3 methods for improving your horseback riding & breaking the habit of looking down: Episode 15

Last week, I talked about how time and repetition will create a feedback loop that you can modify. This week, I'm going to expand on the concept of the feedback loop and share three ways to get riding feedback for continued improvement. There are pros and cons to each method. You need to weigh out which method is the best for you and which methods you can combine for the best results. The three methods are eyes on the ground, mirrors on the wall, and videotaping. In this episode, I talk about what these are and how to get the most from each method. Show Notes [01:44] Eyes on the ground means someone watching you from the ground like a riding instructor. [03:00] Having higher educated eyes on the ground will change your feedback loop. [04:37] The pros of having eyes on the ground is getting feedback. Hopefully it's feedback with an educated opinion like from an instructor. Cons include cost and time. [05:25] Mirrors on the wall. I learned to use mirrors when I was in college. Dressage barns have mirrors up, because they work. [06:12] This can give you a snapshot of the horses frame and your frame. [07:31] Mirrors in the arena give you real-time feedback. [08:09] The pros are instant feedback. The cons are having a location to install the mirrors. [08:50] The most frequent thing I recommend is video. [09:48] The pros of video tape is that you can watch it multiple times. The cons are lack of immediate feedback such from a mirror. [11:20] You don't have to tape for a solid hour. You just need to grab certain moments. [13:00] Pixio is a recorder where the camera will follow you around. [13:44] I mix it up, because I like to do all three. [14:28] Horses are always giving you feedback. When you can feel what is happening you have the ultimate feedback loop. [15:50] Even videotaping 5 minutes a month, you will be able to see Improvement. [16:09] To really make progress, videotape once a week. What you're trying to do is improve your ability to read the horse's body language and feel the feedback. When you can feel what's happening with the horse's body language, you have the ultimate feedback loop. Links and Resources: PIxio Move N See Personal Auto-Follow System