We all know what a beautiful ride looks like and some of us even know what it feels like. Without exception, observers would comment about the graceful fluid movements of both horse and rider, how in tune with the horse the rider was, and how in balance the rider was. Riding in a state of balance requires our inner energy to be clear and free of static. Most riders know that a successful ride cannot occur if their body is filled with negative emotions. Anger, fear, envy, jealousy, depression, anxiety, or sadness are disastrous to a balanced ride. These emotions keep riders from feeling the horses' energy, and they send horses messages that confuse them.

It has been the experience of Hilltop Farm's trainers that many riders are aware that negative emotions get in the way of a good ride. However, the time or resources to alter these states is not always available.

Here's how those negative emotions cycle... Many emotions arise as a result of our thoughts, internal imaging processes, or memories. We are all familiar with the emotional spaces we may find ourselves in after having specific thoughts, seeing certain internal “pictures”, or remembering past events. We are all familiar with being flooded with emotions with certain memories, and being able to remember other events without the emotional overtones. Emotion filled memories may be evoked by an image, a smell, a sound, or a stray thought. Once these memories are activated, we can be struck by an emotion which then becomes hard to shake off. These are the emotions that are most likely associated with throwing our riding, or our life, off balance.

Riders may back away from working on these negative emotional states for a number of reasons ranging from lack of time for long-term more traditional therapy, to the emotional state being so subtle as to only show up when in a riding experience.

The GOOD NEWS is that there now exists procedures for de-activating, or clearing, the thought/negative “stuck” emotion connection. These procedures greatly diminish and, in many cases, eliminate the fear, anger, insecurity, or anxiety (to name a few of the emotions) that seems to be associated with certain thoughts, internal pictures, or memories, Thus, clearing the energy or freeing the thoughts that normally continue to cycle.

Articles of mine that have appeared in
STABLEVIEWS Magazine

-
--NEW- An Empty Cup
--Competitor's Self Care
- More On Energy
- On Grief, Grieving, and Deciding
- The Horse Goes, or I Go
- Meditation Part 1
- Meditation Part 2

- Mental Skills and Self-Talk
- Self-Observation - Horse Show Etiquette
- Turning Disappointment Into Celebration
--NEW- Resolutions for the New Millennium
--NEW- Unmasking Compassion
- Working Through Fear
- You Can Change your Attitude about
--Self-Discipline

Contributing author: Equestrian Instruction:
an integrated approach to teaching and learning.

ask the experts at equerry.com

home