The single most powerful determinant of how much we accomplish in life is the level of confidence we have in our internal resources to take on a new challenge, and as a result of our actions succeed in it.
This is because having this confidence is so self motivating. What’s more, we’ll be versatile and tenacious in the face of problems and setbacks, all because we believe in ourselves.

It just so happens, of course, that such dynamism, ingenuity and perseverance are key ingredients for progress, and it’s largely thanks to them that our confidence becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. A ‘can do’ spirit also protects us from the paralysing, and thus self-defeating, pessimism, that is all too characteristic of anxiety and depression.

So how can we cultivate our own self-confidence? By far the most potent method is to set ourselves simple tasks, which can be relied upon to give us a taste of success.
When we witness ourselves succeed, our confidence takes a turn for the better and little by little this enables us to reach our goals. This “small action steps” strategy may not seem like rocket science, but just think what we often do instead: Right from the start we either decide we don’t have sufficient talent or intelligence, and stay firmly on the couch; or we bite off more than we can chew, drafting overlong to-do lists without a plan, and the result is invariably failure. Thus we deny ourselves the satisfaction and self-confidence of knowing that we’re in control and can habitually complete tasks successfully.

However using readily achievable action steps does not mean being without ambition or being aimless. The secret is to first set your long term aims and plan backwards. Then execute these bite-size steps directed specifically towards achieving your medium term goals. This stacks the odds in your favour and produces the opposite of a vicious circle. Being confident that we have the internal resources and method to take on a new challenge, we accomplish more and in turn become more confident….which is where we came in.

MENTAL PREPARATION FOR RIDERS
After a period of almost uninterrupted success in International competition at Junior and Young Rider level Pippa.
Funnell had a difficult beginning to her Senior career. After a long period of disappointment Pippa used a sports psychologist who emphasized the importance of working from her strengths. As Pippa said “ It made a huge difference not only to me but in particular to my horses. I worked from their strengths as well, from the things they could do rather than what they couldn’t do. This has made all the difference.”
Improving your mental abilities is just as important as developing your physical abilities.
Whether you are a potential Pippa Funnell in Eventing, or if you want to be a successful rider in another activity, good mental preparation will help you with everything from avoiding being disorganized to avoiding performing below expectations in competition. Even for the novice rider, mental preparation is the easiest route to improvement on a daily basis and can have an immediate effect on your performance. It will also enable you to harness a greater proportion of your brain power.

ASSESSING YOURSELF
It is important to realise that you can change your assumptions, as well as the way you think and the way you react to particular situations: Although our genes may predispose us to a certain pattern of behaviour it is possible to improve your performance. The first step to making change is to assess your current situation.
Read through the following list of questions. If your answer is "Yes" to any of them, then you will benefit by working on your mental preparation - both in your riding and your life.

Have you ever….
- Lost your way in a Dressage test or Showjumping round?
- Become very nervous before a competition?
- Become angry after making a mistake?
- Made the same mistake repeatedly?
- Lacked confidence in your ability?
- Focused on all the negative aspects of your riding?
- Found it difficult to get motivated?
- Lost concentration?
- Failed to prepare for a competition sufficiently?
- Found it difficult to be disciplined in your weekly training?
- Performed well in training, but badly at the competition?

THE POWER OF THE MIND

The brain has enormous potential. It is an electrochemical powerhouse made up of billions of nerve cells, each capable of making and receiving several thousand contacts - a match-head's worth of your brain contains about 8 billion connections. Once you understand how powerful your mind is you will see why mental training can change your riding - and your life.

All of our actions are controlled by the brain, but most of the time we are not conscious of making any decisions. The unconscious mind is where most of your thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and behaviours originate. An iceberg is a good analogy: The conscious mind is just the tip, with a vast amount of unconscious activity going on beneath the surface. However you can consciously train your brain to be used in a more effective way

You can exercise your brain just like any other part of your body. For instance, you can practice thinking rationally by solving problems that require rational through. This will create and strengthen the connections between the cells used for this type of thought. This is true however old you are as ageing does not mean inevitable decline - although it is very much a case of use it or lose it. You can also change unconscious attitudes in the same way. For example, by actively trying to think positively on a daily basis, you will become predisposed to being positive in any situation. As a result, you will be able to achieve more whereas a negative attitude will result in negative responses.

The key is to dedicate time specifically to your mental preparation. Lack of time is a common reason given for not preparing mentally but you need to make time if you believe that mental preparation is important. For example time spent doing mundane stable management tasks or hacking can be used productively to practice concentration techniques, thinking positively, visualisation and other exercises.

A BALANCED APPROACH
In any sport, the focus needs to be on both the performer and the performance. Unfortunately, the development of the performer as a well balanced human being often takes second place. If this happens, the performance will eventually suffer. Whatever the competition level, all performers need to keep their sport in context. There is a time to be a success in your life and a time for your life to be a success. The balance between these two aims is of the greatest importance.

If a life is entirely dependent on competitive success then disappointment is almost inevitable. A performer needs to achieve happily rather than achieve to be happy. If there is one outstanding characteristic of those who participate successfully in sport it is that they enjoy themselves. Others, who are even more fortunate, actually love what they do, and it is true to say that if you love what you are doing nothing is tedious or hard work. The only surprising thing is that enjoyment and the development of an appropriate lifestyle is so often missed in mental preparation programmes. Working out how to look after yourself as a human being is a vital part of your mental preparation programme.

( Adapted from the COMPLETE HORSE RIDING MANUAL by William Micklem)

Dressage – 5 To Watch
“You can be a Dressage Judge today”

1 – One Way to Go
The whole purpose of Dressage is to produce happy athletes. The Dressage arena is the equivalent of a gymnasium and the exercises carefully designed to develop both the body and mind of the horse. If the mind is not developed with the body then the horse becomes just a machine. This is unacceptable. Therefore there is only one way to go with dressage – to produce happy athletes. So look for horses that look like athletes – supple, toned and light on their feet – and look happy – ears forward, bright eyed and enthusiastic in their work.

2 – Two as One
The centaur may be a mythical beast – half man, half horse – but a good dressage rider has to create this situation for real; moving with the horse to such a degree that horse and rider become one. The foundation of this is the rider’s ability to go with the movement of the horse’s back with no bumping or tightening. This then gives the secure balance for the rider’s hands to go with the horse’s mouth and the legs with the horse’s sides. If these contacts are in total harmony then two can move as one and it becomes possible to communicate with great precision and delicacy.
So look for riders that do not appear stiff or uncomfortable and look to see if any daylight comes between the saddle and the rider’s seat – it should not.

3 – Three Pure Paces
Whatever the exercise, whether it is a small circle or stepping sideways, going slow or going fast, it is still done out of one of the three paces, walk, trot, or canter. Each pace should be pure – nothing unnatural and with regular steps that maintain a consistent tempo (the speed of the rhythm). So pick one of the horse’s legs and count each time it touches the ground to see if the intervals stay the same, even as the horse changes speed within one pace. The slowest and shortest striding version of each pace is called ‘collection’ and the fastest and longest ‘extension’, with in between these the ‘medium’ version. Take one pace and look to see that the tempo stays the same, whatever the speed, length of stride, or movement.

4 – Four Collective Marks
The judges give separate marks for the various movements, each out of 10, but also four interconnected ‘collective’ marks at the end of the test, which are like a summation of the whole test. It is possible to spot the winner by just marking these four collective areas. The first is for ‘Acceptance’ - the way the horse willingly accepts the rider and what they are required to do throughout the test. The second is for the ‘Paces’ – in particular their degree of regularity, as explained above. The third is for ‘Impulsion’ – the way the horse moves like a powerful gymnast with a flexible, connected body and springs off the ground. While the fourth is for the ‘Rider’ – in particular their ability to sit in harmony with their horse and communicate efficiently.

5 – Five is Sufficient
These collective marks – see above – are also each given out of 10. 5 is sufficient, 8 good and 2 bad. An average of 5 obviously gives an overall mark of 50% for the test. If a horse and rider gets lower than 50% they really should not be doing the test and 60% is the minimum goal for most riders, as work that is only just OK must not become a habit for the horse if their potential is to be fulfilled. However the best horses in each class will be closer to 80%. So four collective marks of 7 or 8 will be the aim of the competitive riders. Testing yourself against the judge by giving your own set of collective marks can be fascinating and help develop your eye and interest in the sport of Dressage; which is also the essential foundation activity for all show jumpers and eventers.

International coach, William Micklem, will be commentating on the Dressage displays. He is author of the current top selling equestrian book in the world, THE COMPLETE HORSE RIDING MANUAL, published by Dorling Kindersley, producer of the top equestrian entertainment video RIDE ON, and inventor of the MICKLEM MULTIBRIDLE. E: william@enniskerry.net

When compared with track athletics is a dressage test a sprint, middle distance or long distance event? Do we relate the way we train our horses to the type of physical demand a dressage test represents? A long distance runner works primarily on development of their oxygen capacity and utilisation in order to fuel the muscles for the long term -what is termed their aerobic system - which relates exactly to how an endurance horse is prepared. But what is required for the four to eight minutes of a dressage test?

Anaerobic Training

A sprinter primarily uses the anaerobic system - muscle use fuelled for the short term without oxygen - and it would be reasonable to say that a dressage horse needs at least a proportion of anaerobic power. But do we train specifically for this? It is the use of the anaerobically powered fast twitch muscle fibres which can provide the greatest spring and explosive power - which for instance is undoubtedly needed in show jumping.

In addition for over 20 years I have advocated training the cross country horse anaerobically as well as aerobically. Predominantly people still train their cross country horses largely aerobically, developing only their slow twitch muscle fibres, which means they find it more difficult to cope with the rapid changes of speed demanded by a modern three day event course. They also tend to lose out when it comes to the spring and scope of their horse’s jump. The case for anaerobic training of dressage horses is even more compelling with the demand for spring, impulsion and short periods of intense work.

The Recipe

To train a horse anaerobically the main work sessions need to be of sufficient intensity and brevity with the rest periods sufficiently long. A classic use of human interval training for anaerobic conditioning would be to sprint 100 metres then walk 300 metres and repeat this sequence up to approximately nine times. Intense short periods of work with lengthy rest periods. Whereas for human aerobic training you would reverse this, having longer periods of work of lower intensity with shorter rest periods. For instance running 300 metres and then walking for 100 metres before repeating the sequence.

It is the use of the anaerobically powered fast twitch muscle fibres which can provide the greatest spring and explosive power.

Typically many dressage horses are trained purely aerobically, with long steady periods of work of low intensity. This may well be required for the delicate temperaments of some dressage horses or for young horses but it is certainly not the best way to develop the power and spring of a competitive dressage horse. Ironically when many people think they are working the horse aerobically, 'really making the horse blow', they are in fact putting the horse in a state of 'oxygen debt' and working the horse anaerobically. Therefore use a good coach. They will show you how to efficiently work your horse anaerobically on purpose. Oxygen debt is when insufficient oxygen is being supplied to the muscles, forcing either use of the anaerobic system or a cessation of work. A rest or easy period will allow sufficient oxygen to be circulated and this debt repaid.

Aiming High

‘There you go again William, talking about things which are too advanced and too complicated for the average rider.’ Read the above for a second time. There will be few who don’t understand it after two readings. There may be coaches who think it is too advanced for their riders but in which case they are letting their riders down and worst of all showing that they have little ambition for their students. Such limited training only anchors them, holding them back from exciting goals. The mother of training is ambition and we need buckets of it, if as coaches we are to help fulfil the potential of our students.

This is especially true when we talk of training aerobically, using the slow twitch muscle fibres, or anaerobically, using the fast twitch muscle fibres, because there is a third type of muscle fibre which can be used either aerobically or anaerobically depending on how it is initially used. In addition some scientists believe that a certain number of slow twitch fibres will mimic the fast twitch fibres if the horse is worked anaerobically initially or vice versa. In other words a dressage horse has to be worked anaerobically from the start of their training, at least to an extent, if this third type of muscle fibre and the mimicking effect is to be used anaerobically - which is more beneficial to the work of a dressage horse. Or to put it another way, it means that your horse will not fulfil its potential unless anaerobic work is included in the training. Trainers of sprinting race horses know this, which is why even young race horses have to do ‘breezes’ of sufficient intensity and brevity.

Typically many dressage horses are trained purely aerobically, but it is certainly not the best way to develop the power and spring of a competitive dressage horse.

A Sport for All, for Life

The biggest anchor of all in equestrian sport is the lack of recognition that horse sports, and in particular dressage, are a sport for life. Life long learning has real meaning in a sport that genuinely is suitable for participation from eight to eighty years. With the increasing age profile of the population there is surely also an increasing opportunity for dressage to sell itself as a sport for all age groups. Yes, the top riders appear to be young, female and lightweight in the main, but this is largely a result of the fact that this group supplies the vast majority of all dressage riders. As more riders, of both sexes and all shapes, sizes and ages, are recruited to the sport then things will change.

(As corroborative evidence for this argument it is interesting to note that although many people say that greys don’t make good race horses the number of races won by greys exactly mirrors the proportion of greys in the thoroughbred population as a whole - a small proportion.)

Riding Clubs are well equipped to do this because they already cater for the full range of riders. From the information available in riding clubs it may be possible to compare and contrast what attracts certain types of riders to the riding clubs, whatever their activity, and not to registered dressage. Women are from Venus and men from Mars it is said, but what is certain is that men are in a minority in pure dressage. Everyone involved in the sport should quickly see the potential and advantages for attracting more men … even if they do go on persistently about aerobic and anaerobic work!

Jumping

Of course one of the easiest ways to work your dressage horse anaerobically is to use jumping. Conrad Schumacker recommends jumping for all dressage riders learning their trade, because it gives them a different ‘feel’ and develops their ‘feel’. Reiner Klimke advocated it to show a rider how to use a light seat to give more freedom to the horse’s back. In addition I advocate it to develop power and spring, because the use of the fast twitch muscle fibres is developed which in turn contributes to the development of the horse’s anaerobic capacity. Therefore good dressage coaches have a sound training in jumping basics. For instance the level two dressage coaches (working up to medium level dressage) in the new Equestrian Federation of Ireland coaching structure also have to know how to train up to grade D in show jumping and one star three day event cross country work.
Life long learning has real meaning in a sport that genuinely is suitable for participation from eight to eighty years.

Start Scratching

Of course the big downside of anaerobic work is lactic acid, which acts like glue in the muscles of an overstretched or undertrained horse. In these cases the lactic acid anchors the horse because the muscular system cannot handle the level of lactic acid, which of course can be reduced if the circulatory system continues to work efficiently. Progressive exposure to lactic acid in training makes an enormous difference to the horse’s tolerance of lactic acid. Then good cool down procedures will help remove the lactic acid. Even the novice rider can undertake a regular active cool down of their horses - which means more than just walking. Ideally all schooling areas should be 20 - 30 minutes away from the stables, then the active cool down work would be instantly improved.

Don’t be put off that you have never worked your horse anaerobically, or are just a novice rider. As they say the secret of success is to start from scratch and keep on scratching! With a lifetime in horses great things can be achieved by continuing to scratch and with horses ordinary people can do extraordinary things - especially if you are supported by a good coach.

The mother of training is ambition and both riders and coaches need buckets of it if potential is to be realised.
William Micklem, Annacrivey Field, Annacrivey, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow.Tel: Dublin 2766055 email william@powerscourt.ie

GOLDEN KEYS FOR ALL RIDERS AND TRAINERS IN DRESSAGE

CONTRADICTIONS

Is it easy to confuse horses? Answer yes. Is it easy to confuse riders?
Answer yes, especially in the Dressage world if the rider takes a real interest in
their subject and tries to ‘take the best’ from all the trainers they meet.
It’s like going along the top shelf of your local pub filling up a pint glass
with shots of the best liqueurs in the world.
This makes you very sick - unfortunately I can vouch that this is true.

This scenario is often the situation for long suffering riders who are told to do diametrically opposite things, by different trainers, to achieve the same result on this same horse. In the last month I have heard the following from two ‘international’ dressage trainers:

Trainer A: “Keep the outside leg back in shoulder in.” Trainer B +“Keep the outside leg forward in shoulder in”. Trainer A “Keep the weight to the outside in all lateral work”. Trainer B “Keep the weight to the inside in all lateral work”. Trainer A “Make your hands like the rings in a wall and ride the horse up to the hand”. Trainer B “Allow with the hands and then use the aids to ride the horse forward while controlling the speed”. Trainer A “Bump your seat in canter to soften the back”. Trainer B “Sit quietly and in harmony with the seat in canter to allow the back to work”.

Yes it is true that these trainers will be quick to say that you have to choose a system and stick to it but is this a satisfactory answer bearing in mind the responsibility of all trainers to search for ‘best practice’ or at least ‘a better way’ - a good idea has to give way to a better idea. Yes there is more than one way to Rome but the varied number of ways offered by trainers would often suggest not the results of study but a lack of study and objective analysis. We have a large number of fine trainers but I honestly believe they would have even more success if they saw themselves as part of a team with consistent and complementary messages.

Techniques must develop, there must be innovation and evolution of ideas, but this is difficult unless firstly there is a ‘best practice’ model that is generally accepted. I believe the master trainers have a great deal of common ground and agreement but unfortunately not enough is done to feed this common ground down through the levels and up through the levels.

CONSTANTS
So what can be incorporated into a model that is not contentious:
I would include as the foundation stones what I call my five CONSTANTS.
Constants because they are constantly required at all levels.
They are ACCEPTANCE, CALMNESS, FORWARDNESS, STRAIGHTNESS and PURITY.
ACCEPTANCE

This refers to both the physical and mental acceptance by the horse of the rider’s presence, weight, and leg, seat and rein contacts, including basic language. Acceptance opens the door to partnership, trust and agreement.

Many people use the word submission instead of acceptance but I feel this does not suggest the right type of relationship. Can you metaphorically shake hands with your horse? It is your responsibility to create this type of relationship. Prerequisites for acceptance are that the horse should be comfortable with all tack and be given acceptable contacts by the rider, or trainer on the ground. Of course the beginnings of this relationship are established while working with the horse in the stable and in all non riding activities. Lungeing is terrific for developing acceptance but it obviously needs to be good lungeing and we need more people to develop their skills in this area.

CALMNESS

This refers to the need for the horse to be mentally calm, in order to avoid the paralysing effect of mental tension, and allow an unconstrained basis for all the work. Calmness opens the door to the horse working with confidence.

The development of confidence will allow the mental flexibility vital for competition work. Once the horse has been asked to ‘accept’ the rider, the establishment of ‘acceptance’ and ‘calmness’ must go hand in hand. The great enemy of calmness is a lack of time. It is an important discipline for the rider at the start of each session to walk the horse on a loose rein for a consistent period of time. The horse will anticipate this and get used to being in a calm state of mind at the start of work. Spending sufficient time in the saddle is also a wonderfully effective strategy. Most horses will settle, becoming calm in the mind, on a two or three hour hack. We don’t do this often enough, especially with our unsettled horses. In addition, it is vital that riders remain calm. If a rider has a weakness in this area it is relatively easy to develop techniques to improve the situation.

FORWARDNESS

This refers primarily to the horse thinking forwards, whatever the speed mph, and being willing to respond to the rider’s forward aids. Forwardness opens the door to a horse being focused.

When ‘forwardness’ is combined with ‘acceptance’ and ‘calmness’ horses have the mental foundation to fulfil their physical potential. Many horses do not have forwardness because they are in pain. I have come across so many so called nappy horses that have in fact been suffering with navicular, stomach ulcers, tumours and even cancer. Or it may be something as simple as sharp teeth and the flash noseband causing laceration of the tissue inside the mouth. So if a horse is unwilling to go forward they must first be checked and double checked by your veterinary surgeon. If they are in good health and are not asked to fulfil demands that are beyond them, mentally or physically, then most horses will willingly go forwards. If they are a little sticky then riding them outside and in the company of other horses doing varied work will normally cure the problem. Lungeing can also be a tremendous help, as it is for all the constants. The foundation stone for forwardness is a happy horse.

STRAIGHTNESS

This refers both to the equal and even development of both sides of the horse in each pace and to the precise positioning of the forehand, in particular, and also the quarters, which together produce straightness. Straightness opens the door to maximum scope.

PURITY

This produces a symmetry to the work which will maximise the power of the horse, allowing the forehand and quarters to follow the same track on a curve or straight line, and allowing precise control of the direction. To begin with straightness may only be possible in walk and trot in a few selected novice exercises. In particular straightness will probably be difficult to achieve in canter as it is natural for a horse in canter to put the forehand to the outside and the quarters to the inside. It is vital to understand that it takes a considerable amount of slow, progressive, work to make a horse straight and even advanced horses will continue to need straightening work. First one must work at the ‘acceptance’ and ‘calmness’, then the ‘calmness’ and ‘forwardness’, then the ‘forwardness’ and ‘straightness’. If a rider tries to rush or force the straightness then almost certainly the quality of the paces will deteriorate. Of course the basis for straightness is to ride good quality circles and serpentines.

This refers to the purity or naturalness and correctness of the paces, including both a natural and regularly repeated sequence of steps and period of suspension, and a natural outline and use of the body, head and neck. Purity opens the door to a horse going close to perfection.

The purity is easily lost if a rider is too heavy for the horse or lacks positional harmony. Many young horses, like babies and young children, have this purity automatically and then lose it because of inappropriate work or injury. There are two keys to a rider having an awareness of the purity. Firstly they must study and understand the paces of the horse and secondly they must work at their ‘feel’ on a daily basis. Even when a rider has their very first lesson I begin to help them with their feel and it remains part of every lesson even for an advanced rider.

CONNECTED CONSTANTS

The constants are all connected. As I mentioned above under straightness I find it helpful to work at pairs of constants. Acceptance and calmness go hand in hand because if you wanted just calmness you might never ask your horse to do anything. Similarly forwardness is inefficient without calmness, and straightness is just a restriction without forwardness. Straightness is also a negative if the purity of the steps are lost and the purity must surround and intertwine between all the other constants all the time. So a balance of all five constants are required constantly.

IMPULSION
The constants form the priorities in training and they are all required to at least a satisfactory level if the door to controlled impulsion is to be opened. In other words controlled impulsion cannot exist without these constants. Without acceptance it will not be controlled; without calmness the subsequent tension will glue up the use of the muscles; without forwardness the heart of impulsion is lost, with the horse becoming an unwilling ‘machine’ to a greater or lesser degree; without straightness the horse works inefficiently with significantly reduced potential; without purity the horse does not work as a whole unit with the sum of the use of the whole team of muscles being greater than the individual parts.

VARIABLES
Each exercise will in addition to the constants require varying amounts of ingredients, including direction, speed mph and impulsion, which I call the variables. An explanation of these variables and the use of the constants and variables together will have to be the subject of another article. In the meantime chase those constants and you will reap both immediate and long term benefits. I guarantee it.

William Micklem. Annacrivey Field, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
Tel: (003531) 2766055 Fax: 2766054

DRESSAGE CONTRADICTIONS & CONSTANTS II
WILLIAM MICKLEM
(Total word count 2,400)

RATS, REWARDS & RESULTS

‘Our horses are not machines - don’t try to turn us into mechanics!’ I had a wonderful response from both Dressage and Jumping riders to my article in the Spring issue of Rider magazine, entitled Dressage Contradictions and Constants. But some, like the above correspondent, thought I was contradicting myself by not treating horses as individuals.

Let me make it absolutely clear - I agree totally with my correspondent. Horses must be treated as horses, not machines, and as individuals with individual brains. This is fundamental to a best practice model for training. In addition each partnership between rider and horse is a unique partnership. Even if two riders share the same horse, the two partnerships will be different.

It is an interesting contradiction that many trainers use the expression ‘that horse is a machine’ as a complement to a good horse without realising how inappropriate the phrase is. I don’t want machines ridden by mechanics, I want partnerships that change and grow; I want recognition of individual strengths and weaknesses; and I want smiles on the faces of both riders and horses. Let’s look at the five constants again and see whether or not what I say is true.

As you will remember I call them CONSTANTS because they are constantly required at all levels. They are ACCEPTANCE, CALMNESS, FORWARDNESS, STRAIGHTNESS and PURITY.

ACCEPTANCE

This refers to both the physical and mental acceptance by the horse of the rider’s presence, weight, and leg, seat and rein contacts, including basic language. Acceptance opens the door to partnership, trust and agreement.

“I want recognition of individual strengths and weaknesses and I want smiles on the faces of both riders and horses.”
One would never need acceptance from a machine. End of story! Much more interesting to consider is how this acceptance is achieved. As you can see from my icon I look at it as metaphorically shaking hands between horse and rider. A shaking of hands which eventually leads to agreement.

This cannot be achieved instantly, because to truly accept something the horse must also understand what response is required. They must understand their part of the bargain. Anything less than this is not acceptance but submission. What so often is achieved by the use of strength, nerve lines and lack of sensitivity, is submission. The difference between acceptance and submission is the difference between a horse that knows they could react differently but they choose not to do so, and a horse that knows there is no other option. It is the difference between a mutual agreement and a mandatory order.

This may initially appear to be a fine point, too subtle to be important, but the more a rider thinks like this and trains like this the more their horse will give … and give … and give.

CALMNESS

This refers to the need for the horse to be mentally calm, in order to avoid the paralysing effect of mental tension, and allow an unconstrained basis for all the work. Calmness opens the door to the horse working with confidence.

Like acceptance this is a mental quality - something definitely not required by machines. The contradiction in the horse world is it does seem to be true that in their efforts to breed ‘calm’ horses with good temperaments some stud books are instead producing unresponsive ‘dim’ horses. It is obviously important that we produce horses that are easy to train, quick thinking and ‘intelligent’ and horses with the right personality to suit a particular activity, but we need to find ways to measure this more objectively.

We also need to place greater value on our native pony breeds and the established ‘sensitive’ non-thoroughbred breeds like the Irish Draught. The value in this case is for their brain power not just their mechanical power.

There is an interesting related example of misunderstanding cause and effect in one of the earliest experiments in the nature versus nurture debate. The study was carried out by a psychologist called Tryon in 1940. He was interested in the genetics of intelligence and he tested laboratory rats in a maze, counting the number of errors that the rates made in finding their way to a food source over several sessions or trials.

“The difference between acceptance and submission is the difference between a mutual agreement and a mandatory order.”
He then took the ones that made very few errors (the maze - bright rats) and mated them. The rats who made many errors (maze - dull) were also mated. The intermediate rats were disgarded from further study. The offspring of both groups or lines were then tested in the maze when they reach adulthood. The brightest of the maze-bright offspring were again bred to each other, as were the dullest of the maze-dull offspring. Thus, two distinct lines were created.

The offspring of every generation for 18 generations were tested, with the brightest of the maze-bright and the dullest of the maze-dull selected for breeding. By the seventh generation of selective breeding, Tryon was able to show statistically significant differences between the lines in their maze learning performance. Because he housed and tested both lines under identical environmental conditions throughout the study, the logical conclusion is that the behavioural differences between the lines are attributable to genetic differences.

But a subsequent study by Searle nine years later showed that Tryon had not selected simply for learning ability or intelligence. Searle repeated Tyron’s work but then compared the maze-bright and maze-dull rats on a variety of other behavioural tasks. Maze-bright rats did not always outperform maze-dull rats. In fact, maze-dull rats were found to be equal to or superior to maze-bright rats on three different learning tasks. Searle concluded that motivation (maze-bright rats were more food motivated) and emotion (maze-dull rats were more timid of mechanical apparatus) better explained the differences in performance between the two selected lines than differences in intelligence.

We need to look at horses in such objective and scientific detail. It would be fascinating to see a scientific comparison between native ponies, thoroughbreds and warm bloods on different learning tasks.

FORWARDNESS

This refers primarily to the horse thinking forwards, whatever the speed mph, and being willing to respond to the rider’s forward aids. Forwardness opens the door to a horse being focused.

Once again this is an attitude of mind. Riders need to be much more than a mechanic if they are to bring an unwilling horse ‘on side’. Being on good terms with one’s horse manifests itself in willingness, whereas a poor relationship reveals itself in hesitant and timid movements.

I am reminded of one quote - ‘a good trainer can hear horse talk, while a great trainer can hear it whisper’ - and two truisms - ‘our job is to show a horse what he can do, not what he can’t do’ and ‘always finish with the horse able to do a little more’. Certainly no other animal will work as willingly or consistently for man but we will only use a fraction of this potential if we treat the horse as a machine.

“Are native ponies or warm bloods the more intelligent and trainable?”
STRAIGHTNESS

This refers both to the equal and even development of both sides of the horse in each pace and to the precise positioning of the forehand, in particular, and also the quarters, which together produce straightness. Straightness opens the door to maximum scope.

Of course the biggest contradiction in producing straightness is that you have to bend the horse. The circle is the basis for straightening the horse and arguably this is the one job for the mechanic. Or is it?

Almost nothing restricts a horse’s paces as quickly as forcing straightness. So the whole process has to be done with great delicacy and feeling. Feel is at the very heart of straightening as well as the heart of effective riding. Feeling how the horse responds so that the precise size and direction of circle and duration of circling can be tailor made to suit each horse - not to mention the right pace (walk, trot or canter), tempo (speed of the rhythm), and energy. All horses need constant, but different, fine tuning on straightness and feel and sensitivity is required by the rider for fine tuning.

PURITY

This refers to the purity or naturalness and correctness of the paces, including both a natural and regularly repeated sequence of steps and period of suspension, and a natural outline and use of the body, head and neck. Purity opens the door to a horse going close to perfection.

There will only be purity of the paces, especially with a rider on board, if the various muscle groups function as an ensemble. The muscles must work together to produce one unit, then there is real synergy. The muscle groups join together like a great harmonious chain when the horse has been progressively conditioned and trained - and this is an art.

There are three main obstacles to this ideal that are commonly observed. Each of them served to disconnect these muscle groups:

1. Riders do not work sufficiently at becoming supple enough to go with the movement of the horse and remain softly in equilibrium. This weakness, sometimes combined with excessive weight, prevents the back playing it’s fundamental role in producing an athletic horse.

2. The excessive and/or unrefined use of various gadgets disconnect the use of the neck from the rest of the horse and encourages an unnatural way of going.

3. A general lack of conditioning, including: (a) insufficient warm up, stretching, cool down, and rest periods; (b) over specialisation in particular exercises or activity causing the same muscles and joints to be used repeatedly and
excessively; (c the trainer’s inability to work a horse anaerobically, as opposed to aerobically, and develop spring and explosive power; (d) excessive physical demands on young horses.

But the biggest obstacle to synergy and purity is a restricted use of the back. The back of the horse resembles a horizontal bridge stretched between the withers and the pelvis and is the crucial anatomical component for movement.
It is the true source of motion, equilibrium and co-ordination.

To work towards good use of the back you have to look at every horse as an individual and work from what the horse does well. Every horse will be able to do something in at least one pace of good quality. This is the starting point of good use of the back and it opens the door to quality work in all the paces. Therefore each horse needs careful work to begin this process and every horse will be slightly different and need slightly different exercises.

“Feel is at the very heart of both straightening and effective riding.”


SYNERGY

(Where the combined effects exceed the sum of the individual parts)

The synergy of the muscular groups and the way groups of muscles form chains,
mentioned above, is echoed in the way the five constants work together.
None of the constants should be considered in isolation and
eventually achieving all the constants together produces a synergy
that is powerful and exciting for the trainer.
It also makes the horse feel very good, which is at the
very heart of accelerating progress and fulfilling potential.

There is no reward more important than the horse feeling good. I was listening to an international trainer recently who was emphasising a three stage strategy to working your horse - preparation, exercise, reward. While this appears to make good sense there are many riders who treat it as permission to ask the horse too much and it ignores the most important type of reward.

In training humans there are extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. The extrinsic rewards are things like money, awards, bribery and chocolate bars! The intrinsic rewards are things like feeling good about oneself, achieving a personal best, feeling satisfied, being healthy, and knowing that you worked hard and put yourself ‘in’. Coaches are continually taught the vital importance of intrinsic rewards and how in the long term they are the real reasons people keep going.

“There will only be purity of the paces, especially with a rider on board, if the various muscle groups function as an ensemble.”

The same is true with horses. If a horse is happy, feeling good about itself, they will be willing to keep working. Is this not true? Horses can take great pleasure in what they are asked to do. Witness the squeals of delight from a horse enjoying their jumping or the sheer enthusiasm for life displayed by a group of horses out cantering with their riders. Even more clear is the pure contentment of a horse that has these five constants as they work. A contentment that can never be reproduced by giving an extra bag of carrots or bribing with a bowl of nuts.

The relaxed position of the ears, the calmness in the eyes, the regular breathing and the ease of movement are all symptomatic of a horse that accepts their riders, is calm forwards and straight and moving naturally as one co-ordinated unit coming through their backs producing purity of the paces. This is the best reward for horses and this will produce the best results.

" Making the horse feel good is at the very heart of accelerating progress and fulfilling potential. When the five constants are achieved a horse feels very good."

Results that are of the highest quality and will be long lasting, results that will allow you to centaur yourself. I guarantee it.

IMPULSION

Bad ACCEPTANCE = No ‘controlled’ impulsion

Bad CALMNESS = Tension = Bad impulsion

Bad FORWARDNESS = Thinking backwards = Poor impulsion

Bad STRAIGHTNESS = Not using both sides of the Horse equally = Poor impulsion

Bad PURITY = Horse not working as a whole = Poor impulsion

BEING TIGER WOODS FOR A DAY - ROLE PLAYING
William Micklem

THE EXERCISE

The importance of mental preparation for sports is universally recognised and the need is obvious at all levels in all equestrian activities. For example many riders fail to produce their best work in competition because of a loss of concentration, the paralysing effect of tension, or a lack of confidence. An even greater number probably fail to fulfil their potential because of a lack of discipline and motivation on a day-to-day basis at home.

The use of role playing and modelling is a powerful tool I use to overcome such problems and develop the right attitude of mind. It is much easier to use and more natural to humans than many realise, because role playing and modelling is already used by everyone to some degree in our daily lives.

It is almost impossible to go through life without learning, copying and being influenced by those around you either consciously or unconsciously. My special twist to this basic truth is that you can make this more effective by first identifying what is missing in your mental armoury and then find the right role models to improve your performance in these specific areas.

Having identified the mental attributes required, a role model is selected that you like and know well - often not a famous person. However because this exercise has to relate to many people I have chosen Tiger Woods as our role model. Our task is to be Tiger Woods for a day with the aim of becoming more 'cool, calm and collected.'

WHAT'S BEING ACHIEVED

The image that most people have of Tiger Woods is of a disciplined, rock solid and unhurried personality, who gets out of bed each day at the same time and does the job with inexorable consistency and persistence, whether in practise or competition. Just by focusing regularly on these qualities the wonderful bonus is that our behaviour will automatically move towards this image. This is a huge achievement for little investment.

To accelerate this process we need to study Tiger further, including his body language, so we can gradually act as though we were him for brief periods when in a situation which calls for his qualities. You might find one mannerism that will trigger all of Tiger's mental qualities, or it may be his walk or the way he holds his head. It will also be helpful to select some key words, such as discipline , double-check , and breathe ; and some phrases, such as winners succeed by effort not accident , measure it twice and cut it once , and many strokes fell the tallest oaks . By putting key words and phrases and pictures of Tiger Woods on cards, in places you will regularly see them through the day, you will be helped to maintain and practise the Tiger Woods role play.

Like all exercises regular practise is required if the exercise is to be effective but you can begin with bite size sessions. For example having a 15 mns Tiger Wood session at the start of each day to list your action steps and a 15mns session each evening to go through some or all of your key words and phrases and evaluate your progress. All these activities have added value if done with the support and encouragement of a coach.

Tiger is also a very positive person with a 'can do' spirit.. A 'can do' spirit also protects us from the paralysing pessimism, that is all too characteristic of anxiety and depression. To establish this attitude of mind use key words such as Yes!, Forwards! and Courage . Useful key phrases would be winners know they are able , play from strength , and focus on ability . Muhammed Ali was doing a similar thing when he used to say " I am the greatest!

WHAT YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR

This famous quotation expresses the attitude of Tiger Woods better than most words and is a great positive philosophy for anyone ."Some see themselves as they are and say 'why'? Others see themselves as they might be and say 'why not'? You can use your image of Tiger Woods to ensure you carry this attitude with you habitually. This is the aim. With regular use of role playing you will find that one image can trigger a wide range of desired qualities. The greatest value of role playing is that gradually you will no longer be role playing, because these attitudes will become an established part of who you are on a daily basis.

QUOTE

After a period of almost uninterrupted success in International competition at Junior and Young Rider level Pippa Funnell had a difficult beginning to her Senior career. After a long period of disappointment Pippa used a sports psychologist who emphasized the importance of working from her strengths. As Pippa said " It made a huge difference not only to me but in particular to my horses . I worked from their strengths as well, from the things they could do rather than what they couldn't do. This has made all the difference."

EXPERT TIP

The single most powerful determinant of how much we accomplish in life is the level of confidence we have to take on a new challenge and as a result of our actions succeed in it. This is because having this confidence is so self motivating. What's more, we'll be versatile and tenacious in the face of problems and setbacks, all because we believe in ourselves. It just so happens, of course, that such dynamism, ingenuity and perseverance are key ingredients for progress, and it's largely thanks to them that our confidence becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy

So how can we cultivate our own self-confidence? By far the most potent method is to set ourselves simple tasks, which can be relied upon to give us a taste of success. When we witness ourselves succeed, our confidence takes a turn for the better and little by little this enables us to reach our goals. This "small action steps" strategy may not seem like rocket science, but just think what we often do instead: Right from the start we either decide we don't have sufficient talent or intelligence, and stay firmly on the couch; or we bite off more than we can chew, drafting overlong to-do lists without a plan, and the result is invariably failure. Thus we deny ourselves the satisfaction and self-confidence of knowing that we're in control and can habitually complete tasks successfully.

However using readily achievable action steps does not mean being without ambition or being aimless. The secret is to first set your long term aims and plan backwards. Then execute these bite-size steps directed specifically towards achieving your medium term goals. This stacks the odds in your favour and produces the opposite of a vicious circle. Being confident that we have the internal resources and method to take on a new challenge, we accomplish more and in turn become more confident.

WHAT CAN GO WRONG?

In any sport, the focus needs to be on both the performer and the performance. Unfortunately, the development of the performer as a well balanced human being often takes second place. If this happens, the performance will eventually suffer. Whatever the competition level, all performers need to keep their sport in context. There is a time to be a success in your life and a time for your life to be a success. The balance between these two aims is of the greatest importance.

If a life is entirely dependent on competitive success then disappointment is almost inevitable. A performer needs to achieve happily rather than achieve to be happy. If there is one outstanding characteristic of those who participate successfully in sport it is that they enjoy themselves. Others, who are even more fortunate, actually love what they do, and it is true to say that if you love what you are doing nothing is tedious or hard work. The only surprising thing is that enjoyment and the development of an appropriate lifestyle is so often missed in mental preparation programmes. Working out how to look after yourself as a human being is a vital part of your mental preparation programme.

MOVING ON?...

Good mental preparation should be an integral and long term part of any training programme. Here we have mentioned just one technique, role playing, with regard to two main areas; being cool, calm and collected and being confident. But this is just a beginning. The brain has huge untapped potential and powers and those that harness more of it will achieve more.

A 20/20 VISION FOR COACHING SKILLS
William Micklem

Why every rider has to be a coach, and why the development of

coaching skills will be crucial to Eventing Irelands resurgence.

Everyone knows investment in rider education will raise our standards, but we cannot do this efficiently unless there are really good coaches on the ground able to do the job. Investment in coach education is probably the best way of assisting in rider education and there are two additional compelling reasons for this strategy.

One: Coach education will yield better results and better value in the medium and long term than direct investment in riders. The explanation for this is surprisingly obvious. Using a comparison from the breeding industry, coaches are the stallions of the training world, influencing and producing many riders, while the riders are equivalent to the mares, as they produce a relatively small number of horses. It is also clear that the trainers of coaches are especially important and hugely influential, as they train groups of coaches who in turn will work with hundreds of riders.

Two: Every rider has to be a coach. Why? Because one of the unique aspects of horse riding is that every rider has to be a coach - not of other riders but of their own horse. It is not possible to ride without influencing the training of the horse and the best riders have superb coaching skills. Therefore our riders have to become better coaches to their horses if they are to fulfil their potential as riders and make the most of their horses. This will require considerable investment in coaching skills.

Pippa Funnell is a terrific example of the benefits of pure coaching skills: After a period of almost uninterrupted success in International competition, at Junior and Young Rider level, Pippa had a difficult and disappointing time in the first few years of her Senior career. As a result Pippa used a sports psychologist who emphasized the importance of working from her strengths rather than her weaknesses. As Pippa said "It made a huge difference, not only to me but in particular to my horses. I changed my approach. Instead of hammering away at their short-comings I worked from their strengths, from the things they could do rather than what they couldn't do. This has been the foundation of my success."

Working from strengths is at the heart of working positively and producing good quality work, which in turn is at the heart of best practise coaching skills. Riders have to learn all the technical info rmation about things such as circles, impulsion, lateral work, jump distances and the position of the rider, but they also need to develop and bring to their riding an ability to coach. For example another key coaching concept to understand and use is that practise doesn't make perfect - it makes permanent. In other words repeating poor quality work will just establish weaknesses, so the exercises practised have to be well done. To do this it is often necessary to take a few steps backwards.

Using simple steps like these can produce huge improvements, and there are many other simple steps to benefit from. Of course the basis for everything and at the heart of coaching skills is producing the right attitude of mind - an attitude that ensures, in both training and competition, that effort is combined with delight, confidence is combined with competence, and possibilities are combined with an understanding of realities. All this can be taught and learnt.

However we tend to undervalue coaching skills and undervalue coaches and the result is a shortage of good coaches and a waste of resources and potential. As riders in Eventing Ireland develop transferable coaching skills, and in time become coaches of other riders, the exciting added benefit is that we will have an indigenous pool of coaching skills to more than satisfy our long-term needs. This is where the sense and value of investing in coaching skills for our riders becomes most obvious. Someone who is in no doubt about about their value and the need for a different funding approach is Seb Coe, the Olympic gold medalist athlete and leader of the successful bid by the UK for the 2012 Olympic games in London.

" We must decide whether the support network is world class or merely adequate. If any of our top talents fall into the latter category we must act now. That can only be done in two ways. Either take the athletes to a pocket of world class coaching or recruit from wherever skill resides to support our efforts domestically.....The fundamentals have to be in place.. This is not about simply throwing more money at a problem or adding another tier of management,...it is about quality coaching and an understanding of what it takes to be competitive at the highest level.....It would also mean changing the principles of Lottery funding....not funding the athletes directly but funding the coaches. Some athletes will balk at this and want to maintain the cosy environment of under performance....Where you have good coaches, and they are often working outside the system, give them the support......we must realise that many of the athletes themselves are yearning for the kind of help that makes the hours of solitary and unremitting slog productive."

If we are to gain a winning edge in Eventing Ireland and punch above our weight we need a long-term vision for coaching. We need 20/20 vision.to see clearly the road from our present position to that of being pre-eminent in the world as a coach-training centre. To take our young coaches to the leading edge in their chosen area of work will take up to 15 years from the start of our new Eventing Ireland strategic plan. Hence the added meaning of 20,20 vision, and our aim by 2020 to be the place other countries look to for expertise and the best coaches. Our future success depends on the young riders of today and their future successes depend on us producing the best coaches. I nitially our need is for an army of coaches who are excellent at establishing the basics, rather than for ' high level ' coaches, but at the moment many of our coaches are some way from the leading edge of coaching. However their potential is enormous and the rewards from improving coaching standards will far outweigh the investment.

So how can this be done? Achieving our aim will require long-term enthusiasm, commitment and resources. It is said that we are starved of resources but a large proportion of our membership are prepared to invest on a daily basis in training themselves and their horses. The problem is that many are using second-rate methods. We need to study success and be ruthless about only working from successful models of training. This is why the role of Lars Christensson, the new Performance Director, is so important. The country is plagued by a huge variety of often conflicting methods and methods that do not lead to the highest standards; while the model of riders such as Mark Todd, William Fox-Pitt & Mary King would appear to offer huge advantages for the average rider, and to a country wishing to be competitive at all levels. In addition their approach means that their horses do not become mechanical or over dependent on the rider, which has vital safety benefits.

We need to find innovative ways of reaching all riders, providing the info rmation they need and putting a large number of riders on the same road. For example we could have some very ambitious targets for participation in the EFI coaching structure and use the potential of our equestrian publications and the web for equestrian training. I have a very cost effective aim that involves signing up 2,020 coaches and riders throughout the country, and sending them a drip feed of coaching info rmation that builds core expertise and responds to individual questions and needs. The sole entry requirement would be an e-mail address. We must reach these large numbers if we are to build a broad foundation for the future. What we need to make this work is a pyramid of 210 team leaders to begin signing up another 9 coaches or riders to the project. This is eminently possible and practical. By harnessing modern technology and thinking big enough we can make a real difference.

Everything should make it easier and more rewarding for coaches to train. The emphasis has to be on inclusion not exclusion and on education not qualification. We need regional courses and training on an ongoing basis and national recognition and rewards for coaches. We need to celebrate coaching and coaches on a regular basis. We need to build on the initial work of the EFI coaches structure and make it work for us. We need to attract International coaches to Ireland to train and find a home for an International coaches programme, which could be hugely beneficial to our own riders and coaches. This can attract new funding, rather than robbing the existing piggy bank, and generate fees from international students. A win win situation if we are prepared to invest initially to get the ball rolling.