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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
  
| I have hit a rut lately and I'm having the same error over and over. I know exactly what I need to do, how to do it, and I think about it for hours before a run but during each run I always revert to that bad habit, I know it's muscle memory but I just can't move past it. Have you ever overcome a bad rider habit and how did you approach that? I've done slow work for ages, practice runs, and studied every one of my runs.
my horse is an extremely quick, tight turner and needs me to guide him by lightly holding him off of the barrel by tipping his nose in and holding his shoulder up, the problem is that 3/4 around the barrel I pick up on the rein and it immediately pulls him onto the barrel, I need to wait until we are all the way around the barrel and then put my hands straight forward, not pull him around at all. I've rode a different style of horses for 10 years and I have tough muscle memory that's hard to beat. My current horse is a firecracker and I've never rode a more talented horse so finding a horse more my style is not an option. We have had a bunch of great rodeos, but I haven't made a perfect run where I rode him right. I have tried everything, I'd love to hear a new mindset or way to mentally approach this! TIA, feel free to Pm me as well, also if you'd be interested in watching videos and helping me form there id also appreciate it! Thanks!! |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
 
| Maybe a rubber band around your wrist to remind you. Not a tight one. I have thought about doing that to correct my creative driving. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1613
Location: Wild Wild West | Instead of thinking of not what to do, think what you want to do. Have a 3 step process in your thinking. Think what three things you want to do to complete a good turn. Say... maybe... sit (which could mean, sit or rate) , hold (as in holding your hand where you want it) and maybe , look, (meaning, look and keep your hands forward where you want them.) So when you walk into the arena your three things are only on your mind, sit; hold; look. You know what the three things mean so that's all you need to think about. As soon as you leave the first and head for the second, repete: sit, hold, look. Something that has helped me control my mind. Then when you walk your pattern, or you visulize your pattern, think of only the three things you have set as your perfect turn. Just something to think about. |
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8555
Location: sunny california | pay me $100 everytime you do it. you will stop pretty quick and then give me credit for how wonderful you ride your horse |
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Defense Attorney for The Horse
Location: Claremore, OK | You need to be able to visualize correct hand and body placement for every step of the pattern, concentrating on the turns. Befor you go to sleep at night is a great time to do it. You need to it several times making sure you do it right in yr mind.
The power of visualization is amazing if you're diligent about it. (And you don't frustrate your horse ;-). )
Walking and trotting the pattern, or even walking it on foot, making sure your hand and body position is correct also helps. Go at a speed where you can make sure you're correct. It will take at least 20 times doing it correctly to create new muscle memory.
There's a great book called Mind Gym that might help you. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I have a similar problem on my gelding.
I've thought about at home putting a piece of twine around his neck and a rubber banding it to my wrist so I get a tug if I bring my hand too far away from his neck.
But most importantly during slow work do it exactly right every time. Muscle memory. Muscle memory. Muscle memory. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | I had a similar problem when I was younger and a very wise woman suggested I visualize the correct motion... all day, every day. Walking around a corner in the house or at work, while driving (as much as possible) all day, every day. I still use that tactic when I'm trying to change a riding habit and it works for me. |
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 Sorry I don't have any advice
Posts: 1975
Location: Sunnyland Florida |
Walk the pattern and do it correctly for a week. So much is accomplished in walking the pattern with regards to our body and hand positions. Then, follow through at a trot, to a lope until you have a new habit. Also, like others have said, visualization is great as well.
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