Struggle Of The Right Brained Rider

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I am about as "appropriate brained" as they come. I am intuitive, creative, and a especially visual learner. As a child my preferred subjects surrounded art, music, and creative writing. I nonetheless don't forget my excitement when my fourth grade teacher lastly assigned one thing I was superb at for homework. We were to write a creative brief story about whatever we wanted and present it in front of the class. I spent weeks on my project drawing artwork, producing characters, and devising props for my oral report.

My assignment was a enormous achievement. I got the opportunity to read the story in front of the whole school. That was to be my only A of the year. As the subjects shifted to math and science, gold stars and smiley faces turned into notes of concern. All my report cards from that grade on read about the identical. "Kelly is a bright and intelligent child, however we are concerned that she is not living up to her full prospective." Growing up an very correct brained child in a left brained education program can make for a much less than pleasant learning encounter.

Due to the fact then I have learned to view my style of learning and intelligence as a gift rather than a disability. My struggle as a student led me to discover my strengths as a teacher and trainer. Luckily today there is a a great deal greater awareness of the different approaches in which we all discover. Our approaches of teaching should certainly be as varied as the understanding styles of our students.

This realization in my riding did not occur overnight. I spent a long time trying to discover to ride like I was solving a math predicament or following a recipe.

As most of us discover to ride we are met with left-brained, step by step instruction. This piece by piece approach is a vital portion of the studying method but it also has limitations. Paying too significantly attention to individual body parts can interfere with the coordinative functions of the brain. This has sometimes been referred to as "paralysis by analysis." 1 of my favorite writers uses this old rhyme as example:

The centipede was pleased, rather,

Until the frog in fun Stated,

"Pray, which leg comes right after which?"

This set his mind in a pitch,

He lay distracted in the ditch,

Figuring how to run.

I appear back now at how differently I viewed riding as a child. I don't forget standing in the stirrups galloping by way of a field on an old quarter horse mare with no thoughts of how I looked or how the horse was going. Just about the only factor I could tell you about the horse was that her name was "Cinnamon" and that she certainly liked to run. In fact I think that is all we did all summer lengthy. My aim with Cinnamon was effortless. I just wanted to go as fast as we possibly could without having falling off. I believe by summers end I had completed a whole lot of improper riding and fallen off a time or two but I had a terrific time, and as far as I could tell I was a fairly damn decent rider.

Somewhere along the line riding turned into severe enterprise. Horses were my passion, and making a living with them was a life lengthy goal. To understand this dream I had to create skill. I had to develop into a rider. In fact how I viewed myself, my achievement and failure hinged on this outstanding desire.

I have literally spent what equates to years riding in circles. Trying to force my skill into reality via contortion, manipulation and repetition. Riding was no longer about fun it was about tough work, commitment and dedication. There was no extra riding just to ride. I was going to get this horse to go onto the bit if it took all day, all week, all month.

I watched naturally talented riders with envy and questioning what was taking my stupid body so lengthy. I was performing every thing they were performing with a great deal distinct outcomes. I worked harder, practiced far more, read additional books and nonetheless I could not rise to the next level. I was still mostly a passenger at the mercy of my mount, and I nonetheless knew much more in my head than I could realize with my body.

Even worse I berated myself and cursed my body for being so useless and stubborn. I rode about thinking about all the things I was trying to do, just did, and was about to do then berated myself for every mistake. The harder I tried the a lot more speedily it all fell apart. I had a variety of instructors in my time at Meredith Manor and all had been wonderful but only 1 could actually push me past this painful plateau.

She stopped me mid circle 1 day and asked me what exactly I was attempting to do. To which I replied " I'm attempting to get my horse to soften" She smiled and mentioned "Well thats not a exceptionally soft look on your face."

Slightly irritated and rather confused I rattled off all the aids I was applying and the steps in sequence I was working on to accomplish results with this particular horse. I undoubtedly did not see what my face had to do with it. My instructor walked over and stated "Stop trying so tough to ride and just ride."

My heart sunk. I heard so a large number of excellent issues about this instructor. I thought surely she had the answers. The missing ingredient to my riding recipe. I expected her to look at me and say. "There is the predicament. Your left leg is just a couple of inches too far back." All I wanted was the missing piece to my puzzle which would transform me from a decent rider into a good rider.

The last factor I wanted was for someone to imply that it was straightforward. There was surely nothing quick about it. I had been trying to get this horse to stretch down for weeks and not only had I not succeeded but my accurate teacher (the horse) was even additional intent on running around with his head in the rafters.

She began to ramble on about "discovering the really feel" about "setting the rhythm" about "directing my power" and on and on. I looked at her with a blank look on my face and said. I have an understanding of what your saying but how do I do that? I could not even begin to recognize really feel because I spent my entire time on the horse listening to voices. Not only the voice of my instructor on the ground but also the little left brained instructor whispering in my head. "OK get your stupid leg on, drive into the corner, He's going to attempt to quit at the gate once more... Come on Push him past it...He's gonna stop...Dammit... Hes gonna quit...I knew it!...He stopped...

How can you do any listening to your body or a lot more importantly your horse with all that noise going on in your head. I couldn't feel something. I was far too busy barking orders at my body to procedure something else.

I was sent to the smaller round pen in the back of the arena alone. My assignment was not to try to get my horse to soften but instead to just ride for 25 minutes collecting feedback from the horse and feeling responses of what I was performing with my body. My only other instruction was to remain relaxed and rhythmic and to stay clear of any negative self talk. This sounded silly but It would alter my riding forever. I ended up riding for almost and hour and had an fantastic ride. I just relaxed, rode and recorded. Obviously there is more to riding than that but that 1 moment opened my mind to other possibilities.

It was then that the identical instructor led me to an absolute must read for any rider facing these challenges. The "Natural Rider" A proper brain approach to riding. By Mary Wanless It was if she wrote this book just for me. It provides terrific insight into the mind body connection in understanding to ride, offering suitable brained solutions to left brained difficulties. She offers fantastic tools and exercises each for mounted and dismounted work.

This approach is a tremendous advance in teaching and understanding. It shows any rider how to organize her mind and body in the identical way as the riders we call "talented". This enables every single individual to learn the same feels and to accomplish the similar results. By increasing the rider's body awareness and making use of images which aid her recognize both what to do and how to do it, incredible improvements can be obtained in a particularly brief time, defying standard expectations.

This book is 1 of countless have to haves for the right brained rider. I also recommend what I refer to as my riding and teaching bible Centered Riding by Sally Swift. CR is an invaluable tool for riding instructors searching for imaginative techniques to teach self awareness, and successfully communicate the concepts that lie at the heart of excellent riding. Helping riders progress through the use of vivid, unusual and creative images that go beyond mere mechanics.

There is no precise recipe for studying to ride. Understanding how you top understand details (description, image or feel) can make all the distinction in acquiring the most out of your sessions. We all want to locate the elusive "magic" that allows horse and rider to attain true harmony. I feel we all have that possible, Its not a matter of studying the ideal way, it is merely a matter of locating the perfect way for us.

"Feel is no black magic, and any individual can acquire it to a considerable degree." - Wilhelm Muesler