Adhering to the principle of “Practice Like You Show, Show Like You Practice” is pivotal in equestrian sports, particularly in disciplines such as reining, cow horse, and ranch classes. This approach not only prepares the horse and rider for the competitive arena but also ensures that their performance is as polished and consistent in practice as it is in shows.
The Importance of Practicing Like You Show
- Consistency: Mimicking show conditions during practice sessions aids in maintaining a stable performance level, benefiting horses that thrive on routine.
- Confidence Building: Practicing in a show-like environment bolsters confidence, reducing stress and nervousness during actual competitions.
- Skill Refinement: For precision-based disciplines like reining, practicing in conditions similar to competitions is critical for fine-tuning skills.
Techniques for Specific Disciplines
- Reining: Emphasize accuracy in movements such as spins, stops, and rollbacks, and replicate exact reining patterns during practice.
- Cow Horse: Incorporate cattle work in practice sessions, focusing on herd work, fence work, and reined work akin to competition settings.
- Ranch Classes: Train for versatility, including tasks like roping, trail obstacles, and cow work, to prepare for diverse challenges.
Pitfalls of Not Practicing Like You Show
- Inconsistent Performance: Unfamiliarity with show environments can lead to confusion and uneven performance.
- Unpreparedness: Lack of rigorous practice might result in errors during real events, especially under pressure.
- Increased Rider Anxiety: Without proper preparation, riders may face heightened anxiety in show situations.
How to Practice Like You Show
- Create a Show-Like Environment: Set up your practice arena to resemble a show environment, including similar ground conditions, banners, and even simulated crowd noise.
- Dress Rehearsal: Wear your show attire during practice and ride in your show tack. This not only gets you comfortable in your show gear but also adds a psychological element of seriousness to your practice.
- Routine Simulation: Follow the same routine you would at a show. This includes warm-up routines, entering the arena, performing the routine, and exiting. During practice, you shouldn’t be practicing whole patterns but you should be riding pieces of patterns, mixing up the maneuvers, teaching your horse to wait on you for the next maneuver. In the video, Advanced Reining Maneuvers Training, I show you how I do that.
- Pressure Simulation: Invite spectators or simulate a judging panel to create the feeling of being watched and evaluated, as in a competition. This is especially helpful for reining where there will be a judge sitting in a chair in the arena. This is where the techniques I talked about in the blog, Teaching a Busy Minded Horse to Focus, are very useful.
- Videotaping Sessions: Record your practice sessions. Reviewing these can help identify areas of improvement and also accustom you to the feeling of being observed.
- Mental Rehearsal: Engage in visualization techniques where you mentally walk through your routines, imagining both the movements and the environment of a show.
- Feedback and Analysis: Regularly seek feedback from trainers or peers and analyze your performance to identify areas for improvement.
- Physical Conditioning: Ensure that both you and your horse are in top physical shape, and able to handle the demands of both practice and show environments.
Additional Techniques for Consistent Performance
- Desensitization: Expose your horse to various stimuli they might encounter at a show. Hauling your horse to practice in new places is great for this.
- Mental Preparation: Utilize mental rehearsal and visualization techniques to maintain focus and calm. When at a show, mentally you need to ride just as you do at home. Often at a show, a rider will tense up and your horse will feel that and become much faster in the show pen. This is where the techniques I talked about in the blog, Teaching a Forward-Thinking Horse to Slow Down, are helpful to get you and your horse to come back together
- Feedback and Analysis: Use recorded practice sessions as a tool for improvement.
- Simulation of Show Environment: Practice in different arenas or with an audience to mimic show conditions. When you start warming up at these different areas always warm up exactly the same way to give your horse comfort in the activity. I do this by incorporating my Foundation Training routines as my warm-up routine in every ride.
Now that you have done all of this preparation in your practices all that is left is to Show Like You Practice. Nothing should be different at a show except you are practicing at a different place. This way you are setting yourself and your horse up for success.
Incorporating these practice techniques into your routine bridges the gap between practicing and showing. It ensures that both horse and rider are not only physically prepared but also mentally attuned to the demands of competitive equestrian sports. By practicing as you intend to show, you create a seamless transition from training to the competitive arena, ensuring that your horse is as confident and efficient in the show ring as it is at home.
My horse training journey has brought me from winning world titles to now trying to make every horse the best they can be. I share this knowledge to help you to improve your journey as an equestrian.