Horse and Rider Mental Distractions

Horse and Rider Mental Distractions

Many people get triggered by distractions and mentally go far away from the horse as they get lost in the "stories", what ifs, history of previous experiences, or anticipation of what might potentially happen.

Just the slight mental distancing can immediately be felt by the horse and unintentionally teaches him he is on his own. Without proactive communication relative to the present scenario, there is no support offered to the equine. The horse will then take over and delegate how to protect/handle himself.

Then a vicious cycle of the rider getting physically tight (offering unintentionally communication) and getting emotionally frustrated develops because it feels like the horse is no longer listening to them. Their aids then become chaotic and critical.

I'm constantly trying to switch the words and associations that so many people have in how they avoid potentially uncomfortable situations and turn them into what I call Positive Alternatives.

Example: Rider thought- "Here's a scary scenario, I hope my horse doesn't spook," switched to,

"Here's an Opportunity to help break down the scenario into segments and help my horse work through _____ to build his trust and try."

The "tools" of clear, specific two-way communication helps the rider and horse remain mentally present to have a Conversation as they work through chaos without emotions increasing and with the equine offering physically reasonable behaviors.