Laughing and Having Fun is the Best Medicine for a Great Ride on Your Horse

Of course it’s always fun to let down and have a good time, but did you know how much of a positive effect that has on riding your horse?

Read this and notice how you feel.

Did you hear the story about three different guys and their marriages?

The first man told his new wife to do the dishes and house cleaning. It took a couple of days, but on the third day he came home to see a clean house and the dishes washed.

The second guy gave his new wife similar orders. It took some time, but in three days he saw a clean house, dishes done, and a huge dinner on the table.

The third man married a girl from Texas. He ordered her to keep the house clean, dishes washed, lawn mowed, laundry washed, and hot meals on the table. He said the first day he didn’t see anything, the second day he didn’t see anything, but by the third day some of the swelling had gone down and he could see a little out of his left eye. His arm was healed enough that he could fix a sandwich for himself and load the dishwasher.

We all love to laugh! And when I learned how important it is, I began seeking it out even more.

One of my favorite pieces of documented research at LGE Sports Science is about humor and having fun.

Now before I tell you about the research, I want to refresh your memory about what they call the Ideal Performance State or “IPS”. It is the same thing as being in “The Zone”. All it means is that you feel calm, focused, energized, confident, and ready to rock all at the same time. When you feel that way, you will ride at your best. Also, IPS is a trainable state … a skill like learning to ride (key point).

Also, IPS has a neurochemical signature in our bodies that can be measured. Another key point.

Well as it turns out, humor and fun have their own neurochemical signatures in our bodies, too. That neurochemistry is closer to the neurochemistry of IPS than any other single emotion. So, the more fun you have when you practice and show, the closer you are to that magic state that allows your excellence to shine through. It’s an automatic.

So having fun and enjoying lots of humor is not only a joy … it’s powerful medicine for your riding!

Here’s what happens in your body when you’re having fun and laughing. Your blood pressure goes down. (It goes up at the beginning of a laugh, but then it comes down.) Your heart rate goes up also, sometimes even into the high aerobic range, but then it drops after the laugh is over; sometimes 15 beats below resting.

These are powerful biochemical events.

Plus, an added benefit is that a half-hour of laughter also boosts the immune system. It is an enormous endorphin release. That release of endorphins is its own powerful kind of immune enhancer.

So, laugh easily and often!

Most importantly, laugh at yourself in high-stress conditions. It is a vitally important measure of how emotionally controlled you are. (There’s nothing worse than feeling too grumpy or stressed-out to even smile!)

Laughing when you feel fear, or get upset, or angry will free you from the ties of difficult, uncomfortable, and restrictive emotions that ultimately impair your riding.

When you make the decision to find the humor in a situation that has you upset, or you decide to find a way to have fun (even if you don’t feel like it), you set yourself up for riding at your highest level.

Did you hear about the fight in the bakery? The bread got fresh and punched a hole in the doughnut!! (Now that’s one from my grade school years!)

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Tags: Barbara Schulte, Barbra Schulte, Equestrian, Horse Training, Horseback Rider Confidence, Horseback Riding, Mental Training, Mental Training for Horseback Riders, Ride With Confidence, Rider Fear, Riding Horseback, Sports Psychology, Sports Psychology for Horseback Riders

Comments

One Comment on Laughing and Having Fun is the Best Medicine for a Great Ride on Your Horse

Bill Crabtree on Thu, 6th May 2010 4:40 pm

Barbra: I contacted your website to order Boyd’s DVD and Bill Freeman’s Book…
You’re newsletter brought back a flood of memories when I saw your "Queen"
picture with Jill & Jean Valy. I worked for Dale McDavitt in the early 70′s when the
girls mom, Beverly, was married to him. I remember the girls hanging out with
the "Hullings". I moved back to Montana in 74′ and kinda lost touch with all of them…know Jill married Tom Forst…but don’t know what happened after that.
Thanx for the memories…Bill Crabtree, Red Lodge, Mt.

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