Box for mental conditioning in equestrian sports with index (tools), topic cards with solutions and exercise cards in the form of an index.

Abstract

A structured self-coaching tool for psychological conditioning, characterized by providing the user with mental techniques for mastering specific situations encountered in equestrian sports, and containing concrete exercises for learning each mental technique; characterized by having an analog form in the shape of a box, which in turn contains tabs that guide the user from a description of the situation through topic cards with instructions to exercise cards for mental conditioning based on concrete exercises in specific situations, in order to improve the user's mental abilities in connection with the sporting activity based on predefined psychological parameters; the training mode selection tool contains a variety of exercises and training forms, such as breathing techniques, relaxation techniques, thought-stopping techniques, etc.

Description

[0001] Title: Box for Mental Conditioning in Equestrian Sports with Index (Tools), Topic Cards with Solutions, and Exercise Cards in Index Form. Main requirement: A index box with tabs, topic cards with solutions, and exercise cards for psychological conditioning in equestrian sports. The front of the box contains topic cards that present the basic techniques of psychological conditioning of the rider on the front of each card, describe their significance in equestrian sports, and explain their purpose in equestrian sports and competitive riding. The back of each card then explains the meaning of the psychological technique, presents typical examples of techniques for implementing the psychological technique, explains and illustrates typical signs that contradict the psychological technique, and presents and explains the purposes of applying the psychological technique.The conclusion then presents potential successes of applying the psychological technique; furthermore, the box contains an index that depicts typical situations in equestrian sports and simultaneously refers to tools, i.e., techniques within the topic cards, which are intended to help the user overcome certain undesirable psychological states while riding and achieve a positive state; these cards are supplemented by exercise cards that introduce physiological techniques, such as breathing techniques, and provide explanations as well as concrete exercises for practicing these techniques, thus enabling the implementation of the topic cards in practice. Description of the invention's scope:

[0002] The present invention relates generally to psychological and physiological training systems for one's own psychological conditioning in the field of equestrian sports and one's own perception, which should lead to a positive training result. Background of the invention:

[0003] The importance of mental health as a prerequisite for performance in sports, particularly equestrian sports, is receiving increasing attention. At the same time, there are motivational / impulse cards, which often lack a systematic approach and user guide; coaching books and self-help guides, which are frequently theory-heavy and require extensive reading; mental training apps, which depend on screen time; and mental coaches, who are tied to specific appointments and locations and are not suitable for self-application. In contrast, the "Mental Box" is an easily accessible, practical tool that provides mental support without necessarily requiring professional help or a digital infrastructure.

[0004] While traditional coaching products and guides tend to be text-heavy and therefore often passively absorbed, and mental training apps are frequently low-stimulus and primarily offer visual and tactile support, this set enables self-reflection and self-coaching that is immediately accessible and independent of screen use. The set thus establishes a distinct product category within coaching products.

[0005] Even though these methods have proven effective for some athletes, there is a lack of an analogous self-help system for strengthening mental health that has a structured but not dogmatic approach and is tactile, in-depth, individual and immediately applicable, without the internet, without an app and without prior knowledge.

[0006] The absence of such a system can lead to reduced motivation and inadequate results for individual athletes.

[0007] In recent years, mental training programs, digital self-care apps, and coaching books have emerged as options for mental training. Based on psychological insights and teachings, such as yoga, these tools offer similar concepts and exercises to create a mindset suitable for a particular sport and thus achieve corresponding training results.

[0008] However, existing mental training methods and systems have their own drawbacks. For example, conventional mental training is not tailored to specific situations in sports. Digital self-care apps are screen- and internet-dependent and, for instance, not readily accessible before a tournament. Coaching books are sometimes overly theoretical and therefore only of limited use as training or tournament preparation. This can lead to deficiencies in the immediate situation.

[0009] There is still room for improvement and additions to existing mental training methods and literature, particularly regarding the situational relevance of training tools, their personalization, and their accessibility and usability. The present invention and development attempts to address these shortcomings by deliberately taking an analog approach, while simultaneously creating a structured, engaging, and accessible method that is neither overly theoretical nor dogmatic. Summary of the invention

[0010] The present invention is a structured mental training system that, tailored to specific application situations, includes steps for self-regulation, resource activation, or a change of perspective in self-coaching, thus responding to mental or emotional challenges typical of the sport. The system, initially limited to equestrian sports, comprises topic cards, the front of which explains the respective topic and its significance in and for equestrian sports. The back of the cards contains an overview of the appropriate tools with their respective corresponding exercise cards.

[0011] The 24 tabs contain the main categories of tools, such as breathing techniques, anchoring techniques, reframing, etc. The front of each tab explains / defines the tool / term. The reverse side explains its relevance to equestrian sports. Finally, a thematic summary is provided, outlining what the user can mentally achieve by paying attention to and incorporating the respective topic into their training. Exercise cards are linked to the tabs. These cards demonstrate how to apply the exercises. The cards are numbered and assigned to the corresponding topic cards based on their content. Detailed description of the invention:

[0012] To facilitate understanding of the structure of the paper box containing currently 240 cards, its functionality is explained below. The system is designed so that when a user encounters a specific situation (such as fear while riding, "the inner critic," "stage fright & excitement," etc.), they consult the corresponding topic card. This topic card and its accompanying explanations direct the user to relevant tool cards. Each reference is accompanied by a sentence summarizing the content of the exercise card and establishing its connection to the specific situation.

[0013] This system will be illustrated with a concrete example. The user picks up the topic card "Dealing with Defeats." The front of this card refers to the ability to remain mentally strong and to learn continuously. It also mentions tools and techniques that help the user view defeats and mistakes as valuable steps on a learning path and to deal with setbacks constructively. The back of the card provides further information on focusing techniques, thought-stopping techniques, growth mindset, journaling and reflection, mentoring, reframing techniques, and visualization. Each technique is explained in a single sentence, for example:Focusing on the learning process and not just the result, thought-stopping techniques with the advice to treat oneself kindly and understandably, the growth mindset technique with the advice to accept mistakes as part of the learning process, journaling & reflection with the advice to think about mistakes and formulate concrete learning goals, mentoring with the advice to seek feedback and support from mentors, reframing technique with the advice to reinterpret mistakes as learning opportunities, and visualization with the advice to overcome mistakes and emerge stronger from them.

[0014] These references are supplemented by black numbers on the back of the topic cards, which correspond to exercise cards that provide additional exercises. Overall, this creates an easy-to-use exercise system that guides the user, based on specific situations, directly to the topics relevant to them and, from there, to relevant techniques and exercises. This eliminates the need for time-consuming browsing and searching through books, as well as the correspondingly time-consuming and screen-dependent scrolling and searching in apps.