Training Beyond 80% Ability…
In my last SNHC post I spoke about how going barefoot cuts costs and how this would affect the work of our Vets, but why we still need them. Why Going Barefoot Cuts Costs and Why Vets Can’t Go on Holiday.
I mentioned as an example, the case of my daughter, Sasha, who broke her arm and how we then needed medical support. I went on to say she was being trained beyond her 80% ability. I feel this is such an important thing to remember, with all of ones work and to remember it here, with the work we do when training our horses.
To Clarify Further….
Every good trainer, whether for human or animal, recognizes the boundaries of his athletes and will train them, at 70-80% of their maximum performance. Otherwise, tensions, circulatory disruptions, muscle breakdown, psychological and psychosomatic problems, exhaustion, and finally accidents can occur. So, leaving 20 – 30% for safety – you do not train or work them to their limit. Ever.
By training to the 70-80% rule, you then have 20% within you, which enables those outstanding extraordinary performances, that we see with many Olympic athletes. So optimal performance is no longer the extraordinary and can become everyday experiences.
I have worked, as well as watched many trainers and the really experienced ones know the 70 -80% rule. They will train, a person or horse, but always within their 70 – 80% ability and they leave something for tomorrow.
However, when watching my daughter, Sasha, who was just 10 yrs, last April, train with a lovely, but (in this case, inexperienced) coach, she was doing everything very well and the rewards were being felt not only by her, but also by her coach. While watching her – I suddenly got a wrenching feeling in the pit of my stomach, because, although everything looked fine, I knew she had done enough and should stop – afraid to interfere, I bit my tongue.
A grave error on my part, as, with her next gymnastic move she fell, broke her arm, fracturing both her radius and ulna.
It is fully healed, but it has been a real lesson for us all including Sasha, to learn to feel our own limits and to be responsible for ourselves, with regard to the 70- 80% rule.
But boy, the next time I feel those feelings and know those boundaries are not being addressed, regardless of the activity, I will not be a mute mother.
Giving it “100%”
Whatever you do, give it 100% focus, but apply this within the 70-80% rule whilst training.
So What We Try to Do…
Whether I am trimming our horses feet, training/playing with the horses or planning the next day with Laura, I keep this at the back of my mind.
We all attempt to do as much as possible and we do achieve a great deal in one day. We aim to focus 100% on what we do, but at the same time, our goal is also, to finish without feeling over worked and exhausted.
When I was learning to trim, I would try and do my very best but also accept that their was still plenty of room for improvement with my skills.
I knew if I worked within my physical/mental boundaries, I would be fresh the next day to continue on. The same rule has applied with setting up this website. The challenge and frustration of trying to put all that we have learnt into codes and web pages, so that it makes sense for our readers, has been enormous. So I give it ‘my all,’ but attempt to stop when I know I have peaked, but before I am mentally or physically exhausted.
Why is This Relevant to You…
When you are training and working with your horse, or even just working by yourself or with others, give it 100% focus, i.e. think only about what you are doing.
But keep in mind that you need to stop when you have reached your 70-80% and leave fuel in you and your horse, for the following day……..
If you are disciplined and maintain this over a period of time, until it becomes a habit, you will be surprised as to how much you will achieve and accomplish and what you are doing, will become easier and much more enjoyable.
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