Blog - Get Gritty Cowgirl

Get Gritty Cowgirl

Pressure is a Privilege: Reframing Jitters before a big show

10/17/2022

Rocky and I with a Top 10 Finish in Senior Ranch Rail Pleasure at Appaloosa Nationals in July. I'm looking forward to showing this great horse in Fort Worth at the Appaloosa World Show!

Next week, I'll be headed to Texas for the Appaloosa World Show. And let me tell you, I am not immune to the pre-show jitters!

For me, I am a very achievement oriented person. I have high expectations for myself, and along with that I tend to be highly self-critical. As such, when I start to feel pressure before a show, my internal critical gremlin starts chattering and nerves start to kick in.

The Warm Up Pen

4/2/2022

Oh, the pressure of the warm up pen!
It is so easy to get off track when we see what our competition is doing with their horses.
Are they spinning faster? Loping more collected? Stopping harder? Oh look, they are flexing and bending their horse, maybe I should do that!
If we do not have a set warm up plan of our own, if we do not stay focused on our plan, it is easy to caught up in trying the “win in the warm up pen.” And doing things different or asking for more in the warm up is not going to help you and your horse perform at your best!
So if you feel pressure in the warm up pen, pause.
Take a deep breath.
Stick to what you do on a normal day to warm up your horse.
You can’t win in the warm up pen, but you certainly can lose there!
Get Gritty,
Chevy

Procrastination

3/27/2022

Procrastination is defined as "delaying or postponing something."

We generally procrastinate and delay doing something that we know we need to do.

When it comes to our horsemanship, the root cause of the procrastination often comes down to fear.

Gritty Riders Don't Fear Making Mistakes

8/1/2020

Gritty Riders Don't Fear Making Mistakes

Gritty riders know that mistakes are part of the process, and the only way to improve is to try new things.

Gritty riders know they miss 100% of the shots they don't take-so they throw their rope! If they miss, at least they missed trying!

What have you and your horse tried lately? How did it go? Did you win-or learn? I'd love to hear from you-share your experiences in the comments!

Chevy

Gritty Riders Don't Should On Themselves

7/8/2020

I should exercise more.

I should pack a lunch to save money.

I should pack lunches the night before so we aren’t in a rush every morning.

I should spend more time helping my kids with their homework.

I should clean my house.

I should finish that home improvement project I started months ago.

I should go through my closet and donate those clothes I haven’t worn in years.

I should finish reading that horse training book I bought months ago.

I should ride my horse more.

I should be able to ride better than this-I’ve been taking lessons for years!

I should have achieved those goals I set for myself already.

I should be at a horse show this weekend.

I should…

Should is a dangerous word.

I Confess...I'm a Recovering Equine Micro-Manager

6/12/2019

Hi, I’m Chevy, and I’m a Recovering Equine Micro-Manager.

I know I am not alone in micro-managing my horses. I think it is a common thing for riders to do-and I also think there are different reasons why riders micro-manage. And most of them have fear as a root cause.

Now, by micro-managing, I mean that the rider is constantly giving aids to the horse, and never letting the horse think for themselves. Mostly, by micro-managing, the rider is preventing the horse from making a mistake.

To the Mom Facing Fear in the Saddle After Having Kids: It Is All Going to Be O.K.

5/11/2018

Hi there Mom. I see you. I see you struggling to juggle all of the demands in your life. From taking care of your kids, to the demands of your job, trying to keep up on the endless pile of laundry and dishes, making time to ride can see impossible. So when you finally do get the time to ride, feeling afraid in the saddle can quickly take all of the fun out of an activity that you used to enjoy-spending time with your horse! I understand your struggle. Riding after having kids is not the same. Because YOU are not the same. The physical changes are obvious. Our bodies are not the same after having kids! It takes time (and work!) to regain our core strength, to adjust to changes in balance and strength.

Chevy's Musings on Horsemanship Theory: The Concept of Mañana

1/13/2018

"'Mañana' means tomorrow...and that word should be part of the anthem for every training program. Good training takes patience-there is always tomorrow."

-The Art of Hackamore Training by Al Dunning and Benny Guitron

Get What You Want: Program Your Mind For Success

1/2/2018

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.”
-Henry Ford

We often have a gap between what we want, and what we expect.

We also tend to act and behave based on what we expect, not what we want.

For example, if we are expecting our horse to spook in the corner of the arena, we tend to ride defensively. Our thoughts drift to what our horse might do, how we expect him to react. Will he spook? Shy? Bolt? So we act accordingly. We might shorten our reins, tense our muscles, hold our breath, etc.

So how does our horse respond? He senses our fear, and most likely will spook!

When we have this gap between what we expect to happen, and what we want to happen, we often feel nervous, fearful, disappointed, depressed, etc.

So how do we break this cycle?

Do You Have a Post Mistake Ritual?

10/8/2017

We all make mistakes. It is an inevitable part of competing, riding horses, and even just part of life in general.

When we make mistakes in competition, it can cause a domino effect, resulting in a loss of concentration, negative self-talk, and more mistakes. Most riders blame themselves, their horse, or other factors. This causes a negative spiral,

Gritty competitors have a plan for when they make mistakes, to prevent the mistake from affecting the rest of their performance.

You can have the same advantage as these gritty competitors by creating your own post mistake ritual.