Enzo Ferrari was, of course, the dominating force behind the famously successful Ferrari racing machines. This quote from Enzo refers to the fact that, in auto racing, it matters not what is going on behind you. All that matters is that you are ahead of everything else.
While driving horses, all that matters is what is in front of us, our horses and ourselves. We can do nothing about what has already happened. We can only affect what is about to happen.
The fundamental question is: How do I create the horse I want out in front of me?
As I am driving down the long side of a dressage arena, I am giving instructions to my horse at the start of the long side in order to have the horse prepared to execute the upcoming turn. We are travelling a straight line til we arrive at the start of the physical turn so not much needs to happen except to maintain the correct speed and tempo and to take the time and distance available to adequately prepare ourselves to execute the turn which, by the way, will always be to the inside. I want him looking very slightly to the inside, with his body weight ever so slightly to the outside (otherwise he will be counter bent when he turns). I need him 'in my outside rein'. My inside rein is telling him what direction we are going to go and my outside rein will be releasing his energy and balance at the right moment and with the right release of pressure to instruct him about the arc and speed we need for the turn. It is not the pulling of the inside rein the creates the execution of the turn. The turn's beauty is created by the releasing, the giving of the outside rein pressure...actually by the horse's taking of the outside rein. My point: I am always preparing him for what is in front of us, not what is behind us.
I remember early on being caught in a mind trap that is deadly to many drivers in dressage tests. We practice and practice at home. We know how we want each movement to feel. And at home, we hone that until it feels pretty good. Sure, a little tweak here and a little tweak there. But generally, at the point when we run out of time to further prepare for our event, it feels markedly better than it used to. Training progress!
Yet, in the actual test that counts, it doesn't exactly feel that way. The the next movement is relentlessly upon us and the next.... and then the next ...and just like that how quickly we are already saluting and leaving the ring.
If we are not careful, our mind lags behind and may be still thinking about how the turn onto the final center line was less than accurate. Or the final halt was a bit early or a bit rushed. Or our horse veered to the right with his last step. Our mind is behind us before we know it.
The reality is, as Enzo Ferrari said: "What's behind you doesn't matter." We can't change it. We need all of our mental resources to execute what is coming next. As we drive through the test, we can't let our focus be dragged backward by what we should have...could have... done. We must cultivate the skill to stay focused on creating the horse we want out in front of us. If we work to develop that skill and we get good at it...there won't be much we need to fix when we get there. It's a good strategy.
What's behind you doesn't matter.
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