Can Hypnosis improve your
Horse Riding Confidence ? Research Results
As a divorced mother of two girls and a horse rider for the
past 40 years, I am no stranger to life’s ups and downs - sometimes literally -
and I think I was initially attracted to a career in Therapy because I
recognised that I sure needed it !!
But it was as a result of an “AHA !!” moment donated by a
friend of mine, that really motivated me to action.
My friend had suffered with M.E. for 37 years, when she
recovered her health, after completing a three day training program known as
the “Lightning Process” (Mary King’s daughter also used this to recover from
M.E.). My initial reaction of...”yeah right ...let’s not hold our
breath...” was soon over ruled by
amazement as she continued to flourish
over the next months - and still does to
this day.
I had to know more!
So I went to study with Phil Parker, the brilliant man who put together
the program, and began my initial training in Hypnosis, NLP and Life coaching. l
learned how to teach clients, how to use their brain to influence the chemistry
produced within their body, and recover their health (Psycho-neuro immunology
or PNI)
But it suddenly occurred to me one day whilst poo-picking
(some of my best decisions have been made whilst doing that job!!) - that the knowledge and techniques I had
learned, combined with my professional and personal experience as a rider and teacher, could be applied to change the emotional
state of riders, and help them to increase their confidence, or allay their riding fears and anxieties.
As a past competitor and producer of young horses, and having
also experienced a loss of riding confidence after a personal crisis, I was
very aware of how confidence in riding can be the difference between success
and failure, in whatever area we wish to have fun with our horses. In my
experience, the majority of riders will suffer some loss of confidence or
increased performance anxiety at times in their riding career.
As we rider’s already know - our horses are acutely aware of
our emotional state, as we constantly transmit our feelings to them via our
unconscious muscular responses (an ideomotor response), our sensory and
chemical messages (such as pheromones) and our communications on an energetic
level.
So when I had the choice of which area I wished to research,
for my dissertation project, as part of a Bachelor of Science Degree in Clinical
Hypnosis, I jumped at the chance to
research how hypnosis could affect confidence – and Horse Riding Confidence in
particular. Amazingly this particular area of Sports Psychology has received
very little prior research attention.
With the help of volunteers solicited from local riding
clubs and from an article placed in “Pegasus” equestrian magazine, a study was
set up to examine the effects on riders, of a SINGLE SESSION OF HYPNOSIS ,
designed to increase riding confidence.
A huge thank you goes to the wonderful volunteers who agreed
to take part in this research. They were 21 amazing women - horse riders, from
novice to professional, aged from 20 to 62. Interestingly, although participation
was open to riders of either sex, only girls applied. None of the volunteers
had ever received hypnosis for horse riding confidence prior to this study.
The volunteers were split into two groups, and were given a
questionnaire to complete before their session. Answers were recorded on a subjective numeric
scale and questions were designed to measure the main components of sporting
confidence.
One group received a single session of hypnosis.
The other group (which was the control group, although they
didn’t know this) were given an educational presentation about fear, anxiety
and the stress response, and riding confidence.
Both groups were then sent away to take part in their normal
riding activities, and were required to complete the same questionnaire
approximately two weeks later.
The data measured was the overall increase of each
participant’s score on a numeric scale.
The results were surprising, overall,
ten of the eleven participants in the Hypnosis Group reported an increase in
their confidence level, of a group average of 16% - in one case finding that riding
confidence could be increased by up to 51% with just one session of hypnosis.
But it was also interesting to note that seven of the ten
participants of the other group, who only had the educational presentation,
also reported an increase in their confidence level, of a group average of 5%.
The
reason could be that because, by explaining what happens during the stress
response, participants felt that they were not unusual, and as one participant
commented “I understand why I get scared now, which is a massive help”.
After the study, participants of both groups were given the
opportunity to experience the other intervention and they completed the
questionnaire again. The participants then reported an additional increase in
confidence of between 7 to 11%.
The results appear to support my experience that the use of
both interventions, such as in an un-mounted workshop training, is a very
effective way of improving riding confidence, and is an ideal way to “get the
rider’s head in the right place” - to be
the best partner they can for their horses.
The results of this research are clearly relevant to any
riding instructors and coaches, and suggest that - as sporting confidence has also been linked to
sporting performance, hypnosis also has the potential to help increase the
performance of our competition riders.
Hypnosis has been described as a completely natural, altered
state of consciousness and awareness, where the mind is relaxed, but focused
and receptive to suggestion. During hypnosis, specialised techniques are used
to help the client communication with their unconscious mind, and make the changes
they wish in their habits and behaviours, focus and emotional states.
One volunteer’s feedback ......“It was a great pleasure and relaxed
experience; I was put at ease and am glad that I answered the advert to take
part, a very positive experience, I have never had hypnosis before and did not
know what to expect, I have found that by stopping the negative thoughts alone
has made a tremendous difference and is showing in all aspects of my life,
Sherree did not make me feel uncomfortable in fact exactly the opposite. Thank
you.”
