I’m in the worst riding shape of my life, yet I feel I am riding and competing better then ever before.. why?
For context, I had a baby this past winter. I was pregnant for the most part of the summer and stopped riding around October, 4 months in. My due date was March 30 which prepared me for a slow start to the racing season and I was ok with that. However, the universe had other plans and my daughter entered the world January 23. Spending 2 months in the hospital I hardly looked or thought about horses.
Fast forward to now.
I didn’t know if I would run at the first few Ontario shows. I couldn’t commit because I didn’t know if me or my horse would be ready enough. But after watching some big futurity livestreams, a fire was lit in my heart and I wanted to barrel race!
This time though, my mind felt different about it. I didn’t have a futurity horse for the first time since forever. I had my one derby horse who made my life fun and I was excited to solely focus on him.
So other then that what changed?
I took a break from riding. A break from the bad and the good habits I may have had, either mentally or technically.
It was a clean slate for me to pick back up from. I am thankful for the “excuse” such as a baby to take a break, step back and only be able to reflect on my past and reimagine my future. It helped me see my riding more clearly and also by watching others made me think how I don’t want to make mistakes in the arena anymore.
A mental reboot was a big piece to showing up on that first competition day and feeling “I got this”. It was like the errors I may have made in the past were no longer were close to me. All because I took a break, I watched others and I believed I could ride consistently on point as the top riders on YouTube.
The next thing.
I got into that arena with nothing to prove. Heck, it’s just a feat to be there and I feel I know everyone around me thought that.. maybe it’s not even true but either way, the pressure had disappeared. I go there with nothing to prove and yet, I ride better and more in flow then ever before.
It makes me wonder in the past years if I showed up with that mentality how things would have been different. Less pressure, more enjoyment and more success because I am simply enjoying myself without any external baggage dragging my performance down.
Maybe I don’t care as much as I did before. I don’t care in a good way. I don’t expect anything, I don’t worry about not being enough based on my results, I don’t feel like I “should” be anything or anyone. I’m honestly so happy just to BE. Even if I’m not as fit physically as I was before, it is proof that me fixating on the “keys” to success were partially all wrong.
Sure you need a certain set of keys to reach success, for me the only difference is now I found the keys within, not with my fitness level.
I learned that the answer to riding better wasn’t with doing this or that, it was with being and showing up with a different perspective.
And perspective is free, you can create it in a instant and it is the one of best tools for a good life.
I’m excited to keep on riding this pressure free, enjoyment seeking,I’m happy to simply be there perspective ride. Maybe you can to?
-Shelby Olyschlager ?