Psychology

Dealing With Jealousy

Updated:

March 21, 2018

horse riding jealousy, overcoming horse rider jealousy, horse rider psychology

In a sport environment, the consequences of jealousy can be quite costly. Every time you have a jealous thought, you are breaking your focus; you are giving away energy to another competitor and thereby strengthening their advantage. That doesn’t sound like a good idea, does it?

Develop a Training Plan that Works

Updated:

March 21, 2018

effective Horse training plan, horse riding training goals, horse rider training philosophy, equestrian training program

You need that dream picture, that vision in your mind to fuel your training. It inspires you to stretch yourself that much further, to grind through those days when you would much rather be anywhere else than the training ring.

Get Mentally Fit: 5 Mental Workouts in 5 Weeks

Updated:

March 21, 2018

Mentally Fit horse riding, Mental Workouts for equestrians, horse rider mental workouts, equestrian mental fitness

We all love that feeling of strength in our bodies, and the increased energy it brings. The only problem is getting there; we want it now. It’s the same thing with mental fitness, it sounds great, but it seems like such an uphill climb. If you want a jump start, try the following five-week program.

Improve Your Comeback Potential

Updated:

March 21, 2018

Registered Psychologist - One core thing all mentally resilient riders share is a very particular perspective on adversity. They are more likely to think of difficult circumstances in terms of opportunity. If the same error keeps reoccurring in training, this kind of rider might think: “I love puzzles, and once I figure this out I’m going to be that much further ahead.”

Mind Makeover

Updated:

March 21, 2018

You are in desperate need of a mind makeover. Identify the parts that aren’t working and get some productive chatter going. With a little work it can be just as doable as putting together an immaculate turnout.

Horse Shaming

Updated:

February 4, 2016

Horse Shaming, april clay, horse rider psychology, equine psychology, horse psychology

What’s the Antidote? We are inundated with images and stories of shaming these days. Some are humorous, some very hurtful. Shaming is attempting to make someone feel pain and remorse for something they have done – or worse yet, for just being themselves. Shaming and blaming are close cousins.

Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy and Post-Traumatic Stress in Youth

Updated:

October 30, 2015

Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy, horse therapy, equine therapy, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, HorsesandHumans

Researchers at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, MA, and at Washburn University in Topeka, KS, recently completed a study funded by the Horses and Humans Research Foundation to investigate the effectiveness of equine facilitated psychotherapy (EFP) in the treatment of posttraumatic stress symptoms in children and teens.

How to Help Horses With Separation Anxiety

Updated:

February 11, 2015

building trust with your horse, horse trust, equine trust, anne gage

Many horses have some level of separation anxiety. If the anxiety is mild, it may only be annoying or a minor inconvenience. But, if your horse is so herd-bound that her behaviour makes you feel anxious, it may be endangering your and your horse’s safety.

Exposing Kids with ASD to Horses

Updated:

October 23, 2014

Michael Cameron, ASD Horses, Kids with ASD, autism horses, disabled children horses, autism physical activity

A recent study published in the Autism Research and Treatment Journal showed that children with autism are far less physically active than their non-spectrum peers, although just as physically capable. This finding suggests that children with ASD simply need more exposure to opportunities to engage in physical activity, which all children need in order to set a foundation for a healthy life.

HorseWise: Getting Back on the Horse After a Fall

Updated:

September 24, 2014

By Lindsay Grice - Falling off hurts! It can shake a rider’s confidence so much that many choose to abandon riding altogether, and it can scare their horse, too.