Know Your Energy

a highly strung person like an overrevved race car or are you more of a pickup truck slowly chugging along? We all start with a baseline energy that comes most naturally to us. If youre not sure ask your trainer or stablemates for feedback. They should be able to give you some pretty accurate readings.
For example John a jumper rider knew that he rode his best when he felt somewhat excited about what was to come. His body felt light and responsive. His horse also seemed to respond well when he was in this state. When John was at his worst he felt listless and unmotivated. His whole body seemed tight and slow to react. His mount would become hyper sensitive to any aid he applied and he generally felt out of sync with what was happening.
When I asked John to apply a number to his effective state in terms of energy on a scale from one to ten he chose seven. So ask yourself what is your number?
When you have established that information its time to consider your teammate. Do not forget to assess your horses style and even assign a number. Are you sitting on a highly sensitive mare? Or paired with a plodding Warmblood that doesnt seem to feel your leg pressure most of the time? Just like you every horse comes with their own individual preference which is part of what makes the sport so challenging.
Matchmaking
Are you and your mount matching or clashing? Are you a match made in heaven or made somewhere else? The easiest matches just like in romance are those of opposites. A high strung horse and easy going rider balance each other as do the sluggish mount with the spirited rider.
The not so easy matches tend to be too much alike. With a low horse and low rider who will create the energy? The high rider and high horse both get over the top but together they can literally jump the rails.
Just to complicate matters you can also have less than ideal matches with the horse sport of your choice. You might love to ride the jumpers but not have much natural intensity or enjoy taking risks.
Ultimately the number you pick as your target will be a range. It will represent what works best for you and your horse. If you are one of those tough horserider matches youre going to have