Becoming A Confident Horse Rider: Tackling Barriers

Becoming a Confident Horse Rider

Becoming a confident horse rider is not easy! When it comes down to being a confident horse rider, two things can affect your outlook; your ability and your mindset. After time off riding, you might feel as though the reset button has been well and truly hit regarding your previous boldness in the saddle. So, what can we do to get back to our courageous riding ways?

No matter how much time you have had away from the saddle, you horse knowledge is still in there, somewhere! However, if you’ve lost faith in your knowledge of horses and riding, here are a few ways you can get back on track…

Top up your knowledge…

Make a conscious effort to get to know the theory of riding and horse care. In your spare time, read books, browse website articles or even watch YouTube videos or scroll through social media – you literally have a world of information at your fingertips!

Take some lessons…

Feeling wobbly in the saddle? Maybe you should rope in the help of a professional! Getting the help of a qualified instructor can make the world of different to your stability, functionality and mindset in the saddle. Coaches and instructors are also a great source of information, so if you have any questions, fire away!

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Build strength…

Feeling weak after time away from the saddle is also common and can be very unhelpful when trying to tackle nerves. So, why not build up your strength out of the saddle. Building your core and leg strength can help you to feel much more secure in the saddle, assisting with balance and position!

Having a negative mindset surrounding your riding experiences can also put a spanner in the works when wanting to achieve bigger and better feats, or just getting back in the saddle. Therefore, it’s not only important to ensure you ability is up to scratch, but that your head is in the right place in order take on these new challenges.

Feeling nervous around riding can negatively effect our performance and position, therefore negatively impacting our horse’s wellness and performance. But what can we do to tackle those nerves?

Start Small…

For progression, we all need to push ourselves outside of our comfort zone. However, don’t feel pressured into doing an exercise you feel to overwhelmed to complete. Instead, make compromises and build up to a bigger goal. For example, if you are asked to canter on lap around the arena, but feel too nervous to, break the task into more manageable chunks until you’re ready to take on the full task. Coaches and friends should support your decision, especially if you are looking in the direction of progress.

This could be the perfect time to nail the basics, such as riding the perfect circle and improving your accuracy in flatwork movements!

Breathe

When riding, take the focus away from the horse and focus on something else. Whether that counting your own breath or listening to your favourite music, sometimes a distraction can be key in order to reduce the sound of overthinking situations and possible scenarios.

Body Check

Think you’re getting to grips with your nerves? Do a body check!

Finding areas of tension in your body can be an outward sign of underlying nerves or insecurity. Start from your head, working down to your shoulder, hips, knees and ankles. If you notice tension, try to release the muscle through gentle swinging or rotational movements. Ask yourself why there is tension in this area – do you feel more secure with or without the tension?

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