03/16/2021
Training Epiphany about Comfort Zone
Today I had a very simple obvious epiphany. I asked “ Alexa,” how many hours I had been doing Pilates at 3 times a week, 52 weeks a year for 18 years. She said 2808 hours. ( I am always thinking that I am closer to that 10,000 hours that makes you an "expert" than I truly am.)
My teacher mentor, Lee Artur, gives us days in our comfort zone, but, then has days she really pushes us out. These days are hard and frustrating, but she ALWAYS begins and ends in our COMFORT ZONE. Today a light bulb went on about how this relates to how we train our horses.
In my career, I have had the most success with horses that others had given up on. I was taught to connect with them through gymnastic training . A routine of warming up through stretching and bending using forward and back transitions to slowly add range of motion and increased access to the gas. Each day trying to build on the day before. I have always thought of my ride in 3 parts. Warm-up, training, and warm down. It has served me well. I was taught never to expect improved training in a horse show environment. However, with the amazing psychological confidence this training gave, I noticed that the horses were so there for me at shows I could even ask for more sometimes. I felt I was on the right track, because these previously difficult or previously physically hurt horses, were putting in happy effortless performances.
Just a simple way to articulate the obvious. Part 1)When the horse is repeating the usual routine of warming up they are in their comfort zone. Part 2)When we are pushed out of our comfort zone and do not know exactly where to place our body parts or what muscles we need to engage, it is actually psychologically and sometimes physically uncomfortable. In our case, we have to practice putting our body’s in a conducive place to find our coordination. In the case of the rider/ trainer, we have to explain this to the horse. This part of the training is to expand on the horse’s knowledge as well as use the increased gymnastic ability to apply to either learning new movements or improving ones that are known. It could be uncomfortable. Part 3)Then we finish our routine back in our comfort zone, in order to restore trust and relaxation for the next day.
