| One thing I have learnt during my struggles to become | | | | Be grateful for everything you have achieved so far, |
| a better horseback rider is definitely non-negotiable: | | | | no matter how small and insignificant a goal it was. Get |
| Whatever it is that you want to achieve with your | | | | a gratitude attitude |
| horse and your riding, there is one fundamental | | | | 7. Goal setting |
| concept you have to accept in all its complexity: you | | | | Your self-esteem, awareness, ability to communicate |
| have to exercise you mind with as much diligence as | | | | with horses and people, energy and happiness can all |
| you exercise your body. | | | | be amplified by your use of goal setting. This type of |
| There is a vast variety of mental exercises at the | | | | confidence-building takes time, although the sense of |
| thinking rider's disposal: mental rehearsal, anchoring, | | | | achievement when you reach that elusive star, is an |
| resourceful state induction, eradicating limiting beliefs | | | | instantaneous confidence booster. So aim for the |
| with affirmations, reframing, perceptual positioning and | | | | moon, if you miss it you will still land amongst the stars. |
| many more...at least one to suit every rider, though | | | | 8. Reframing |
| most riders prefer to use their own combination of | | | | In reframing you choose what an event will mean to |
| techniques. The following ten are some of the greatest | | | | you and how you are going to respond to it |
| confidence boosters for horseback riders. | | | | emotionally. After a dressage test you can focus |
| 1. Start by accepting yourself exactly as you are. | | | | intentionally on what went well, instead of every little |
| You are good enough exactly as you are now. That | | | | thing that went wrong. Usually we tend to maximise |
| does not mean that there is no room for improvement, | | | | our blunders, even if they are by far in the minority. |
| just that you are perfectly acceptable in whatever | | | | Often we are blind and deaf to our own successes. |
| state or condition you are right now. And while you are | | | | 9. Get rid of limiting beliefs |
| at it, give your horse a break and accept him too - just | | | | Most of us have very rigid ideas of who we are, what |
| as he is now. | | | | we can or can't do, what we do or don't believe about |
| 2. Mental rehearsal | | | | horses and riding, about instructors and farriers and |
| Athletes every where use this technique to prepare | | | | vets. Very few of us are willing to adjust our beliefs |
| themselves form competitions. Imagining and fine tuning | | | | even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the |
| every step of their performance results in a | | | | contrary. Instead of changing our beliefs, we get even |
| dramatically enhanced outcome. | | | | more entrenched in our comfort zone, and decide |
| 3. Installing anchors | | | | instead to find some one or something else to blame: |
| An anchor is a stimulus that generates a specific state | | | | our horse, for example. Or the weather, another rider, |
| of mind. For example, touching a thumb to an index | | | | the course planner, the trainer, our instructor etc. etc. |
| finger while holding the reins could be an anchor that | | | | 10. Discover your learning style and stage |
| will make you feel more confident in the saddle. | | | | Your mental fitness determines how efficiently you |
| 4. Journaling | | | | learn; how easily you remember new information and |
| Keeping a journal or training can be a powerful | | | | master new skills. How effectively you can use your |
| confidence booster. When you feel as if your training is | | | | brain to achieve the goals you aim for is subject to |
| going nowhere, you can look back at past | | | | your level of mental fitness. |
| achievements to remind yourself that one often feel | | | | Start your mental fitness program today. You get |
| discouraged just before one's greatest breakthroughs. | | | | mentally fit in exactly the same way as you get fit |
| 5. Hypnosis | | | | physically. By exercising your mental muscles. Daily, |
| The power of suggestion to the sub-conscious mind | | | | preferably. Otherwise as often as you can find time. |
| can not be neglected. I believe it is an essential | | | | The fitter you are mentally, the more spectacular the |
| supplement to the thinking rider's mental toolkit. | | | | increase in your confidence. |
| 6. Practice Gratitude | | | | |