Talking Tactics - when things don't go to plan

As with all horsey things we set our goals in concrete, but make our plans in the sand as ‘you never know with horses’ and things can change from one day to the next. Deep down we hope that our plans work out, but what happens when they don’t? Successful amateur event rider Caroline Mosley, who writes the regular 'Talking Tactics' feature in Equine magazine, shares her personal experiences of ‘getting back on track’.

There are so many reasons why our plans have to change, but what if that change is because of a confidence knock due to having a fall?
We all hate to fall off and whilst sometimes its pretty easy to get up, dust yourself off and get back on board without any problems, sometimes it can really set us back and make us feel like all that hard work is lost. If you have a prolonged period out of the saddle it can be unhealthy to spend all the time focusing on what went wrong. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to analyse it and work out if there was something that could have prevented it, but dwelling on the past is never going to help you move forwards.
A confidence knock can seriously affect our riding. I was advised (and it was good advice I am now passing on!) is to take a look back to a week/month/year ago and see how far you have progressed. It might only be a small thing such as the horse standing beside the mounting block after years of dancing around, to climbing up the levels in an incredibly quick progression. No positive step is too small – they all help to start to remove the negatives.
My next step is to go back to my comfort zone. Whether you are taking a step back to help you or your horse it’s never a bad thing. I think it is always better to come home wishing you had done the bigger class than the other way around, as each successful outing will help to make the step back up easier. Confidence is like porcelain; if broken you have to glue it back together but you need to give the glue time to take hold. If you rush it, you make break it again, and perhaps make a bigger ‘dent’ in it the next time.
If my worry is getting back on the horse in the first place, there is no shame in getting someone else to have a sit on, or asking for help. You have your horse for your own enjoyment andif that means you need someone to have a quick sit on to regain the horse’s confidence then that is a good recovery plan. I actually like seeing someone else sitting on my horses, as its quite nice to be an owner for a change although I am usually itching to get back on by the time they finish!!
There are lots of things you can plan to do and planning is very important. Make some short-term goals that you know you can hit and then build on them after you have achieved them.
Recently I had a fall on the Cross Country and broke my collarbone. I have no idea why it happened but it was important for me to make a plan to get going again. I had to have two weeks off to recover enough so that riding wasn’t sore, and my first ride was to go for a simple hack up the road. I could assess if I was able to use my arm properly and had a friend with me in case there were any problems (plus I needed her help to put my saddle on!). Following on I had a play in the arena doing some flatwork, and then when ready I had a pop over a tiny cross pole (it was tiny!) from trot to see how I felt in the air over the fence. Thankfully no pain so I was then able to build on my small steps to prepare me for my next event – which was at a lower, so easier level. I can’t say I wasn’t nervous before we started our next cross country, but I could reflect back on what we had done over the last two weeks to prove to myself that the fall hopefully wasn’t going to happen again. I’m pleased to report that we flew round the cross country that day and notched up another confidence step on the road to Mind Recovery! On reflection we could have probably managed the higher level, however I think my nerves would have been worse, so I am glad I came home having achieved an easy run in the lower class.
If you find that despite taking a step back doesn’t help, you may want to try other things such as Neuro Linguistic Programming, Sports Psychology or other methods such as Hypnotherapy. When I look at these techniques I do see a lot of what I already do in there – such as mental imagery, focusing on success and reinforcing self-belief, all of which are important to help you keep that fragile state of positive confidence in the right balance.
You could also try doing something completely outside of the box for you and your horse – perhaps something new such as Trec, Endurance, Tilting, or something else that you have always wanted to have a shot at. It doesn’t mean you are giving up, rather that you can use it to help refocus the mind and move onwards.
Find inspiration from elsewhere – watch the professionals at a competition or demonstration evening, book a lesson on a schooled horse or volunteer at a competition – its amazing how much you learn watching a variety of riders jump the same fence when jump judging, or writing for a dressage judge. I’m usually fired up to have a go when I get home from helping at events.
Don’t dwell on the negatives, look back on what you have achieved together, make a plan and remember you and your horse are awesome!!

Caroline Mosley is better known to fellow eventers in the north as 'Orange Fox Eventing - oh - and her favourite colour is organge! Find her on facebook as - you guessed - www.facebook.com/orangefoxevent

This article first appeared in the September 2016 issue of Equine. If you would like to read more of these helpful and very practical 'Talking Tactics' articles in Equine magazine, back issues are available for secure online purchase from www.theequinestore.co.uk where you can also subscribe to Equine.