Got Nerves?

We all know that stress and anxiety are bad for our health. Have you ever considered how these emotions affect our animals in a competition environment? I am someone who has been on both ends of the spectrum. I used to suffer from extreme pre-run anxiety - but now I actually have to work to pump myself up. How did I achieve that? Well, I hope you do not have to experience what I did to make the same realizations that I did…

I came to the conclusion that my nerves were so negatively affecting my animals’ performances that, I decided, unless I learned to control my emotions, I would not allow myself to show. Period. True to Heidi fashion, it was this harsh ultimatum of fix it - or stop showing - that helped me.  But it wasn’t until later, after I was in a serious accident, that I began to acquire much more insight into my own emotions. I remember lying in my hospital bed (and also in the many months of inactivity that followed), reflecting and remembering all the things that I loved to do and was determined to do again. I had always appreciated the opportunity to run my dogs and show my horses - but when that was abruptly taken away from me, you can bet that I began to look at things a bit differently.

There are all kinds of self-help programs on mental management to better help competitors achieve their goals. In fact, I used to use some of them. Lots of them! However, the problem I see with a lot of these programs is that they are failing to help us identify the cause of our problems. Without knowing the cause, how can we fix the problem? Typically, the cause is going to be different for each person.

So let’s get right to the meat and potatoes of anxiety and break it down.

First, it’s important, when learning to control our emotions, to keep in mind that emotions such as anger, anxiety, jealousy, greed, shame, fear, insecurity, frustration, worry are…. you got it, negative emotions! Therefore, when we are aiming for a positive outcome, how are we going to achieve that outcome when we use negativity to try to get it? Yep ding, ding…it won’t!!

We all know how common these emotions are in any competition environment. It’s not a secret, competing brings out the best and worst in people. It causes people to doubt themselves, to be mean to others – or even worse, to their animals, to place blame on everyone but themselves, and so on. Most all of us have been guilty of this, to varying degrees, at some point in our careers.

I can sit here and tell you how detrimental it will be to your overall success if you do not learn to manage these unproductive feelings - the many problems it will cause for you - and also how it can take ALL of the fun right out of the game - but what is that really going to accomplish? Probably not much since I would be shocked if you didn’t actually already know all of this! How about we, instead, think about WHY we are having these feelings in the first place and what emotions – positive emotions - you can replace them with.

Let’s start with one of the most common emotions:

Fear: This will often impact certain personality types. They are afraid or even terrified of making mistakes. They are afraid of letting their trainers, coaches, friends, etc down. They are inclined to try actually try TOO hard! They are so afraid of doing it wrong that it prevents them from doing it right.

If this is you, ask yourself these questions; What is it exactly I’m afraid of? Am I afraid of making mistakes? Am I afraid of things going wrong? Am I afraid I will look like a fool? Keep asking yourself these questions until you find out what exactly is your own personal trigger for this emotion.

Once you determine the why, you can better start to recognize WHEN this is starting to occur and can then subsequently replace those fear thoughts, with positive thoughts. Thoughts such as, I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here with my animal, that it doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect - because regardless, we will have fun!

Anxiety: This also may affect certain personality types more than others. They will be talking a mile a minute, picking constantly on their animals, over handling, getting an upset stomach and even possibly causing erratic behavior in their animals. The animals don’t understand why you are having these emotions, as you likely don’t train with these emotions. So what do you expect them to do when you have them at a show and you are anxious?

Question time again. Why are you anxious? Does people watching you and making judgements about you, make you anxious? – I think that might actually be one of the most common reasons. If so, instead think…I am so relaxed and happy to be here and I have worked hard to be here. I will rely on my training and be confident and just enjoy whatever happens. I do not care what others think because it’s not about them.


Anger: Some personality types will question placings and doubt judges. They harshly criticize others as an attempt to ease their own insecurities. They can cause a lot of upset to “fear” based personality types and may often target these types.

It can be hard to step back and critique yourself, but without that ability, there is not room for your improvement. By being more aware of what you are doing, how you are acting, and what you are saying, you are opening yourself up for greater growth. So as painful as the process may be, it needs to be done.

Back to the questions. Is what I am saying affecting anyone negatively? It should not be difficult to know if this is the case – as it is not rocket science. Am I being critical of others to “self medicate” my own emotions? Am I trying to “psych out” the competition by making verbal jabs because I am afraid they will beat me? If this is the case, instead think of how you would not want to accept being treated this way and how it would make you feel. Think of how embracing more compassion will actually make you better, more aware, and stronger - and that you do not need these negative emotions to be successful.

There are many more emotions but you get the idea. Recognize the emotion, honor the emotion, and replace the emotion with a higher, more positive emotion.

And always remember that no one knows what you are going through and that no one can hurt your feelings without your consent. Recognize that not everyone needs to have the same goals as you and that offering support to EVERYONE will make you a better competitor! Doing this will also better allow you to be able to recognize which emotions you want to have - and those that you do not wish to experience.

Take LOTS of photos, savor every single moment – good, bad, or even the plain ole ugly - because you never know when your last run will be and you will then be just looking back on the memories. If you are honest with yourself you will, I can assure you, enjoy looking back on every SINGLE memory.

Let's Talk Saddle Pads

With the vast selection of saddle pads on the market, how does one even go about choosing the best fit for their saddle? As we know, there’s a pad claiming to fix every fitting issue. Lift pads, correction pads, gel pads, pads that claim to eliminate all pressure points caused by an ill fitting saddle and so on. As a saddle fitter, I see a lot of riders recognizing the obvious fitting issues and choosing a pad that claims to fix that issue; however, what often ends up happening is in trying to fix that obvious issue, we create more problems with our well intentioned pad choices. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are several things to keep in mind when on your search for the “perfect” pad. First, we must take into consideration that a saddle pad can make an ok fitting saddle a great fitting saddle - or it can make it a very poor fitting saddle that will cause a great deal of soreness. The margin of error is typically quite small. For example, the difference between a baby pad (a quilted english pad without filling) and quilted pad (with filling) can mean the difference between a good fit and poor fit. Secondly, when correction pads are used they will change the balance point of the saddle and this can prevent the rider from “connecting” with the horse’s center of balance resulting in an imbalanced seat and incorrect biomechanics of both horse and rider. Riders generally recognize when a saddle tips forward or tips back - but often the problem stems from not fully understanding why. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are several important factors to keep in mind when searching for the correct pad. One rule about fitting, in general, is that static (when the horse is standing still) fitting is only a guide. The actual test of the fit comes in motion. A lot of biomechanical issues and/or rider imbalances can cause a saddle that looks like a great match statically, not to be a match at all in motion. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- English Saddles Riser pads: Riser pads are either built up in the front to lift the pommel or built up in the back to lift up the cantle. These pads cause a multitude of problems, and I never find a situation where they actually do more good than harm. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Built up shoulder pads: Pads with a built up area over the shoulders are designed to lift the saddle up. A common issue with muscle atrophy around the scapula is caused when the saddle settles in the hollows hence restricting movement. Consequently, adding additional padding in this area alone also results in uneven weight distribution and balance issues. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Correction/Shim pads: Correction pads do have their place. However, there are certain types of correction pads with pockets for shims that do not work. A correction pad MUST have 3 pockets on each side for shims. If you build up the front or rear of the saddle alone, it will bridge and negatively affect the overall balance. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contour Pads: English pads should be contoured to provide proper wither relief. This seemingly minor detail makes a significant difference in fit. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pad thickness: Big squishy, fluffy pads do not equal more support for the horse’s back. As previously mentioned, there is a fine line when it comes to padding. So many people keep adding pads until the saddle sits even to their eye. However, if the saddle cannot accommodate the extra thickness of a pad, it will result in severely uneven pressure points. If extra padding is necessary for a “special needs” back, then the saddle fitter should fit the saddle to that that pad to ensure proper balance and weight distribution. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gel pads: Some horses do favor gel pads but their construction is imperative. If they are not cut out over the withers, they tend to pull down over the withers causing undue wither pressure. The thickness of them needs to be taken into consideration as well to ensure that it is not too thick for the fit of your saddle. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Western Saddles Material: The material that is against the horse’s back is crucial. Neoprene/rubber lined pads are popular in training barns because they can be easily disinfected; however, these materials trap heat. If there is no breathability, as the horse sweats, the back will get very hot leading to possible injury. I see a lot more back soreness with these pads than I do with pads that are constructed of a more breathable natural material. The heavy neoprene designs also typically do not have a good contour design – usually just vents over the spine, which is not the same. It’s better than nothing but not the same as an actual two piece contour design. This results in a great deal of wither pressure. You will also find this in some of the heavy gel type pads as well. FYI: A better choice instead of using neoprene pads for cleanliness purposes, would be to disinfect pads and cinches after each use with a spray made of 1 cup water, 10 drops tea tree oil, 20 drops eucalyptus, and 20 drops lavender. Your horses will thank you! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contour: To avoid unnecessary bunching that causes pressure points and wither soreness, a western pad should be made of two pieces, as well as have a wither hole in order to effectively pull the pad up into the gullet of the saddle. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thickness: Again, more is not better. Thicker does not mean more protection. In most cases, a 1” pad is too thick. If the tree fits, you will need a ½” or less. What works on one horse, may not work on another so it’s important to assess to each fit individually. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shoulder cut outs: I still come across folks cutting out holes in their saddle pads (gasp) in hopes of relieving shoulder pressure. This strategy does not work well at all. The real problem here goes back to being able to understand WHY there is shoulder pressure in the first place. Usually it comes down to an issue that is beyond what a corrective pad can fix. Although, there are some exceptions where it’s simply a misunderstanding of the problem at hand. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The bottom line is that you should start with the best possible tree for your horse. Relying on a pad to fix major fitting issues is just not realistic. A pad is meant to compliment the fit rather than perform a fitting miracle. In english saddles, when you have a saddle that is wool flocked, there is a lot of room for customization allowing for the best possible fit. Western saddles are a bit trickier, especially when you are using the same saddle on multiple horses. However, if you start with a well-designed tree for the types of horses you ride, you may be able to stretch out its fitting versatility by choosing the right pads for each horse. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Heidi Pichotta Mechanics for the Equine Athlete www.fortheequine.com

Assessing Pain in Your Equine Athlete

A crucial element to being a good trainer or rider is the ability to detect pain in the horse. Keeping a performance horse sound can be one of the greatest challenges of competing; therefore, being able to recognize problems before they become actual injuries is a skill you can't afford to be without if you are looking to stay at the top of your game. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are many ways to evaluate a horse for pain. There are the obvious signs of behavioral issues and performance issues that we have all heard a thousand times and hopefully are able to easily recognize. Then there are the not so obvious signs. For example, palpating a horse for soreness. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One of the most common ways I see the lay person (and even some professionals) attempting to assess pain is to take their finger nail or other sharp object, with varying force, and dig into certain areas of the horse's body. They will hit a point that they have learned means "hocks" or "stifles" etc. and then, because the horse flinches, they will declare the horse to have an issue in said area. While you can certainly create an alarming reaction this way, it actually tells you very little about the issues at hand. If I took my finger and jabbed you in the back, I bet you a buck, I could also make you jump! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These points I am referring to are acupressure points. And they are, without a doubt, a very effective way of assessing and addressing dysfunctions in the body. Horses have 12 meridians: The Lung, The Large Intestine, The Spleen, The Stomach, The Heart, The Small Intestine, The Kidney, The Bladder, The Pericardium, The Triple Heater, The Liver, and The Gall Bladder meridian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The most common points I see folks "jabbing" are the hock and stifle points located in the bladder meridian located between the biceps femoris and the semitendinosis area. But are these the only hock and stifle points in the body? The answer would be a big fat NO! There are many others. So how, might I ask, does getting a "knee jerk" reaction on one stifle point indicate that the cause of the horse's performance problems are its stifles? As you may have suspected, it typically doesn't... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Further, the aforementioned pressure points can also indicate sacropelvic issues and sublaxation, back stiffness, enteritis - inflammation of the small intestine, and cystitis - urinary bladder inflammation. The hock point in this area can indicate not only hock pain but hind-limb arthritis, enteritis, nephritis - inflammation of the nephrons in the kidneys, and cystitis. And that's not even taking into consideration the location of the points, the bladder meridian. As an energy system the bladder is intimately related to the functions and balance of the autonomous nervous system. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ With that said, we can now see things are a little bit more complicated than they may have appeared. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When acupressure is utilized correctly, points are assessed with the finger tips - searching for temperature changes of the points, indentations, protrusions, and pulses. As well as doing a thorough examination of all related points and meridians in question to determine the best course of action. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The average lay person cannot be expected to know how to locate and evaluate the multitude of acu-points that are located on the horse's body. However, there are several things they can do to help determine where the issues may lie. To start with, knowing what is that horse's "normal" is - is a valuable tool. On a regular basis you should take the palm of your hand and run it over the horses body - paying attention to how the tissue feels under your hand. Is it warm? Is it cold? Are you running over "ridges" in the muscles? Are the muscles taut like a drum or are the tissues smooth and palatable under your hand? With your finger tips and medium pressure, check the neck, back, croup, legs, and hamstring muscle groups for abnormal sensitivity. Range of motion of the joints can also be determined when performing a regular stretching regime after workouts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To get optimal results from any training program and to ensure valuable time and money is not lost to preventable injuries takes a team of skilled professionals (including bodywork!) to keep the horse performing at the top of its game.....and to stay there for years to come.

So you think massage is a luxury......

As a massage therapist or bodyworker as I prefer to be called (massage insinuates one modality whereas bodywork is compromised of multiple modalities which means the therapist has extensive training), I am often shocked at how many people still think it's a luxury. It is not a luxury. It's a necessity. Particularly if you plan on using your body or your horse's or you dog's body for anything other than laying around. The more you are going to demand from the body, the better you need to take care of it. Let me explain...

Professional athletes get massages like they eat meals. They treat it like fuel for their body because it is! Case in point from Bill Romanowski's book..."German athletes are more meticulous in their training. Their philosophy is to get a massage every day like Americans eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's part of the workout, part of the recovery. It's called taking care of yourself." - Udo Magel

We must realize that the mere act of training causes soreness. Causes of post-exercise soreness vary from overuse injuries to minor strains to tears in the individual muscle fibers. When a workout is over done, you will find that the damaged muscle fibers become swollen, fatigued, and sore over the next 24 hours. Furthermore, another culprit of soreness is lactic acid. It is produced during intense levels of exercise when the oxygen demands of the muscle fibers increase beyond what the blood is capable of delivering.

Massage eliminates the lactic acid, the trauma from over use strains and tears, adhesion's and knots in the muscles, and re-balances the musculature system. Which equals faster recovery time and fewer injuries.

Point blank, corrective massage is going to hurt. It hurt to create these dysfunctions in the body, so don't expect it to be a song and dance to fix it. The more dysfunction in the body, the less pleasant it will be. However, if you do not correct it, you will experience lack of performance, slow recovery time, incorrect movement patterns, and eventually serious injury.

Simply put, muscles are the motor of the body. They must act synergistically (Definition: combined action or functioning) to produce optimum results. If they do not, the skeletal system and joints will become stressed and unable to function properly. I often see this and in attempt to fix the issues the joints are treated or the skeletal system is treated but never the muscles. That is like putting new tires on your car and wondering why it doesn't run! You are throwing money down the drain and who wants to throw money down the drain?

How to Combat Pain; My Healing Journey

I am still shocked when I hear comments regarding massage as being frivolous or a luxury. What!?! Isn't it completely normal for every person and every working animal to receive regular treatments? Of course it's not, but it should be! It doesn't matter if you are trying to recover from trauma or simply trying to prevent it.

As someone who has suffered serious trauma, I can attest that I would not be where I am and have defeated many recovery odds, if it were not for all of the therapy I have done. Since my accident over a year ago, I have gotten worked on every week. Whether it be chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, applied physiology or physical therapy. Each modality played a vital role in how I have healed and continue to heal. Most people have physical therapy after injuries but the work must continue long after those appointments have ended if you wish to continue the healing process. It's a small price to pay for getting your life back!

Throughout my recovery, I chose to use different modalities depending on where I was at in my healing. I feel this is crucial.

As a therapist, I often find that there is a misunderstanding that massage is massage. Not true. There are many different types and each type has a time and place to obtain optimum results. Here are descriptions and guidelines of what is what and when is the right time:

MYOFASCIAL RELEASE "Myofascial Release is a safe and very effective hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure into the Myofascial connective tissue restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion.

Trauma, inflammatory responses, and/or surgical procedures create Myofascial restrictions that can produce tensile pressures of approximately 2,000 pounds per square inch on pain sensitive structures that do not show up in many of the standard tests (x-rays, myelograms, CAT scans, electromyography, etc.)" - John F Barnes

Myofascial Release was the first modality I used. Fascia is a seamless web of connective tissue that covers and connects the muscles, organs, and skeletal structures in our body. When trauma occurs, the body's natural response is to freeze up to protect itself. It's completely subconscious. I learned, I am a master of this! Which is probably good and bad. I'm still "frozen" in spots in order to protect my injuries. When there is a restriction in the fascia web, it affects the whole system. It's like a snag in a pair of nylons. Myofascial Release works to "unwind" these restrictions and return your body to full capacity and full range of motion.

APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY I still use this modality nearly daily and in my work constantly. It is a muscle monitoring technique, applied physiology allows the body to express what is out of balance and provides information to restore that balance. Muscles are put through a normal range of motion, monitored to determine where the stresses lie. The centerpiece of the technique is using acupoints to ask “questions” about specific physiological and anatomical stresses. The goal of treatment is to let go of the stress within the body by integrating the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual components of an individual.

DEEP TISSUE One thing deep tissue massage is not is a fluff and buff!! It is aslo not relaxation massage. Go to a spa for that. Furthermore, it is a separate category of massage therapy, which I call corrective bodywork. It is designed to relieve severe tension in the muscle and the connective tissue or fascia. It is applied to both the superficial and deep layers of muscles and fascia. The sessions are often quite intense as a result of the deliberate, focused work and it can and will be uncomfortable at times.

OSTEOPATHY Osteopathy is a form of drug-free non-invasive manual medicine that focuses on total body health by treating and strengthening the musculoskeletal framework, which includes the joints, muscles and spine. Its aim is to positively affect the body's nervous, circulatory and lymphatic systems.

Now enough of me for a second, let's talk about our animals. When should we use the different modalities?

When should I schedule a corrective bodywork session? Typically a week before the competition and a week after will give you optimum results. However, if it is your first session, schedule out a month for your first session. Every body responds differently.

What modality should I use for post competition? Is it ok to have work performed at the event? Absolutely yes it is! However, a pre or post comp. massage is very different from that of a "corrective session" i.e. deep tissue techniques. Pre and post comp work should feel very light compared to your regular sessions. They are geared towards flushing lactic acid, restorative range of motion exercises, and redirecting blood flow, as well as relaxing the mind and body. All very important. I will offer a word of caution though, if you are not on a regular regime of bodywork, don't first attempt it at a competition. Refer to above recommendations.

What modalities are best for prevention? The answer is all are beneficial for prevention! Before my accident, I also received bodywork on a regular basis. I believe that is one of the biggest reasons my body was able to "take" the injuries it did. A soft, elastic muscle is going to bounce back so much more quickly and be so much STRONGER than one that is contracted and hardened in an already protective state of dysfunction.

An ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure! Keep healing!

Heidi Pichotta