Break It Down
Time and time again, I have left the herd feeling all the way from terrific, to close to suicide watch.
We’ve all felt the pain after a poor run.
One time during a clinic, a woman said to me, “I bet you’ve never cried like this.” I said, “Are you kidding? I have the corner on that market. You are an amateur crier.”
It’s easy to lump the whole run together as really good, or really awful, and not think another thing about it. (Well, maybe you ponder it a bit longer if you experience the low end of the totem pole.)
How Do I Keep From Blanking Out During a High Pressure Run?
The issue we are addressing here is the lack of ability to feel like you are on planet Earth instead of planet Mars as your cutting run progresses!
Maybe you were not in the moment before you entered the herd, much less during your run. In fact, you might have been shaking in your boots wondering why the heck you pay good money to put yourself through this misery!
Be Ready for Your Cutting Run …
It makes all the difference in how you do
We’ve all experienced the feeling of being SO ready to go cut. We knew we were on our game. Even if something very distracting, like a cow jumping over the fence, threatened to penetrate our laser focus we knew we could handle it.
World-class athletes in every sport who perform consistently have a methodical way of getting ready to perform. This is true particularly on competition day.
Get VERY CLear About Your Cutting Goals This Year
Five Suggestions to Get You There
So often we get swept away by what happened last year, what our best friend is doing, or what someone else thinks we should do.
But, what you want to accomplish this year is up to your desires, your current horse, family, or financial situations.
No matter what someone else is experiencing in our sport, it is important to decide what you want to achieve this year. Setting these goals is not the responsibility of your trainer, your spouse, or your friends.
Recover Between Cattle in the Cutting Arena
It is Critical to Your Success
One of the skills that separates cutting competitors is an ability to relax or recover between cattle.
I’m speaking about an ability to lower your heart rate and brain wave activity for several seconds after you quit a cow. When developed, this occurs just before you re-enter the herd for the next cut.
This is a learned skill. It must be conditioned. It is as important as anything else you do to keep yourself focused and thinking clearly during your run.
Build Your Cutting Run in a Positive Direction
That’s What the Judges Want to See
I recently had two exciting knowledge building experiences. Both helped me improve the way I think about showing.
My first event was an NCHA Cutting Academy Grassroots Clinic held in my hometown of Brenham, Texas. (If you EVER have an opportunity to attend one in your area, DO NOT MISS IT). Russell McCord, the NCHA Director of Judges, led the morning classroom session. Matt Gaines commented with Russell during live works in the afternoon. Both did a super job.
How to Evaluate if You Are Making Progress in Your Cutting Skills
Beyond trust, there is the reality of how you are doing … or more importantly, how you
perceive you are doing.
It’s so easy to view a cutting run as “all good” or “all bad”. Most of us have a tendency to focus on what went wrong and forget about all the good things we did or our horse did.
There will always be things you are doing well and things you are improving. This is the way for all cutters, whether you have won three million or have no earnings.
Improve Your Cutting Runs
Improve Your Cutting Runs >>>
Use Videos In These New Ways
Eight Tips to Try Immediately
There can be hidden opportunities to improve your cutting runs when you watch videos.
If you are like me, you may tend to view an educational video like this. Watch it once … maybe twice if you really liked it. You think it only takes one viewing to get all the juice out of it. It’s as if the process of watching it is a massive brain injection of information!
Get the Feeling of a Silky Cutting Turn
And Stop Leaning At the Same Time
Have you ever struggled with a pesky upper body that won’t stop leaning through a turn? Sometimes your shoulders and torso seem to have minds of their own. They won’t be still no matter what you try.
Here’s a suggestion. Just for a moment, let go of pushing, prodding, trying, and frustration.
Exactly What Does “Use Your Feet!” Mean?
Eleven Concepts to Unravel the Mystery
A common source of confusion for many amateurs and non-pros is trying to understand exactly what a trainer means when the instruction, “Use your feet!” is given. Throw in the heat of the moment and anything can happen from a panicky jab, to using the wrong foot, to temporary paralysis of the lower limbs.
Here are eleven possible ways to use your feet during practice or a show:
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