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01/2007 | 02/2007 | 03/2007 | 04/2007 | 05/2007 | 07/2007 | 08/2007 | 09/2007 | 10/2007 | 12/2007
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Q:I have been getting really nervous at shows. How can I get over my fear of the show pen?
- J. Haines, Calgary, AB
April Clay is a Chartered Psychologist with an independent practice focused on: counselling, consulting, and sport psychology. She runs body mind & motion and can be found online at www.bodymindmotion.com. She is a member of the Canadian Mental Training Registry (CMTR) and the Sport Psychology Association of Alberta (SPA) and the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP).
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A: Learning to manage performance anxiety is a puzzle every competitor has to tackle. A good start is to teach yourself how to change the state of your body, or how to breathe correctly. Practice off, then on, horseback. The other essential skill is to know how to change your focus. When you are stressed, you will be too internally focused on your thoughts and body sensations. If you can learn to change the channel back to the here and now, back to the task and your horse, you will naturally calm down.
Go into the show ring knowing that you have done your training, and you have prepared yourself for the task at hand. Being able to remind yourself you have put in the work and deserve to show it off can do a lot for your confidence.
Every competitor has to find a routine that works for them, it ’ s very personal. The only rules are: keep it meaningful, keep it short and rehearse, rehearse! When we perform, we become aware of being visible and being judged. It ’ s normal to feel distracted by this, but you really can teach yourself how to block this sensation. People who are perfectionists will have a tougher time. Their definition of success is so narrow that it tends to generate more pressure than someone with more reasonable expectations.
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Q: I want to get a head start on next year’s show clothes. What’s in style; are there pieces that never go out of style?
?Suzi Drnec is the owner of Hobby Horse Clothing Inc., Chino, CA.
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A: Black fringed suede chaps and a high-quality black felt hat are the classic items that are the ‘ bones ’ of many show wardrobes. They can be slightly altered to stay trendy, but fine quality hats and chaps will give years and years of service.
Ever lasting choices for women are, in addition to hat and chaps, a tailored vest that matches the chaps in color and texture to pair with the blouse of the moment, and large, colorful saddle blankets that visually pull horse and rider together as a team. For show men, a starched, tailored shirt in white or solid colors that works with the saddle blanket.
Trends for 08? I think the crystal trend has peaked, but is still important and great fun in the ring. Embroidery, pearls, and brocade fabrics will increase. I hope we see more vests – they are much more flattering on many women than fitted stretch blouses that reveal our ‘ table muscle ’ area at the waist! Colors: green in all shades and turquoise continue to be strong, and chocolate as a chap base color is also growing in popularity.
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Q: I purchased a horse that looks like it has previously been injured by an ill-fitting saddle (white hairs around the withers, sensitive to touch) and I want to avoid this from happening in the future. How can I make sure that my saddle fits him correctly and how do I help his sensitivity?
Trina Adams is a certified Equine Therapist specializing in body alignment and movement. She owns and operates Perfect Stride Equine Therapy Inc. in Calgary, Alberta. For more information about Equine Therapy email perfectstride@telus.net.
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A: A proper fitting saddle is the most important piece of tack a rider will own. A saddle must fit the horse without pinching, rocking, creating pressure points, or pressing down on the horse ’ s spine. An ill-fitting saddle is one of the leading causes of misalignment in horses. Sensitivity can be the result of back misalignment and will cause soreness and tension throughout the entire back muscles. I would suggest having your horse looked at by an equine chiropractor. Also, your horse has learned that being saddled means being in pain and it will not be easy to erase those powerful memories. Have patience. Once your horse has been treated and is not so sore, a proper fitting saddle will feel different and not cause pain and slowly you can start to replace the bad memories with new good memories. Try to make saddling enjoyable, not scary. Evidence of a poor fitting saddle includes obvious sores, white hairs, temporary swelling after the saddle is removed, scars, or hard spots in the muscle or skin, muscle atrophy on sides of the withers, friction rubs on hair, compression marks on hair, and small uneven dry marks on a sweaty back. A horse may also show behavioral signs of a poor fitting saddle. The horse may object to being saddled, will not relax or will fidget while being mounted, buck or roll excessively, or be hypersensitive to being brushed.
To determine if a saddle fits begin by placing the saddle slightly forward on the horse ’ s withers. Do not use a saddle pad. Next, slide the saddle rearward until it stops and let it rest there. You should be able to fit two or three fingers in between the swell of the saddle and the wither. Please note: while mounted you should be able to fit two fingers in between the saddle and wither. Run your hand over the back of the shoulder blade, under the front of the saddle – it should not pinch or dig into the shoulder muscles anywhere. If the angles of the front of the saddle are too narrow, the points will dig into the musculature, also causing the middle of the saddle to be in uneven contact with the horse ’ s back. If they are too wide, the gullet of the saddle will sit down in front putting pressure on top of the withers. To assess the angles, stand looking from the front; the angles should be parallel with the musculature of the wither within 10 degrees. Continue sliding your hand under the saddle towards the cantle to check the contact with your horse ’ s back, always noting how much pressure you feel on the top of your hand.
The pressure should feel even along the entire length. If you feel differences in pressure your horse will feel them too. When your hand reaches the center of the saddle, take note if there is a large amount space in between your hand and the saddle as this means that the saddle is bridging. Bridging indicates the panels of the tree in the saddle do not make contact with the horse ’ s back in the center and causes the saddle to contact the back at four separate points, rather than distributing the rider ’ s weight over a large area. Repeat this procedure on the opposite side that you started with. Once you have done that, check the saddle again with it cinched up with a saddle pad while a person is mounted. The back portion of the skirt shouldn ’ t rub against the hip as it will interfere with hip action. The skirt can go past the hip but it is more desirable to have the skirt end before it meets the hip. The saddle should remain stable and not shift excessively from side to side or from front to back.
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Q: How do I clean the silver on my saddle? Do I have to use the ?silver polish?
Tom Howe is a custom silversmith from Millgrove, ON.
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A: You can actually use mild dish soap to clean the silver on your saddle, you don ’ t have to use silver polish. The important thing is that you don ’ t get the leather wet as it will darken the leather. Use a Q-Tip if you need to, or a rag and your finger tip.
With some custom-made saddles, you can take the leather right off to avoid getting the saddle leather wet.
Some production line saddles will not have real silver, but silver plated ornamentation instead. You will not want to use any silver polish on this material as it ’ s only silver plated and coated with lacquer. Real silver does not turn green or tarnish – silver plating however, does.
We use a two-step method for cleaning in my shop. First, we use a tarnish remover to clean the silver up and then we use a liquid spray to bring the shine out. I find that many people like the Haggerty Silversmith Spray Polish, which you spray onto a cloth and use your fingertip to polish silver to a fine shine.
Ultimately, the best way to keep your silver clean is to keep your saddle covered when it ’ s not in use.
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