Mind Games - Looking at the Silver Lining with Tanja Mitton

This article is from the May 2020 Horse Deals magazine.

Things that happen don’t happen for a reason, they just happen. However, it is up to us individually to make reason out of what is happening and with that comes a choice.

We can focus on the negatives or we can find the blessings in the positive. The negatives right now would be that we are restricted in what we can do with our horses. Events are cancelled, clinics postponed, and lessons restricted.

Now it would be easy to feel down and depressed about that fact and therefore it would be easy to put the horse in the paddock and adapt a “Well it doesn’t matter anyway” approach. However, we can also embrace the fact that finally we have been given time! Time to train, time to enjoy, time to work on all those things that, well take time and therefore often go under and are forgotten during the busy competition season. And yes you’ve guessed it, I will hammer on about the importance of riders improving their own fitness and rider position.

So, what can we do with that blessing of extra time we have been given? I will share some tips with you on how to use time to make the best of the time we have now to address issues that take time.

Let’s start with fitness and no you don’t need to start running around the block or training for a marathon....thank God for that. I am more thinking of improving your core strength for stability and balance as well as your flexibility. We need to improve our core strength to bring our pelvis into alignment so we can follow the horse’s movement without blocking it. To do that it is important to mobilise your lower back by addressing any stiffness and hollowing in your lower back area and strengthening your core (especially your inner core muscles) will help with that.

Here are two easy exercises you can do:

1. Lie on the floor on your back (hard floor wherever possible), have your feet flat on the ground and angle your knees, then peal your spine gently down onto the floor. Notice how you most likely will start off with a curve in your lower back where your spine does not touch the floor. The aim with this very gentle exercise is to gradually bring your whole spine onto the floor and in order to do that you have to automatically engage your inner core muscles.

2. Stand up against the wall and bring your feet slightly in so you are squatting with your spine against the wall. Then gradually increase the squat by bending your knees and pressing your entire spine onto the wall, using your hamstring muscles to lower and gradually lifting your body again whilst keeping your spine pressed to the wall in the up and down movement. Notice how you also have to engage your inner core in this exercise. This is easily something you can do just before you get on your horse as a warm-up and multiple times a day. You can start at a level that you feel comfortable with. It will help you to keep your pelvis underneath you in the saddle and to sit up straight.

Now here is also a mindset exercise you can work on in your spare time.
I know how stress can become overwhelming in times of uncertainty and how stress negatively affects our riding. So here is a wonderful way to stay not only positive but also to help you reduce stress and anxiety in your daily life. And the magic cure is called ‘daydreaming.’ Yes, you‘ve read this correctly. Remembering the great times, this can be:
• A super fun ride you’ve had.
• Your best competition ever.
• A special memory that makes you smile.
• Remembering the feeling of ‘being in love.’

Now I am being serious when I ask you to ‘daydream’ and the reason is that when you think about and remember special events and times in your life where you’ve been happy, your body produces ‘happy hormones’ which help you to reduce stress and anxiety. Ask yourself “What are you thinking about during the day?” Are these thoughts making you happy or do they make you worried?

We all know that we can think more clearly when we are happy and relaxed. We can make better decisions to help us overcome problems. When we are stressed our thinking becomes clouded and we often make irrational, fear-driven decisions that create more chaos. Be brave enough to admit to yourself what it is you can control and what you have no control over then learn to adapt instead of getting stuck by being inflexible.

Horses teach us that we become the best riders when we have learned to be flexible and open to new approaches. Some things that worked yesterday are not working today, so change it. There will always be a tomorrow and just like in your riding, life has its ups and downs but never the less there is always a gift around the next corner. Something unexpected that will give you courage and offers a new insight that we did not know about yesterday. But tomorrow when you find that gift it makes perfect sense.

So start to plan, ride your horses, enjoy the moment and find the blessings in the time we have. And get ready for the beauty that only tomorrow can bring.

Happy riding everyone.

We all have the power to make us feel better; we just have to be willing to take the steps. Do it out of love for your horse!

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