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Tuesday, April 25 2017 / Published in General

Getting – And Staying – Focused

Margie Sugarman
Photo by Lauri Foster

By Margie Sugarman

Margie Sugarman is a leading board-certified psychotherapist and sports consultant based in New York. Margie’s desire is to enhance performance through the connection between the mind and body, and her current client list includes Olympic, professional and amateur athletes across the country. Her experience employing various therapeutic modalities has helped equestrians win classics, junior medals and grand prix. Do you have a question you want Margie to answer? Send questions to editor@sidelinesnews.com.

There are many times I’m in the ring and I’m having a great round. I’m aware I’m having a great round. The pressure to continue the stellar round builds and I inevitably end up messing up. How do I stay focused while on course and not psych myself out?

We all struggle with focus from time to time. There are so many distractions that fight for our attention on a daily basis and, at times, on a moment-to-moment basis. So why and how is it that we can totally blur what’s going on around us at some point and have our entire mind concentrated on one task?

Focusing is a skill. As a skill, it takes practice and development. Focusing is a two-step process that occurs in the brain. Our attention system is a top-down (priority list) system. This “brain” system is under your control and starts out by asking, “What do you want to focus on?” The brain then goes through two steps that allows it to sort and understand the information it’s being challenged with:

  1. You visually take in a picture and start to process the information, which helps determine what you have to pay attention to. Imagine the old Polaroid photos that slowly take on an image that gets clearer and clearer with time.
  2. The second part is focusing on one aspect of the photo. You zoom in on the piece you want to direct the most attention to.

Selective focusing is based on “top-down” attention. When we’re focused, or concentrating, we have an increased ability to ignore things around us. This is where the term “being in the zone” comes from. It’s at this time that both the right and left sides of the brain are working simultaneously and you’re able to screen out distractions. Have you ever felt that time just disappeared? This is all part of everything just flowing and sometimes even leaving you feeling as if you’ve been in a trance.

While selective focusing is one side of the spectrum, breaking focus is on the other side. The root of breaking focus is based on an evolutionary system with the intent of keeping us safe. Where selective focus is based on “top-down attention,” breaking focus is based on “bottom-up” attention. This type of attention is hard-wired into our brains as a passive process, which asks, “What is happening that needs your attention?” Events that cause a break in focus are situations that might be either dangerous or rewarding, like the growling of a dog. This is related to the fight-or-flight response. Once the top-down focus is broken, it takes time to restart the brain and use its resources again.

Picture a bottle of clear soda. When it’s at rest, you can see through it, but when you hit it the bubbles don’t allow you to see through the bottle with clarity. It takes time for the bubbles to settle and the clarity to return. This is like your brain.

How do we deal with those evolutionary issues — or the bubbles in the bottle — when it comes to riding and staying focused? The answer is removing the triggers and finding a focal issue that can hold one’s attention. Remember, riding a course only takes minutes. Nobody is the same so there are varying approaches utilized to remove triggers. A few of the approaches that people take are:

  • Listening to music
  • Taking time alone and finding their zone
  • Breathing techniques to lower the brain state and allow for a clear mind
  • Affirmation to aid focus on particular issues
  • Visualization to help imprint positive performance

These are a few of the techniques that enhance selective focus. It’s challenging when we’re bombarded with so many stimuli at a horse show, but focusing can be enhanced and distractions erased once you find the appropriate technique that puts you “in the zone.”

In utilizing the best tool(s) for you, focus will be maintained while riding your round and maintained throughout your closing circle.

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Tagged under: margie sugarman, q&a, Sports Psychology

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It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is. It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is...

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Diarado-Diamant de Semilly- Chacco Blue
17.0hh, Oldenburg International Hunter Derby/ Jumper Stallion
An outstanding Pedigree- Chacco Blue and Diamant de Semilly
WBFSH/ Rolex top ranking Jumping Sires 2017 thru 2022
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For more information, you can contact 
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You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

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Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses—in a way, she was born into her career. She grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where her parents ran a farm. Her mother taught, and her father had a jump business and then created one of the first horse show software programs: Ryegate Show Services, Inc.

Riding all her life, Annette spent many years as a groom and loved it, but knew it wasn’t what she wanted to do as a career. After she finished college, Annette’s father recruited her to help process entries at Ryegate. Since her father, Lloyd Longenecker, founded it in 1981, Ryegate has provided show management and office staff for some of the largest shows in the country. Now, Annette has taken over from her father and directed the company as it focuses on managing memberships and rankings for organizations such as the North American League, WIHS Championships and Equitation, Rolex/USEF Computer Ranking and National Medal Series (THIS NCM and Ariat NAM). Ryegate also provides scoring software for use with video walls, and production teams for hunter and jumper shows.

“Besides running Ryegate Show Services and its various organizations, I can be found in the show office, running a scoreboard or judging jumpers at most shows,” Annette said. “I love getting to wear a few different hats at the show.”

When she’s not busy at a show, Annette lives in Annville, Pennsylvania, with her “fur-baby,” Maggie Mae, and enjoys spending time with her many godchildren. Though she doesn’t currently own any horses, Annette rides when she can at Rolling Acres Farm with Patty Foster, Ashley Foster-Worthington and Mary Lisa Leffler.

Read this month unbridled with Annette Longenecker by clicking the link in our bio. Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine! 🦄
📸Photo by Sheryl Sutherby

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A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself The spor A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself 
The sport of eventing is a demanding and mentally challenging discipline that requires a combination of physical and mental fortitude from both the rider and horse. While having a coach can be incredibly beneficial, self-coaching can also play a crucial role in a rider’s success.

I think that given the opportunity, most riders would like to be coached every day. The reality of life in the horse world, however, is that the majority of us need to absorb as much from the lessons we have on a limited basis and then practice those skills at home to improve.

When I am riding, I try to have a plan for the horses each day and focus on what I’m looking to achieve. It’s important to be aware of the steady improvements rather than trying to solve everything all at once. This is especially important when teaching horses new movements or exercises that they might struggle with, and we need to give them time to learn and understand what we are asking for.

I have a couple of quotes that I use regularly when I’m teaching, and these are mottos that I hold myself to in my daily work as well.

The first is, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.” This is a quote that was said to me many years ago when I was still motor racing and I keep it in the back of my mind each day. It’s easy to get stuck doing the same thing every day with your horse and bad habits are hard to break, from both riders and horses!

This leads me to my next quote, which is, “If what you are doing isn’t working, try something else.” It really is as simple as that! Many riders I see keep asking a horse to do something the same way over and over with an ongoing negative response and they wonder why things don’t get better. In these circumstances, I recommend that the rider change something, even if it’s wrong.

Read the full article by clicking the link in our bio! Don’t forget to keep your eye out for our April subscription!
📸Photo by Alex Banks Photography
The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
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