Rising to the Challenge
Story appeared in the 2020 issue of QMS Connections Magazine.
BY JODINE BUYDENS, EQUESTRIAN PROGRAM DIRECTOR
“As with many things in life, when a ride, lesson or competition does not go according to plan, it is easy for riders to start blaming their horse. Powerful emotions such as frustration, anger, jealousy and anxiety can arise. During our Mental Performance workshop and one-on-one sessions facilitated by renowed clinician Dave Freeze, QMS equestrian students learned that these emotions are often “borrowed from the nasty list.” The “nasty list” is a tool Dave Freeze uses to help riders connect their emotions with physical performance.”
“A good place to start is to understand why we borrow from the nasty list. When our self-image box does not align with the results box, we end up borrowing from the nasty list. In other words, when my ideal self says I should place in the top 5 and I place 12th, this can frustrate me, make me jealous of the winners, and cause me to develop some doubt or worry as I move into the next competition. All the borrowing from the nasty list occurs because the two boxes do not align. In contrast, when I believe I can place top 5 and come 4th, I have no need to borrow. When I see myself as someone who will make the team and I do, I do not borrow, instead I celebrate. ”
During COVID-19, Maggy Buttner-Danyliw continued to build visualization and performance skills at home through online support from QMS coaches.
Freeze explains that when experience does not align with our expectations, we often borrow an emotion rather than explore the deeper gap between our image of ourselves and our outcomes. Honest exploration provides an incredible opportunity to cultivate growth and resilience within each athlete.
When faced with adversity, it can be challenging for us to remain curious and open to development. However, by exploring our individual perspectives, personality traits, emotional triggers and biases, and how we apply them to any given situation, we can prepare for times of hardship and difficulty.
This year, in the Equestrian Physical & Health Education program and Team QMS competition program streams, students investigated how they could improve their performance both on and off the horse. The aim was to physically, mentally and emotionally prepare students for high performance results in all areas of their lives. Classes on nutrition, cross-training and mental performance took place both on-campus and remotely throughout the school year. By combining the unique qualifications of our specialist coaching staff (which includes a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) and a Registered Holistic Nutritionist) our students were already studying how to stay mentally, physically and emotionally prepared before the COVID-19 crisis began.
As the global pandemic unfolded, our teaching and coaching staff rose to the challenge posed by the need to remotely teach QMS riding students. Equestrian Teacher, Leora Gibson, met virtually with students on Zoom and supported their health and continued educational curriculum by providing exercises on goal setting, fortifying the “bubble” of what we can control, managing mistakes, and visualization and breathing techniques to improve focus and performance. Coaches Indiana Fedoriuk and Brittany Turner produced and posted exercise videos to the QMS YouTube Learning Channel geared specifically for riders that focused on yoga, stretching, flexibility, and strengthening. For our Team QMS Program students, Head Competition Coach, Julia Spreen-Balcom, offered weekly Zoom classes on topics such as visualization, types of jumps, gymnastics for horses, lunging, and so much more.
Although we are living in a new, physically distanced normal, the positive effects of this multi-faceted equestrian programming are already evident. The QMS summer riding program is busier than ever, with students quickly reaching milestones after months out of the saddle. The barn yard is full of laughter, smiles and an uplifting energy of comradery. While their faces may be focused during their ride, the smiles that erupt as riders rise to meet the challenges set forth by themselves, their coaches, and the horses tell a story of resilience and grit. In owning the challenges they faced and continue to confront each day, our riders are gaining confidence and courage as they trail blaze into an unknown future.