Perfect time to curl up and read - give "Braintraining for Riders" a try

Here is a book review I wrote for the Morgan Dressage Association and I thought I'd share my thoughts about it. I have shelved numerous half-read sports psychology books (text and work books) - too complicated, lost interest, too far out there... so I was skeptical at first. 

Brain Training for Riders by Andrea Monsarrat Waldo

"Unlock Your Riding Potential with StressLess Techniques for Conquering Fear, Improving Performance, and Finding Focused Calm"

When I first read the heading "Tame That Lizard Brain!" I wasn't too enthused about reading the book. Somehow it sounded like too much 'psycho babble'. OK, I admit I was wrong. This is actually one of the best books I have ever read on sports psychology for riders.

The author of this book, Andrea Monsarrat Waldo, has a Master's Degree in Counseling, was a practicing psychotherapist and is a USEA certified riding instructor. She currently competes through Advanced in Eventing and has shown through 3rd Level dressage.

The author explains clearly how the human brain evolved over millions of years, how our brain's fear response operates and how to deal with it by controlling our fight or flight response. She gives good advice on how to prevent the fear from getting so big that it takes over the ride. I love it that the author gives plenty of personal examples. It is a very 'relatable' read and makes you want to get to know her personally.

Here is just one example of the many topics that really hit home: Focused calm versus relaxation.

Lots of advise generally centers around "being relaxed". In this book, the author points out that "Relaxation is a feeling I have when I'm having dinner with friends; it's not what I experience when I'm riding my dressage test or navigating a difficult show-jumping course. It's definitely not how I feel when I'm sitting on a green horse who is thinking about going on a bucking spree, either! Focused Calm makes much more sense to me as an ideal performance state: alert, present in the moment, with a supple body that is free of anticipatory tension."

www.HorseandRiderBooks.com

ISBN: 978-1-57076-751-7