How to Improve Equestrian Performance: Training and Care for Your Horse

Throughout the riding season, we work towards the moment of competition, that eagerly anticipated moment that passes in a flash. The most important thing is to have a well-planned season, setting long-term goals that we will work on over the months. These goals should be realistic and achievable, so that our motivation remains constant.

But what can we do when the time comes to compete? We will share a series of tips that are as important as all the preparatory work. It is essential to practice a daily training routine, for both horse and rider.

 

Sports Coaching

In recent years, "sports coaching" has become fashionable. Although the name may seem new, it is nothing more than the psychological preparation of our athletes. All athletes know the importance of their psychological functioning to perform at 100% of their potential. Helping athletes visualize success, how to achieve it, react positively to errors and failures, tolerate competition, and have realistic projects appropriate to their abilities, will allow the rider to progress more quickly, securely, and obtain better results in the short and medium term. Long-term results will always depend on those obtained in the short and medium term, and on the type of training, both physical and mental, that we have done with the athlete.

 

Stress and Competition Management

How many times have we seen riders with exquisite technique, achieving good results during training, but when they reach competition, the results are not as expected because they are unable to manage that moment? It is essential for the rider to know how to prepare their mind and body to perform at their best.

 

Competition Preparation

Focus and Listen to Your Body

First, we must focus and listen to our body to know which situations cause us the most stress: entering the arena, getting on our horse, working in the warm-up arena, what is expected of us, etc. The rider's physical preparation is as important as the horse's, and both must train together to improve endurance and athletic performance.

Setting the Competition Scene

We must set the scene for the test, analyze the space where we are going to compete, accompany our horse around the arena beforehand to show them that it is a friendly space, without dangers or bad encounters. The arena must be a space where the horse feels calm and confident at all times. Only then will the horse pay attention to our requests during the competition and be attentive to our communication without worries, with total tranquility. Only with this mental attitude will the horse be attentive to our aids. For this, our breathing should be the same as when we train at home daily, and our heart rate as well. The horse should not notice any difference so that it can show confidence in us and attend to our requests comfortably and relaxed. This confidence is crucial for performing in any equestrian discipline.

Controlling Thoughts

Thirdly, we must control our thoughts. Anxiety and anger are natural and positive reactions we have to be alert to certain situations considered "dangerous." We must learn to manage emotions to create the appropriate response to that situation. This is essential for maintaining mental and physical balance during the test.

 

Achieving Optimal Concentration

Finally, it's about achieving the optimal level of concentration that will allow you to focus on what truly adds value, and close your mind to what subtracts and worries you. Our mind and how we manage nerves before and during the event can add or subtract points. The ability to concentrate and relax is vital for performance in sports.

 

Making the Horse Be With You

Another aspect that can directly impact the results in the equestrian event is to get "the horse to be with you"; you must be one, with the horse paying attention to all your aids and you listening to everything the horse needs to convey to you at all times. The relationship between rider and horse, or partnership, is fundamental in the equestrian world.

 

Warm-up and Flexibility Exercises

We must dedicate time to put the horse in hand, with appropriate warm-up and flexibility exercises that allow our horse's well-being to be at an optimal point where it can offer its best version. This is essential in both dressage and show jumping and any other equestrian discipline.

 

Entering the Arena

Another very important moment of the competition is the entry into the arena. This occurs to a greater extent in dressage tests, when the pair enters the arena to compete and do the recognition lap. That first impression can subjectively and inexplicably influence the judges' perception. A horse impeccable in its presentation, as well as its rider, entering the arena in its best gait, is the perfect calling card.

 

The Recognition Lap

Therefore, we will enter to take the lap in our horse's best gait and will pass into the arena on the side of our horse's best lead, so that its entry into the competition arena is regular, rhythmic, straight, that is, fulfilling the training scale. This first impression will be what is called the "judge's subjective score," as it does not appear on the results sheet, but it is taken into account, almost unintentionally. Enter the arena, always looking straight ahead; your gaze will be your guide to achieve precise movement, and smile. Don't forget that, despite the nerves, you are doing what you love most, sharing it with your best athlete and companion.

 

Tips for Dressage Tests

Executing the Test Accurately

In dressage tests, we must pay special attention to executing the test accurately, "drawing well in the arena," maintaining rhythm throughout the test, having good impulsion, being precise at the beginning and end, and making good use of the arena corners. Precision in immobility exercises is also important. Position the horse, and once it's still, count the seconds specified in the test using the formula "one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three..." or "one Mississippi, two Mississippis...". The same is important in the rein-back exercise: first ensure immobility, put the horse on the bit, and count the steps, never stop counting.

Initial and Final Halt

Another very important point to increase those desired scores, which many pairs, due to the anxiety we mentioned earlier, leave somewhat to chance, is the moment of the initial and final halt. Many riders rush this moment with excessive eagerness to start and finish, losing very valuable points. We must pay close attention to this exercise, dedicating the necessary preparation to begin the test, prepare the halt, correctly position the reins, and readjust our position if necessary to give the aids to start our test in the best possible way, smoothly with an elastic, regular, rhythmic horse that, from outside the arena, conveys lightness, fluidity, and elegance in every movement and at every stride.

In the same way, the moment of the final halt must be prepared, entering with straightness and without rushing the salute. We must ensure sufficient time to establish immobility before the salute. We have finished, let's enjoy that moment. These are small details that can add or subtract points.

And we save the best advice for last: "Never stop learning. No matter how good or bad the test was, it will be your reference point for improving in the next one. Smile, you are meant to enjoy. Our mood always improves by seeing the positive side of things." This is a long-distance race; no day is like the previous one.

 

Both riders must focus on their physical and mental preparation to achieve the best results in their equestrian practices. The combination of proper nutrition, including vitamins and minerals, along with adequate horse training and effective communication between rider and horse, is key to achieving high performance. Let's not forget the importance of long rides to warm up, setting clear sporting goals, and customizing each training session according to the needs of each horse and rider. Equestrian sport is not just a sporting practice but also a way of life that demands dedication, effort, and passion.

See you in the arenas!