Whether it’s getting ready to compete at a weekend show or the AQHA World Championship Show, all too often we focus on the physical preparation – for ourselves and the horse – and we forget the mental preparation.
Yogi Berra once said, “Baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half physical.” The same is true for riding in a competition.
When I prepare my students for a big show, I try to cover all the elements that will determine the outcome of their performance. We tackle the riding, but we also develop a mental toughness strategy customized for each individual’s personality to give riders the ammo they need to feel like they are capable and ready to show and win. It stops show jitters in their tracks.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article by AQHA Professional Horsewoman Lainie DeBoer for The American Quarter Horse Journal
