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Jane Savoie: It’s not about the Ribbons, That Winning Feeling: Programming your Mind for Peak Performance
September, 2010 AIHA Book Reviews
Raudi and Siggi were young when I got them, so my primary focus was on horsemanship. Scholars are obsessive people, and I was no exception to the rule. I read everything I could about ground-training and related aspects of Icelandic horses, and learned as much time permitted about their care and training. I became increasingly interested in horse behavior, and this eventually became its own area of study.
I began riding three years ago, shortly after acquiring Tinni. His trail name became Scout because he was my trail guide. I made note of questionable terrain, and when on Raudi, followed Tinni’s scent. This made her less nervous when we went out solo. Pete became my riding partner last year. We taught Siggi and Raudi to stand when in front of or behind the other horses, and to ride side-by-side. We also played the go and whoa game – an activity that can be likened to leapfrogging. One of us would stop, wait for the other to pass, and then when the other rider gave the cue, start walking again. This was useful when doing hill work, for it slowed both horses down and made them think about what they were doing.
My biggest riding-related challenge was riding in groups. I most enjoy riding alone. But Pete, who’s a social guy, most enjoys riding with others. My take on this matter has always been that there’s a certain element of unpredictability associated with going out en masse. The more people and horses you have on a ride, the greater the likelihood of something going wrong. This summer I did two local rides with other Icelandic horse owners. My knowing the horses and riders, and as well, area trails alleviated the above-mentioned concern, as did my taking a nine-day wilderness responder first-aid course.
The next step was to ride with unfamiliar horses and individuals. I entered the July Bald Mountain Butt Buster Competitive Trail Ride, and up until the start, believed that Raudi and I would do just fine. I’d trained her to stand for mounting, back, and sidepass. I also taught her to go under a culvert that was hanging from a crane, into it when it was on the road, and over it once it was in place. I was increasingly pleased with her progress. She kept her wits about her when one day, we had a grizzly bear encounter, and on another, were nearly swept down a fast-moving creek.
Raudi and I are as close as a horse and owner can be. The up side of this is that we generally trust one another’s judgment. The down side of this is that my nervous energy ups hers, and hers ups mine. I, who am very much aware of this, have become adept at keeping my cool when the unforeseen happens. However, a series of unexpected events put an end to my plan, which was to complete the 25 mile novice ride in a timely fashion. Raudi and I passed the vet check and scored high in the in-hand work. But after that, it was all downhill. The evening’s pre-ride briefing ended late, so I didn’t take Raudi for a ride beforehand. I also didn’t get any sleep. Raudi let it be known that being tied to a trailer for an entire night was unacceptable by neighing loudly every time I dozed off. And I, who am adversely affected by caffeine, had black tea with breakfast because this was all that was available. I was in the novice division, so I was in the last group of riders to leave the trailer area. By now, Raudi was beside herself. Chuck Miller held her for me, and I hopped on her back as would a jockey. Much to my surprise, she took off at a gallop, in hopes of catching up with the other 50 or so horses. When finally, I had under control, we encountered a herd of cows. Raudi bucked hard, and I went over her head, into a manure-filled mud pit. This was when I called it quits.
Two weeks before, a woman in my yoga class gave me a copy of Jane Savoie’s It’s Not About the Ribbons: It’s About Enriching Riding and Life with Innovative Tools and Winning Strategies. I glanced at some of the chapter titles, some of which included “The Power of Visualization,” “The Impact of Self-Talk,” and “Punch Up Self-Talk and Speech.” I set the book aside because I’m skeptical about such things. For instance, visualization reminds me too much the Amway sales philosophy. Like, if you really believe, you can sell more cleanser than anyone else on your block. I don’t buy it.
I picked up the book a few days after the competitive trail ride. This time, the book was applicable to my riding-related problem, was is that I’m apprehensive when riding with large numbers of horses and riders. I identified with Savoie, who early on in the book writes:
“ . . . In the past, I had always been the kind of person who thought that as long as I was disciplined and determined , I could achieve my goals. In many areas of my life, that was true. But when it came to my riding, no matter how hard I tried, I was still plagued with chronic position problems such as sitting crookedly and I still struggled with emotional issues like being easily distracted and very nervous in completion.” This, from an Olympic dressage competitor!”
It’s Not about the Ribbons is an easy read because Savoie blends narrative and antecdotal information in a near-seamless fashion, interspersing how-to information along the way. Her premise is that our subconscious does not discriminate, rather, it takes in whatever we tell it, be it positive or negative thoughts. I was so intrigued by what she was saying that after finishing It’s Not about the Ribbons, that I read her other book on this subject, entitled That Winning Feeling! Program Your Mind for Peak Performance.
I decided to do much of what Savoie suggested. I came up with a realistic goal, which was to go on a less lengthy, organized group trail ride. An eight-mile poker ride was scheduled for the third week in August. This would be fun, and there would be no competitive element. In addition, there would be a smaller number of horses on hand. I also refrained from suggesting to Pete that we instead go for a ride closer to home. Rather, I repeatedly reminded myself that Raudi is now a well-trained trail horse. On the ride to Glacier View I reiterated this, by telling Pete that the day before, we’d cut a new trail in head-high brush.
Prior to the ride itself, I focused on the positives of what the ride organizer said rather than on the negatives. For example, I pictured Raudi and I going up the uphill stretch because this is something we excel at doing. However, I wasn’t prepared for things that the more experienced poker chip riders took for granted. For example, the first chip station was situated next to the busy Glenn Highway, which meant that we had to wait for them to be distributed. Rather than fret about Raudi’s running into the highway, I noted that she was content to hang out with Siggi. And as Pete and I crossed the Glenn, I remarked that it was a beautiful day – after two months of daily rain, the sun was shining.
Raudi and I enjoyed the three-mile climb, and in fact, she swung into a smooth, even trot near the top. This, I realized, corresponded to what I’d been envisioning. I relaxed further, and so did she. My euphoria momentarily faded as we took a rest break for it began to hail. Several other horses and riders came over the ridge as Pete and I were putting on our raingear. Raudi, I noticed, had no designs on following them. She’d taken my peanut butter sandwich out of Pete’s bag, and was scarfing it down. I grabbed the wrapper from between my teeth, and as I stuffed it in my pocket said to no one in particular, “life is good. I’m here, doing with my horses what they’ve been trained to do.” And I truly believed this.
The downhill section was the hardest part of the ride. The focus of the second half of That Winning Feeling! is on higher level dressage and equitation, which right now is out of my realm. However, I understood what Savoie was getting at, which is that balance and the positioning of the rider are most important. So rather than follow her advice, I instead put my Connected and Centered riding training to use. I put myself in neutral pelvis and focused on growing. I used my froggy legs, and pictured a helium balloon coming out the center of my head. This enabled both Raudi and I to navigate the slippery part of the the trail. Unbeknownst to us both, the toughest part of the ride was directly ahead. The singletrack opened out onto a steep gravel road, and culminated at the base of the Glenn Highway. Siggi, who has a longer stride, got a hundred or so yards ahead of Raudi and I. By now, there were also horses in front of and behind us. Raudi, who wanted to take off, repeatedly put her head down, and threw herself about. I considered getting off and walking but instead did as Savoie advocates, and focused on my breathing. Raudi slowed down and I gave her more rein. This slowed her down further. And so, by the time we got to the intersection, we were calm and relaxed. This was a good thing, because the group of riders who’d come in ahead of us took off before we’d gotten our chips. And in the distance was a semi.
Pete and I rode to the last checkpoint side-by-side. Our horses, who were clearly in good shape, wanted to catch up with the riders who were finishing. We got their attention on us by doing half-halts. A huge smile crossed my face as we crossed the finish line and collected our remaining chips. No, I didn’t win the jackpot. Rather, I’d ridden happily in the company of others. This was more momentous than my having won a cash prize. My having read Savoie’s two books had made this possible. I’m now putting her ideas about “winning” to use when considering my future riding-related plans. Yes, I’ll find a publisher for Raudi’s Story, which is nearly complete. Yes, I’ll get a hefty advance, which I’ll put towards our upcoming horse-related venture. Yes, Pete will get a sabbatical and yes, next spring we’ll head south, and ride our horses from New Mexico to Canada.
I commend Vicki, Misty, Suzanne, Dick, and Cindy,
all of whom completed the Bald Mountain Butt Buster Competitive Trail
Ride. It speaks well for the Icelandic horse community that all did so
well on what was reputed to be a very difficult course.
AIHA Book Review 3