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[RC] New Subject - Rider Focus - Val Nicoson

Excellent post Truman on focusing on the trail and not
the horse!  Let me relate a story here in this
regards:

After working doing P+Rs at a 25/50 mile ride my
friend and I went out to pull ribbons along one trail.
What was learned from this experience was the way to
focus on ahead rather than the horse under
you...allowing your body to go with the horse.  We
would go at a good working trot and occasionally at a
canter pulling ribbons...if the one in the lead
missed, the one behind went for it and/or stopped and
turned back to get it.  It was like grabbing the gold
ring on a merry-go-round so to speak.  We stuffed them
in our pockets or clipped them to our coats or
whatever else we found...looked really cute on us and
the horses all decked out in these colorful ribbons
:-)  It was also great training for the horses
too...unexpected slow downs, stops and/or turns...good
for them to learn to listen to the rider.  Once, the
experienced 50-mile horse I was riding did a perfect
pivot (his owner was riding behind us at the time and
saw it) and I didn't even "feel" it!  Didn't lose a
stirrup or anything...which is usual for me in quick
turns.  She said I had to have been perfectly centered
to not have felt it...how neat(!).  
So for those who would like a neat, cool experience...
try helping out after the ride and assist in pulling
those ribbons.  Am sure the RMs would more than
welcome the help and it's great training for your
horses besides.
Newbie soon to experience her first LD ride,
Val




So to me the way to get over fear in riding is to

focus on the trail ahead and feel the horse with body
and let your body ride the horse - not your brain.
Knock on wood I don't come off often and it sure isn't
because my horse is calm and non spooky. I try to
focus on the trail about 100 meters out and let the
horse do it's job and my body do it's job and keep my
brain out of the equation. Same principle as focusing
on the third turn down the slope when you are skiing.
If you do this the first thing that goes away is fear
of falling and the second thing that happens is your
body tends to be able to "feel" what the horse will do
and can react much faster to stay with the horse.
Truman<<<<<




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