Does time spent with your horse feel more distracted and scattered, rather than present and meaningful? If so, youre not alone. This is just part of being human and having a mind! And sometimes that mind simply becomes the monkey mind.Table of ContentsToggleWhat is the Monkey Mind?Being PresentHow to Improve Mental FocusOther Suggestions for Harnessing Your Monkey MindKey TakeawayOur sometimes overactive and easily distracted minds can rob us of precious moments and quality time. The good news is that there are tools and techniques to help pump the brakes on that runaway freight train of thoughts and improve the quality of presence with your horse and in your daily life.Dropping mental distractions allows us to simply share space and be present. Photo by Cathy WoodsWhat is the Monkey Mind?In mindfulness practice, weve affectionately labeled the busy mind as the monkey mind. Though monkeys are quite cute, they tend to be full of constant, exuberant energy, jumping from one thing to the next. When your mind leaps around like a monkey, you can end up feeling unfocused and exhausted.When dealing with horses, not only can the monkey mind be annoying, but it can also be quite an energy drain as we overthink and overuse it. Sadly, in our ever-faster-moving world with the constant need to multi-task, weve trained our minds to dart around from one thing to the next without pause, which fragments our energy. Dwelling on the past or projecting into the future causes us to miss the present moment, which is where life is happening.When the mind is all over the place, it can be hard to complete a task, whether at your desk or with horses. In addition to this leading to fatigue, a restless mental state can lead to poor decision-making and could even cause safety issues. Its in your and your horses best interest to make prudent, clear decisions.Being PresentTheres a lot of talk in horsemanship about collecting your horse, but what about collecting yourself and your thoughts? Since we transmit energy and horses read energy, they often mirror us; when youre not present, neither is your horse. Its not uncommon for him to become scattered and distracted if you are.Heres how this might look on a trail ride: youre riding your horse and an unrelated, random thought pops into your mind. For example, What am I going to cook for dinner?This takes you completely out of the moment. Your horse senses this and takes advantage of the opportunity by grabbing a bite of grass, stumbling on a rock, or pinning his ears at the horse next to him.When you collect your mind, your horse becomes more present as well, and you help him focus his mind and energy too, ultimately making you a better team.How to Improve Mental FocusTraining the mental muscle is no different than developing other muscles; it takes practice and commitment.Here are a few practical and easy-to-apply exercises:1. Become an observer of the mind: Collect your mind, at least somewhat, before meeting up with your horse. You can do this by simply focusing on your breathing for five minutes before going to the barn. This calms your mind. Each time your mind wanders from the breath (and it does!), notice that, and gently direct your mind back to your breath.2. The count: This simple but beneficial exercise can train your mind to focus on one-pointedness for longer and longer periods.Close your eyes and slowly count to 10, solely focusing on the number in your minds eye (nothing else but that number). Noticewithout judgmenthow far you get before your mind wanders from the number or a random thought trickles in.With practice, youll be able to get further along before your mind drifts, increasing your ability to focus longer.3. Use breath and bodily sensations: When you notice yourself coming out of the moment while working with your horse or while riding, tune in to your breathing and your bodily sensations. This helps ground you in the present.I often say, Thank the mind for its (many) opinions and come back to the breath and the body! The breath and the bodily sensations are tools that you always have right in your back pocket that you can use any time you feel scattered. 4. Widen your gaze: Were often so task-oriented or running on autopilot that we miss whats happening within us and around us. Simply stand still, look around, and detect all that you can. Notice the details, see the sights, hear the sounds, smell the smells. Getting present is a way to slow down the mental chatter and come into the now.When the mind chatter slows, theres just breath, bodily sensation, and the present moment. Then you can partner with your horse in a better way, stepping into his non-verbal world to connect. Photo by Cathy Woods5. Breathe with your horse: Before jumping right into training or riding, take a moment to breathe with your horse. This gives you both a moment to slow down and set a focused tone. Place your hand near your horses nostrils, on his side, or on his chest, and see if you can sync up your breaths to a slow, steady rhythm. This is calming for both horse and human.6. Take a mini-meditation: We dont always have the time or the headspace for a languid meditation session, but a mini-meditation can be just as effective.Before mounting up or before training, take a moment to be still, come into the present, and deliberately gather your mind and your energy. You and your horse will notice the positive difference this pause makes.Horse and rider stop for a pause and a mini-meditation before entering the arena. Photo by Cathy WoodsNote: Some of the above exercises can be done again once youve mounted up and as you see fit.Other Suggestions for Harnessing Your Monkey MindIf the above exercises are helping but you feel you could use even more support, consider the following ideas.1. Practice when the waters are calm. The more time you hone the skill of mindfulness on the meditation cushion or yoga mat, the more likely your success will be when trying to slow the monkey mind in daily life, which then becomes second nature when you are around or working with horses.2. Consider working with a coach. We work with coaches to achieve other fitness, training, and life goals, so why not for our mental goals as well? A meditation leader can be a good resource when wanting to learn the skill of gathering or collecting the mind.A group of riders meet up on retreat at Flathead Lake Lodge in Montana with Body, Mind, Equine leader Cathy Woods, taking a few moments to collect their minds before a trail ride. Photo by Cathy Woods3. Use a program specifically designed for equestrians mental needs. For this exact reason, I produced a course with HorseClass called In the Moment. This series of short, concise visualizations and exercises can easily be downloaded to your device and can help level up your mental game at the barn, in the show ring, or on the trail.Key TakeawayDont be too hard on yourself. Our mental focus varies on different days and for different reasons, depending on how much rest weve had, what weve eaten, what else is going on in our lives, et cetera. In many cases, weve conditioned the mind to be busy and overloaded.Breathing with horses at a Cathy Woods Yoga retreat is one of the Body, Mind, Equine activities used to calm and connect horse and rider. Photo by Cathy WoodsRemember, unlearning an unfavorable behavior can take longer than learning one, so be gentle with your mind. Not only will you feel better and more focused, but your equine partner will also appreciate you learning to harness that monkey mind! This article about harnessing your monkey mind and being more mindfully present with your horse appeared in the January/February 2024 issue of Horse Illustratedmagazine.Click here to subscribe!The post Harness Your Monkey Mind: Be More Mindfully Present Around Horses appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.