Pippa Funnell is one rider who has worked hard on the issues of her nerves and confidence and has now proudly owns several Olympic medals
Emotions such as frustration, anger and anxiety are commonplace in any sport, and eventing provides ample opportunity for such experiences. Yet managing the effects of one's emotions and physiological arousal is far easier said than done. Sport psychology can sometimes help, and in this video below, produced for the British Psychological Society, psychologist Dr Elizabeth Pummell demonstrates some of the techniques used to assist riders. Dr Pummell works by helping riders to ‘take a step back’ from what goes on in their mind, so that they are less likely to get caught up in negative thoughts or high expectations.
The essence of this video is the importance of one’s ability to focus on the here and now. For optimal performance, riders need to sustain focus on their riding (and the next jump or test movement) and to let the inevitable pressures and stresses go; but this is easier said than done. Many struggle to cope with anxiety, the disappointment of a pole down, or a bad dressage test. Some riders seek to block out worries, negative thoughts or external pressure by attempting to modify the way they think. They may repeat positive statements, such as ‘you can do it’ and try to change negative thoughts into positives. However this often does not work, and the negative thoughts bounce back. Instead, the idea is that riders can learn to accept what goes on in their minds, rather than trying to change it, and to recognise that thoughts and worries do not necessarily reflect reality. Practising this makes it easier to let go and to maintain focus on what is important to success.
Although this video has been made around dressage it is also highly relevant to eventing - so make yourself a cup of tea (the video runs for about ten minutes) and see how much of this helpful advice you could put into practise the next time you ride your horse.
Dr Elizabeth Pummell is senior lecturer in sport psychology at Kingston University, London and a Chartered sport psychologist with the British Psychological Society. See www.ridingminds.com
