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Monday, July 11 2016 / Published in General

Learning To Stay Calm in the Ring 

 

Margie Sugarman Photo by Lauri Foster

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 is an immense amount of pressure on junior riders in the equitation. I’m a solid rider and do well in the medals throughout the year. I’m hoping to qualify for Devon. When it comes to the big competitions such as the Winter Equestrian Festival, Devon and indoors, my nerves go into high gear when it counts the most. Do you have a recommendation on how I can calm my nerves before entering the ring? 

— Connor, 18-year-old junior rider

So many athletes suffer from debilitating performance anxiety. Right before big shows they’re freaking out, hyperventilating and mentally setting themselves up to choke. Trainers and parents see this and offer these well-meaning words of advice, “Just relax! You’re too nervous!”

The only problem with this kind of “help” is that it doesn’t really help the athlete do this. Sports performance often has as much to do with how a person handles pressure in demanding situations as with the physical abilities displayed by the competitors.

For many athletes, from young people to seasoned professionals, nerves can wreak havoc on an athlete’s ability to perform at their best. Learning how to stay calm under pressure is probably one of the most important mental skills an athlete can have and is the hallmark of mental toughness.

Studies have shown that if the heart rate during the competition significantly differs from the rate during training, the athlete’s performance ability tends to suffer. Consequently, we need to do a couple of things to help mirror our “practice” state with our “competitive” state.

This process is two-fold: 1. Increase arousal states in one’s normal day-to-day practice, which helps us become more comfortable with anxiety in the competitive state (psychological) 2. Use specific breathing techniques that will trigger a calming physiological response regarding the mind/body connection (physiological).

A rider can learn to focus on particular triggers, through the use of imagery and visualization, that will ultimately make their surrounding environment more comfortable. Increasing anxiety in the training environment will in due course decrease it in a competitive situation. For example: Imagine being at your barn in the ring and ready to ride either on the flat or over fences. Include all the stimuli that trigger anxiety at a show: You were dressed in your show clothes, you had your number on your back, someone over the loudspeaker was announcing your name and the jumps were bright and looked imposing. Even take it as far as picturing spectators standing alongside the fence line watching your every move. If this were the scenario every time you rode at home, repeatedly practicing this visual environment would help your performance at a horse show become more relaxed.

The physiological responses (mind/body connection) are another issue at play in an anxiety-producing situation. Breathing, which we all do from 17,000 to 30,000 times a day, is often not done in the most beneficial way. If the athlete doesn’t properly oxygenate, their muscles will become rigid and their brain will get foggy. This is often seen at shows when riders warming up look stressed and stiff.

When an individual is anxious, they will tend to breathe quickly with shallow breaths. Envision someone in a deep sleep, completely relaxed in both mind and body. The way an individual breathes is related to the brain state they’re in, whether that’s a state of anxiety or a state of sleep. In other words, our breathing impacts our brain state and our brain state impacts our performance. Breathing properly is a major factor in performance. It’s the foundation upon which our mind and body communicate clearly and allow us to stay focused and perform. Remembering simple physiological cues can help lower your heart rate and help calm you down.

Because every person is different, some athletes will respond much differently to pressure situations than others and find different ways of handling the stress of competition. Don’t be afraid to try new things in order to get your nerves under control before entering the show ring. The mind can become an asset on competition days as opposed to an obstacle.

 

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Tagged under: margie sugarman, 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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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! 🦄
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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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