DressageArena.org

I always like to walk the cross country course the day before the event. I don’t get as nervous if I know what’s coming up next on the course and I have a plan of attack for it. Also, I enjoy the walk and it tires me out just right to get a good night’s sleep. Some courses will let you school the course the day before, which may be really helpful. Once you’ve gone home, it’s important to have a routine if you have nerves before an event. I like to clean tack while I watch TV; if nothing you like is on rent a movie. This keeps my hands and my mind occupied, which makes it harder for me to worry about stuff. So, after dinner, I’ll sit down and start cleaning. Show tack first (there’s enough of it for eventing!!) but if I run out of that I’ll do my other tack.

Then, I’ll pack everything up neatly and put it ready to go. Take a long bath, consciously trying to "be one" with the water. Relax. Wash your hair. Relax some more. Dry your hair, sit and think of something else for a while, and then go to bed.

If I’m obsessing over the show once I’m in bed, I’ll turn my thoughts elsewhere. Like, naming 10 animals that begin with each letter of the alphabet (aardvark, alligator, ape, anchovy… bear, baboon, bushbaby, barracuda… ). I find that concentrating on that will both keep me from thinking about exciting stuff and bore me to sleep.

During the show, I stay away from my horse if my nerves are affecting him. I walk around the venue, looking everything over, making sure I know where everything is. I use the restroom. When it’s time to warm up, I try to get myself into the "working" zone, getting the horse to relax and listen to me.

In the weeks before the show, establish a warm up routine, doing the same things at the same time every day. If you have a set routine, both you and the horse will find it reassuring to do the same routine at the show. I’ll start out trotting a big circle, doing voltes in the corners, letting him trot the kinks out. If he’s going too fast, I’ll volte whereever we are until he slows. I don’t want to get into a fight with him, so these indirect methods to slow down work better than half halting and the like. Once he’s moving freely, I’ll gradually bring his head in and his hind end under, getting collected. Then we’ll do leg yields and shoulder ins/outs and similar things, making sure he’s listening to my leg. I don’t usually canter in the dressage warm up, just trot, because that works for my horse. Concentrate fiercely on what you’re trying to do with the horse, listening to him and getting him listening to you. Then, afterwards, we’ll calmly walk around, looking things over, for at least 10 minutes before our turn in the dressage ring.

If you’ve schooled in a dressage ring while training for a show it should be easier to keep him in at the show. Your warm up is the most important thing here – if you’ve spent the time to get him listening to you before you go in, you can more easily GET and KEEP his attention on you and what you’re asking, and off his desire to do something else. When it’s time to enter, I usually do a sitting trot around the outside of the arena once (it’s allowed) and regain his focus and attention, then when I enter the arena we’re in synch and focused. Once in, don’t just do the pattern. Keep his attention throughout by constantly reminding him to bend and to keep his hind end under him and pull his nose in and so on. Don’t be at war with him, don’t be in his face, just constantly "talk" to him with your seat, legs, and rein to keep him focused.

After dressage, we’ll walk back to the trailer, cooling off. Then I’ll unsaddle him, cool him down, give him a hay net, and leave until it’s time for xc. If you can’t keep him under control in the dressage ring, it’s really a good thing that they don’t let you loose on the xc course. Memorize the course,Then we tack up and go through a similar but shorter warmup, adding canter and popping just a couple jumps. Calm him (and yourself) down with a leisurely stroll for a few minutes. Remember to breath. LOL. I always always have to remind myself to breathe! At the lower levels, there’s no time to make, and you can take a breather with a sitting trot if you need one.

Same routine for stadium jumping.

Anyway, hope that helps. Remember, it’s supposed to be fun – thrilling, but fun! Good Luck!

I dont know anything about horse races but i do know about getting nervous for sure! The most important thing is NOT to think about keep your mind off of it, by reading a book, friends, but its good to be nervous right before a game, because all of that energy will be putinto your performance. I always get nervous before a game, and personally there is nothing to do about it. Although if you practice regularly, and you know your stuff then you shouldn’t be nervous because there is nothing else you can do. A trick that helps me calm my nerves is drinking cold water. GOOD LUCK!

Relax. Breathe. Talk to your horse. If you are nervous your horse will feel and it will cause him to be nervous too. Your hose reacts off of your emotion. Believe it or not but if your scared your horse will be scared. If you calm down I can guarantee that your horse will perform at a much higher level!

This maysound very very odd but I eat bananas(: they really calm you down. also go over the course and tell yourself just have fun! (and win!)

Hi!
Yeah, there is no real equestrian category in Yahoo answers!
Anyway, you should definitely try equestrian hypnosis. Laura King has developed a 6 CD Equestrian hypnotherapy set which will help you, through hypnosis techniques, to relax on your horse, gain riding confidence, cast away your fears and self-doubt, and sharpen your competitive concentration.
Here is the link. You can buy cds individually, and they come with a money-back guarantee if they don’t work, but I’m sure they will!
http://www.selfhypnosishypnotherapy.com/equestrian-hypnosis/hypnosis-winning-equestrian/hypnosiss-60.html