Professional Riders. Asking for Help.

Asking for help

Firstly, it is important to recognise that ‘asking for help’ is not a negative concept. In fact many famous athletes or coaches would tell you that asking for help is the single most useful thing you can do in your career. It is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of intelligence, with the ability to recognise areas that could support you better. 

The Reality of being Successful

Believe it or not, being a successful professional in any sphere can be a solitary place. You are expected to perform well, to handle the pressure and to remain cool while doing so. Life as a professional equestrian is no different. You may be surround by a great team and have a brilliant network of friends but it’s very rare we actually share the solitary inner workings of our minds with any body else. The doubts, the question of ability, the frustration, the emotional rollercoaster, the tiredness or the niggling negatives. It’s easy to be positive and likeable when things are going well, when your bills are paid, your relationships are good, results are on point. Anybody can be determined and focused under those kind of circumstances. The real challenge of growth, mentally and emotionally comes when things are slow. It takes strength of character to build yourself back up again, it takes resilience to keep on trying everyday and it takes intelligence to ask for help when you need it. 

When you win, everyone comes to you. But I think a good rider, and a good person also, reacts good in the bad moments. Life is a challenge.- Lorenzo de Luca 

Psychological Strain

You have to consider that professional riders, and athletes in general are under an abnormal amount of mental strain in comparison to those that work normal jobs. Most people exist in a relatively steady mental arousal state, going to work each day and coming home each night. Riders on the other hand are hitting extreme highs and lows daily through wins and defeats and their mental arousal state fluctuates wildly compared to an average person. Now, even more than ever riders are under the eye of constant scrutiny in the saddle with the increase in streaming and social media. If you perform in public as an athlete you are opening yourself up to a huge audience every day. Most people, if they have a bad run or make a mistake are doing so in private. In professional sport there is nowhere to hide. Dealing with these challenges does not have to be so solitary. Slowly the industry is beginning to discuss and recognise the mental strain placed on riders and the professionals equipped to help are emerging. 

Dealing with emotions and frustrations.

I conducted a study recently on the psychological demands of professional riders. It wasn’t a surprise that the management of frustrations and emotions played a big role in their lives. Not just in competition but also at home. 

Sometimes you don’t get time to process anything…you have a bad ride on a horse and then you get on the next one still holding all that emotion. Same thing goes for family, you get off a bad horse and go in for dinner, while your with your wife you’re still angry at the horse. You can guess how that goes. 

Learning to recognise emotions and then managing them or using them to your advantage can be a game changer. I often see, particularly in younger riders, frustrations of the rider from whatever source being directed at the horse. It can be hard to let go of tension and frustration when it's radiating through your body, especially if you're annoyed at yourself. Emotional intelligence is key to getting the most out of yourself and your horse. It is absolutely achievable to learn to get your emotions to work for you when you most need them to. You don't have to continue to let your emotions and frustrations effect your outcomes. Having emotions is completely normal, but allowing it to impact your effectiveness as a rider is not. 

I know so many riders who work themselves almost to the bone desperately fighting for their place in the sport. My fear for them is, as Einstein simply put it, Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Life is a challenge. If you’re a professional rider, you're riding out that challenge under exceptional psychological circumstances. Professionals are humans, and humans are allowed to ask for help. 


Next week....Communication and how it gets us what we want.