Training From Home: Visualization
Exercise and Script At The Bottom
Many top athletes use visualization or mental rehearsal to improve their physical skills and their mental power to succeed in their disciplines.
We can use the same technique to stay in the solution; to stay sharp and come out of this forced break with improved skills and strengthened minds to ensure success in our future training and competitions.
Visualization involves your whole body, all of your senses. Through visualization you trigger the same impulses in your brain as if you would be riding in real time. Therefore, it is training your nervous system to send out messages to your body; telling your muscles to do what you want to do and the way you want them to do it. Ideally, in the best way to ensure success, no matter what your goal is, be it in sport or any other activity in your life.
Mental rehearsal or imagery is used by many top athletes across all sports to improve their skills, get into the zone for workouts and competitions, or to overcome performance anxiety. The good thing with visualization is that you always do it right! Whenever your mind gets off track in the process you can start again and finish your practice perfectly. If you would do this in reality you would need to ride ten horses a day and you would be too tired to have the full benefit!
So, since we’re all stuck at home right now and unable to go to the barn and get those rides in, what better time than now to start working on your visualization techniques!
If you are using a training app like Levade it is easy. Go back in your App to your lessons/training archive and finding the movements or exercises you would like to improve on. Video analysis and your coaches corrections are right there to create the most realistic scenario for your mental rehearsal.
If not, look back on your notes and think about your goals. What you would like to get out of this exercise?
Want To Give It A Try?
I’ve outlined different steps and methods helping you nail your visualization.
1. Start by establishing a goal. What would you like to get out of this exercise
Understand that what you think is what you get.
If you think of yourself as a mediocre rider your performance will be mediocre. Your brain will support you and do everything you ask it to do - being mediocre.
However, if you see yourself as an athlete (yes, you are an athlete, riders are athletes!) who is developing their skills and has a positive attitude towards learning you will be confident and strong in improving your performance on your horse and you will become successful.
Watch videos of riders you admire. (Preferably with a similar body type)
Watch videos of yourself performing well. Have the voice of your coach and their comments in your ear (perfect if you are using a training app like Levade).
Now, write down your goal. Seeing it written down helps to establish a deeper connection and to understand your goal.
Write a script of the exercise or skill you would like to practice.
I will provide you with some sample scripts you can practice with. Once you are more familiar with the process it will be easy for you to write your own.
Make a voice note of your script. Read your script slowly to give yourself time to execute in your mind what you are hearing.
2. Make your visualization as vivid as possible.
Know the location, the arena or ring you are practicing in.
What is the weather like?
Feel the sun, the wind on your skin.
What are you wearing? Your favourite boots. Feel how they fit.
Your breeches, what colour are they? Are they tight around your knees?
Are you wearing a T-shirt, a sweatshirt, show attire?
Smell the scent of your horse, the leather from your tack. Have the very distinct smell of the footing in the arena in your nose.
Go into as much detail as you can to make your experience as realistic as possible!
3. Execute!
Now find a comfortable, quiet spot where you can sit or lay down.
Ideally, somewhere you will be undisturbed.Close your eyes and take 3 deep breaths.
Focus your attention to your breath. Inhaling deeply and exhale slowly.
Feel your body relaxing, getting heavy.
Take 3 more deep breaths. Let go of your thoughts and become very still.
Play the voice recording of your script or let somebody read it to you.
SCRIPT
Feeling Your Horse’s Walk
Walking up to the mounting block I can feel the sand under my feet. The sand is deep and I have to lift my legs.
My horse’s nose is by my shoulder - blowing gently onto my face. I am so looking forward to a great ride.
I line my horse up and climb up the mounting block. My feet feel solid on the mounting block.
I swing my leg over the saddle and land softly . The leather feels cool.
I can feel my weight and sink deep into the saddle and find my spot.
I pick up my reins and sort them into my fists. I can feel the leather in my fingers. I can feel the weight of the reins and the bit.
I can feel the mouth of my horse chewing softly.
I take a deep breath and connect with its mouth still feeling the chewing motion.
My legs feel my horse’s rib cage and I adjust the stirrups under the balls of my feet.
I feel good. Solid. Confident.
I take another deep breath. I close both legs with a light impulse to lift my horse’s back. Allowing its back to come up through my seat, I feel the energy coming back from its mouth to my hand. There is a light head nod - yes.
I think ‘walk on’ and allow him to step forward.
I can feel his body moving forward. My eyes are up and I look to the end of the arena. I know where I am going.
We are moving in a quiet but steady rhythm forward. I feel the rib cage moving on and away from my lower leg. I feel each step. Each leg placing and reaching forward. 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4
My hips are loose. Relaxing into the motion of my horse’s body.
I can feel my gluteus soft, letting my seat bones connect.
My hips are open allowing my thighs to hang long and soft down. Hugging my horse’s side. I feel my inner knee and my upper calf softly connected.
My knee drops down. I lift my toes towards my knee and feel my crotch coming closer to the pommel. I AM IN THE CENTRE.
I breathe deeply in a steady rhythm- several steps inhaling, several steps exhaling.
My chest is open and my sternum up, allowing my hips to move freely and with my horse.
My spine grows tall towards the sky. Making my neck long and my eyes look into the distance, intensifying what I feel under my seat.
My shoulders are hanging down softly making my elbows heavy - allowing my closed hands to follow my horse’s head nod, never losing the connection.
My hands feel the subtle draw of my horse in the reins I can feel the energy coming from his hind legs under my seat. His back is up, making every step purposeful and ground covering. The footfalls sound light, hardly noticeable.
I feel a strong connection to my horse. I feel in sync, I am in total harmony with my horse.
It feels great. My horse feels so responsive to me. We could go on forever.
Now open your eyes slowly.
Take a moment to come back into your body. Stretch and recall that amazing feeling of a great ride with your horse. Hear your coach’s voice praising you. Be proud of your accomplishment. Take that feeling with you into your day.
If you enjoyed this, you should repeat the visualization exercise several times a week for best results.
Hopefully you can be back riding soon and practice in real time. I am sure you will feel an improvement. Visualization is a great tool to better your skills and will help you not lose your ‘riding legs’, but by all means it does not replace real practice.
One more time - close your eyes - can you smell barn???
Cheers,
Alex