5 mistakes that “stop” your development as an athlete

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John P. Haime, trainer, athlete and author of articles on the foreign site horsenetwork.com, shares his impressions of the trip to the Winter Horse Festival in Wellington (USA).

“I was lucky enough to visit Wellington where I worked with Grand Prix athletes, beginner riders and equestrian enthusiasts alike.

As a rule, I started in the morning in the arena, after which I moved to the Winter Equestrian Festival, where we watched young and professional athletes. It was a very unusual experience to work on many sites at the same time. I would like to share with you my observations that will help you in the coming season.

Right now!

Most often, in the interaction between a horse and a person, more attention is paid to the skills and abilities of the horse, and the training of the rider fades into the background.

The rider must develop his skills, however there is no “right” time, it is necessary to work for the result. I know athletes who waited for their horses to recover from an injury, but did not train at all during the forced pause. The horse will get injured from time to time, take advantage of this time – take care of yourself, develop your skills, pay attention to your emotional, moral and physical condition.

Your results and mistakes are your responsibility

Very often I hear young athletes blame their mistakes on the horses.

That fall – as if on the conscience of the horse, it was necessary to raise the legs!

The horse didn’t hear me at all during the warm-up.

Your mistakes are your responsibility, do not shift it to someone else, especially someone who will not be able to say anything in response.

Watch Top Athletes

In equestrian sports, riders have a great opportunity to watch the best of the best warm up, start or learn the route, however, not many people take advantage of this chance. Riders can learn a lot from watching and even asking questions of more experienced riders.

Confidence is a step by step process

Confidence is built over time. I often watch how young athletes move to new heights very quickly, with the help of their parents, but such guys often lack self-confidence, and without it it will be difficult to achieve anything. Work in stages, don’t chase Grand Prix routes!

Do not have a different attitude towards training at home and warming up before the competition

As I spend time at competitions, I see more and more that riders have a different attitude towards warming up, trying to do the impossible, which makes the difference between competitions and home training. Take the warm-up as another workout, try to find inner peace, because we remember that our experiences are transmitted to the horses.

Source: horsenetwork.com