Rider and Horse "Between the Ears"

The role of sport psychology and learning processes at the foundation of harmonious training.

Mental Guidance and Learning Processes

Just as in other branches of elite sports, sport psychology has found its way into equestrian sports in recent years for the mental guidance of athletes. However, the psychology of both rider and horse can also be applied at the fundamental base to effectively promote the learning and training process.

Key themes in this approach include:

• The triangular dynamic between trainer, rider, and horse
• The prerequisites for optimal learning and training processes
• The motivation of both rider and horse
• The psychomotor aspects of the skill of horseback riding

New Skills and Individual Differences

This programming process unfolds differently for every person and animal, because every student possesses unique baseline skills and pre-programmed systems. These skills may lie at the level of coordination, cognition, sensation, or movement. A student partly brings these in, but will need to develop them further through targeted effort.

From "Oh dear" to "Okay"

Knowledge of these learning processes makes performance enhancement more efficient, helps prevent frustrations, strengthens harmony, and enables a conscious and joyful development process.

Every "oh dear" is followed by an "okay." This means that a mild crisis must usually occur in a learning process before boundaries can be pushed — which is completely normal. Those who learn to see the value in challenges and difficulties while riding, and handle them in a positive way, turn horseback riding into an enjoyable and pleasant activity for rider, horse, and instructor alike.