism to turn riding resolutions into reality.
Barbi Breen Gurley is an “S” dressage judge, champion FEI rider, trainer and instructor at Sea Horse Ranch in Los Osos. Janet Emmons is a marriage and family therapist, specializing in sports psychology, co-author of Meditative Therapy and a dressage rider. She practices in San Luis Obispo. Barbi or Janet may be contacted at www.EnlightenedRiding.com.