Choose Confidence

Show pen strategy, part 3 of 3
by Allison Trimble

One of the most important tools you have in your showing "grooming bag" is confidence. Competitors need to understand that they are capable of being confident regardless of their performance outcomes. It is natural for a person to feel and act confident when showing well and unconfident and frustrated during or after a poor run. These competitors “go with the flow” and allow their performance to dictate their confidence. By taking responsibility for your confidence by viewing it as a choice, you can influence your level of performance rather than letting your performance influence you.

Different Types of Confidence
Confidence can be defined as the belief in one’s ability to successfully perform a skill or set of skills at a desired level, and it can be more trait-like or state-like. Confidence that remains relatively stable day in and day out due to personality factors is trait-like confidence. Unstable confidence that is apt to change for differing situations is state-like confidence. Tendencies in state-like confidence can either facilitate or inhibit positive trait-like confidence. Confidence can be affected by other psychological aspects, too, such as motivation and anxiety levels. Mental training techniques such as positive imagery, goal setting and negative thought stoppage can have a positive influence on confidence, both in and out of the show ring.

The vast majority of research indicates that self-confidence is a key component to successful performance. However, there is a point when too much confidence can become detrimental. Optimal confidence allows athletes to be convinced that if they put in the necessary hard work they will be successful. Overconfident athletes think that they can get by on their talent alone and not work hard to achieve their goals. Overconfidence can have a negative impact on performance and is an undesirable characteristic. However, most competitors dealing with confidence issues are under-confident.

Confidence as a Choice
When confidence comes from internal aspects, a competitor can feel it despite negative external factors. There are three tools that can be use to increase internal confidence if used correctly. These are:

• Free will – Free will is the ability to act or think independently in the presence of all other influences. Until the athlete truly believes he can control the quality of his thoughts, he will never completely control his confidence. Confidence results from competitors proactively choosing correct responses at home and in competition.

• Self-awareness – Being self-aware is knowing the thinking and responding habits one has in competitive situations. Like physical habits, responsive thinking habits are often automatic and done without consciousness during performance. Awareness of your own thinking tendencies lets you scrutinize these habits, while free will gives you the ability to change them.

• Imagination - Imagination is a powerful tool because of its ability to create instant thoughts and feelings that reach beyond the present reality. The willingness to use imagination in ways that increase confidence is important in creating the necessary performance mindset.

Show with Confidence
Competitors are confident when they "turn their minds off" during competition and trust their training. Having a trusting mindset allows a confident state of mind in which one is free of conscious control and trusts the automatic selection and execution of skills during performance. Lacking trust often results in over-thinking, over-correction of movements, or trying too hard. This can cause delayed or overly reactionary responses.

Remember that confidence is a choice, choose to use it, and I guarantee you will see the results in the show pen.

A special thanks to my husband, Jon Rylaarsdam, for helping me with this topic. See more of our program at www.coastalequine.com.

Schooling Your Horse

Show pen strategies, part 2 of 3: tune your horse up in the ring
by Allison Trimble

If you show much, there will come a time when you need to change some things about your show experience. The most common way to go about this is with schooling runs. This means that you have walked into the pen with the intention of not caring about your score or to purposely zero. Typically, people school because there is a negative behavior they want to address in their horses, or they are preparing to show in a big event and are going in to practice in a way that tunes the horse up. To school your horse, you usually enter in the least expensive class you are eligible for. In some associations or clubs, there are even schooling sessions you can purchase that are for a set amount of time.

Either way, there are a few things I want you to know about the benefits of schooling your horse:

Practice in a Show Environment
There is no better way to get used to the show pen than to set foot in it. If you approach your class as though you are schooling, it lets you get the majority of the show experience without caring how you score. All of the components--like being alone in the pen in front of the judge and crowd, having to stay on pattern and remember all the parts you are supposed to--can be hard enough without having to worry about how you are scored. Think of it simply as practice, like a pre-season game; no one cares who wins or loses, it is just a starting point.

Make Changes in Your Show Approach
If you have been showing for years, even though you are making growth at home in your horse’s or your training, it can be hard to make those changes transfer into the show pen. When you get in show mode and your head is cloudy and you step out of the arena with no recollection of what you have done, it can be challenging to make the changes in your show approach that you want to make. This is a great opportunity to walk into the pen and think your way through your job as pilot. I think schooling is really the only way to make significant changes in your showing method.

Fix Bad Habits
It is extremely common for horses to learn that the show pen is a place where you are going to let them get away with an inch, and it almost always turns into them taking a mile. If your horse anticipates the lead change, you can counter canter him through the center and change on the other circle. If your horse wants to get strong in your rundowns, you can pull him into the ground; if he doesn't want to run down, you can run him to the fence. If your horse is not turning around well, or is shutting down in the turn-around, you can spin him as much as you need to. The same goes for bad habits you may have in the pen. If you catch yourself doing something you want to break yourself of doing, you can always repeat that maneuver until you have accomplished it in a way that satisfies you.

Decrease Your Horse's Anxiety
After running hard patterns and gunning at prizes, it is not uncommon for horses to get hyped up when they go through the gate. When you school your horse, you have the opportunity to slow down and let him know that not every run is the big run. You can start to lope off, and then just walk your horse a quarter or half circle. If he is getting too excitable, just break him down and let him walk a bit. You can put the pressure on him in a maneuver, and then let him stand for an extended period and settle before moving on.

Help the Horse Focus on You
When we show for points or money, we really hang our horses out there to show what they can do. This often means that we are really trusting them to stay connected, but it also means that they have the temptation of all the things out there, like umbrellas and kids on scooters, to distract them. To get the big score on the current run, we may ride through some things that can cause problems down the road. I like to school my horses pretty often just to make sure they remember I am up there. I may give them a little rope to hang themselves with when schooling, but I am right there to snatch them up if they disconnect. This helps build a pattern in which horses feel like they are still working even though they are being shown.

Go In With a Game Plan
I like to have a plan of something in particular I want to work on before I go in to school. I will generally bait my horse into doing whatever negative behavior I am working on, and then correct it. I don’t usually get after my horses hard when I am schooling because I believe that if you make a horse hate to go into the show ring, that particular problem is something you are unlikely to fix. I generally just coolly correct him and move on to the next thing. I also like to pet my horses when they are good in the pen, just to reaffirm their positive behavior and make it seem as though it is no different from when we are training at home.

So take a moment and think about what you could change or fix if you were to school your horse and what you can do in a schooling run to fix it.

Approaching the Pattern

Show pen strategies, Part 1 of 3
by Allison Trimble

I have developed a presentation that I give to my clients who are getting ready to show that will help them be prepared when they walk through the gate. In the next couple of columns, I will be sharing that information with you. This month we will be discussing how to approach the pattern. This is not about the training that goes into getting a horse ready to show; it is just to help you prepare your mind for the pattern that lies ahead of you.

Avoiding a Score of Zero
This is one of the biggest apprehensions in novice showpeople and can seem to haunt riders from show to show.

Staying on Pattern - One of the first mistakes people make is attempting to memorize the patterns weeks in advance. It is more important to get the feel of the patterns. In the weeks before and the weekend of the show, watch a lot of runs and become familiar with the nature of a reining pattern rather than memorizing the pattern on paper. Once you are feeling the flow of the pattern, you will only really need to remember which way to start your circles, the order of the circles, which way you spin first, and whether the rollbacks are toward or away from the judge.

Right before your class, walk the pattern on the ground or trace it in the air as you visualize yourself running the pattern in real time. When you are in the pen, take a moment to think only of your next maneuver. Don’t overwhelm yourself and flood your brain by thinking about all the maneuvers to come.

There are other common errors that result in a score of zero that you should be aware of:

Excessive backing up – If your horse takes more than four steps backward at any point other than the specified back-up, you are considered off pattern and receive a score of zero.

Rein and Equipment Violations – In reining competition, you are only allowed to touch your horse, your saddle, or adjust your reins with your off hand if you are stopped and in between maneuvers. There are also very specific rules regarding equipment and bits that will result in a disqualification if not followed. Before the show, become familiar with the rulebook of the association in which you are competing, and make sure that you have legal equipment and are showing your horse in the right headgear.

Over- or Under-spinning – The way I teach my clients to count spins is like this: as you come around to the stopping point on your first spin, count aloud each time you come past that point, “one-two-three-WHOA.” If you count this way, and aloud, you and your horse will hear you say "whoa." It is also important that you have a crisp shut-off. Anything over a quarter of a circle of over-spin will also result in a score of zero. When your horse jumps out of a spin, or something else goes awry, it is easy to lose track of your counting, so be diligent about sticking to the method.

Preparing for Spins
In addition to what I mentioned above, make sure you take your time starting your spin. Take the first few steps slowly to make sure the horse is locked into the turnaround before you ask for speed.

Circles
When you first walk into the pen, stop, settle and take a deep breath. This will help to relax both you and your horse. Walk into your lead departure and make sure that your horse is set up to strike off on the correct lead. Keep your circles round and even, showcasing your horse’s steering and his ability to be willingly guided. Think about your speed variation and be conscious of not asking for comeback too soon or too late. Simply relax your body and ask your horse to come back to you.

Think your way through setting your horse up for his lead change. Think of your circle before the lead change as a “D” shape. Get straight before the change and stay straight for a few strides after the change.

Stops, Rollbacks and Backing Up
In all walk-in patterns, it is really important that you turn the corner to your stop sharply (think of it as a 90 degree turn), staying at least 20 feet from the fence, and get straight, straight, straight. Control your build-up so you are not running too hard too soon, or taking off halfway down the pen. You want your rundown to build incrementally faster with each stride your horse takes.

The last stride before your stop should be the fastest your horse has gone in the rundown. Be sure that you are looking up with your chest and shoulders open. Make certain that you ride all the way to your stop and that you are actually saying “whoa.” A lot of times--and this is an issue for me, too--people will forget to say the word in the show pen when they become tense.

Make sure your horse has finished the stop and stood up before you ask for your rollback. Look up and drive out of the rollback to avoid trotting steps. After your last stop, hesitate a moment, and then ask your horse to back up straight and at a cadent speed, being easy with your hand.

Congratulations! You made it through the pattern alive!

Coming next issue: "Schooling your Horse," followed by "Mental Rehearsal for the Show Pen."