Have you ever noticed how quickly things can shift from good to tense during a ride? One moment you’re feeling relaxed and confident, and the next, you realize that your shoulders have crept up to your ears, your hands are gripping onto those reins for dear life, and, maybe, you’ve forgotten to breath for a few seconds too long!
Rather than just accepting that your body is doing it’s own thing – and not what you want, this is the perfect opportunity to begin asking yourself “What’s going on here?”. “What thought caused this reaction in my body?”
Because, while you might think that these things just happen; leaning forward on every canter transition, or curling up like a hamster when a dog barks while out for a hack; they are a reaction. Your body is reacting to your thoughts about the situation. Yes, these physical responses aren’t random—they’re usually triggered by your thoughts. Thoughts that we often don’t even realize we are having!
Today, we’re going to explore how to identify these unhelpful thoughts and, importantly, how you can shift them to create positive change in your riding.
Your ‘Thought-Body’ Connection
Let’s start by addressing something important that is often overlooked: your mind and body are closely connected. Every thought you have while riding has the potential to trigger a physical response in your body, even if you’re not consciously aware of it. So most of the physical reactions your body has in the saddle is down to the thoughts going through your mind. Most of which are unconscious!
Think about it: have you ever anticipated something going wrong while riding? Maybe you were worried about how that canter transition was going to play out. Or you began nervously wondering how your horse was going to react to the wheelie bin that you can see ahead on your hack. While it’s always a good idea to be aware of different potentials.
The trouble begins when we ‘brace’ ourselves for trouble; your mind creating a physical reaction in your body. And once your body tenses up, your horse inevitably picks up on it, too. Your thoughts literally shape your experience in the saddle.
To ride confidently and effectively, you must first become aware of what thoughts are guiding your actions.
Identifying Unhelpful Thoughts in Your Riding
Take a moment right now and think about your most recent ride. Was there a specific moment when things didn’t feel right? Perhaps your horse felt tense, your balance seemed off, or your rhythm faltered. What thoughts crossed your mind right before this happened?
Now, to be clear, the potential here for ‘those’ thoughts to crop up is infinite! There are just so many ways that riders can self-sabotage their riding with their own thoughts. Here are a few that you might have experienced:-
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- “I’m going to mess this up again.”
- “We ALWAYS struggle to get this part right.”
- “My horse is already too tense; this isn’t going to end well!”
- “Oh sugar – I can’t remember everything I’m supposed to do!”
- “I’m not able to handle this situation!”
- “Oh no, he HATES dogs – there’s no way we’re going to get past this gate!”
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Each of these thoughts creates an emotional reaction, and not a good one! We’re talking more like anxiety, frustration, or fear. And these less than great emotions usually go on to produce a domino like effect throughout our body. The negative or ‘unconscious’ thought creates a physical reaction.
As you well know, the physical reaction that is created rarely helps the situation! Gripping with your knees, collaposing through your upper body, straight elbows, looking down, tensing your shoulders, leaning forward, holding your breath… The list goes on and on.
And, unfortunately, all of these less than great reactions have the dubious result of making it nearly impossible to ride well! Never good when you’re faced with a situation that you’re already uncertain about!
Becoming aware of your thoughts is your first big step toward changing them.
Get Curious – Ask Yourself Why
Okay, so once you’ve identified the thoughts that tend to show up unannounced, uninvited, and unwelcomed in your mind; it’s time to dig deeper… Instead of immediately trying to push these thoughts away, get curious about them. Ask yourself honestly:
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- “Is this thought actually true?”
- “Can this thought and another, more helpful, thought be true at the same time?”
- “Is there another way this situation can play out in this moment?”
- “How does this thought affect my body and my riding?”
- “Where can I ‘feel’ this thought in my physical body – where is the excessive tension?”
- “What might be a more helpful way to look at this situation?”
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This curiosity shifts your perspective and reduces the emotional charge. When you observe your thoughts without judgment, you begin to see them as habits rather than absolute truths.
Keep in mind, you are doing this work OFF of your horse – not mounted up. So make sure that you really give yourself the space, quiet, and opportunity to really imagine and experience this thought so you can begin to change it…
For example, the thought “My horse is already too tense; this isn’t going to end well!” might feel real at first. But rather than simply accepting that as a given, ask yourself honestly: does excess tension automatically mean disaster? Probably not! There are lot’s of ways to work on helping to release or dissipate tension. Often just realizing this can help shift your mindset into one of possibility instead of dread.
Intentionally Replace Thoughts
Changing your mental habits takes time. And it starts with getting creative and choosing new, more helpful thoughts that your mind can go to when things don’t feel great. I also think that it’s worth mentioning that some thoughts are absolutely there to help keep you safe.
This is where good old ‘positive thinking’ is not the goal. You want to think more practical thoughts. It’s an added bonus if they turn out to be positive!
So, take time to write down the repeating thought that is causing the reaction in your body. Then think about how you can replace it with something more useful, helpful, or practical. The new thought that you offer your mind must also be believable! Don’t skip that!
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Instead of: “I’m going to mess this up again.”
Try: “It’s okay if this is not 100% perfect, I’m learning and mistakes are part riding.” -
Instead of: “My horse is already too tense; this isn’t going to end well!”
Try: “My horse feels quite tense; let’s take a deep breath together, connect physically through my voice and touch, and work on feeling more relaxed together”
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The new thought doesn’t need to feel perfect straight away. But it absolutely must be something that your mind can believe is at least a tiny within the realm of possibilities. This way it can commit to genuinely giving it a go.
If you create a new thought and your mind immediately goes to ‘No way is that going to work” or “I can’t do that as a rider”, that thought is a step too far. Keep tweaking until you find something you can believe. The more you practice the believable new thought, the easier it will be for your mind to go there when things feel ‘shaky’.
Link Your Thoughts to Your Actions
The final piece of the rewiring those thoughts puzzle is to find an action you can link to that specific new thought. There is a tendency to go too big here; focus on small little things that don’t require a huge physical effort from you – but will still be helpful in the moment.
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- When you begin to feel physically anxious, intentionally focus on your breathing – especially your exhale as you mentally say, “Relax, we’ve got this.”
- When you notice that you are beginning to tense up, deliberately unclench your jaw, roll down your shoulders from your ears, and soften your grip on the reins while saying, “I’m releasing the excess tension now.”
- When doubt creeps in, consciously drop the weight into your heels, open up through your chest, and lengthen your spine, repeating the thought, “I am able to handle this and I am showing up ready to do just that”
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Doing this repeatedly creates a powerful new connection between your mind and body. Over time, this becomes your new autopilot. This will be where you mind goes to during those moments of doubt, insecurity, fear, or whatever other emotion that is not helping you at that moment in your riding.
They key is to practice linking your new thought to a specific physical action while out of the saddle, and then slowly begin working on it while in the saddle as well.
Feels Uncomfortable? Keep Going :)
Look, let’s be honest here. Nobody enjoys intentionally thinking about things that don’t make them feel good! And yet, this is often the exact work that is required to get things moving in our minds and our bodies. Tension can and will become stuck over time. By intentionally shining a light on it, you can begin to move it along.
Initially, this can not only feel uncomfortable, but even embarrassing! Sometimes we know that the thought our mind has chosen to believe is actually ridiculous! And that is completely normal as well. Again, your mind just wants to keep you safe. Sometimes a tall tale is the way to make that happen ;)
By being really honest with yourself, you will begin to uncover the real reasons behind challenges in your riding. Acknowledge your feelings. Identify each one and then commit to moving it one so that it can no longer hold you back.
Remember, every rider – no matter how experienced – has faced similar mental hurdles. You’re not alone, you won’t be the first, and you certainly won’t be the last… It’s all part of becoming a more skilled rider :)
The good news is that any mental discomfort you might feel will be temporary. Once you put your conscious spotlight on your stuck thought patterns, they begin to shift, and this allows you to create new more aligned habits in your mind.
Your Action Step Today
So, that all being said, let’s find a way that you can begin to put this into action right now that will help to positively impact your riding going forward…
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- Identify one specific unhelpful repetitive thought that shows up fairly often in your riding.
- Rewrite it into one clear, helpful alternative thought.
- Pair this new thought with a simple physical action that supports it, such as breathing deeply or dropping the weight into your heels.
- Practice this consistently; first out of the saddle for five to ten minutes a day.
- Later, as you feel the energy shift, you can work on this while in the saddle as well.
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Rewiring how your mind works will take time… But it is well worth the effort because it’s the small, intentional shifts in your thoughts and actions will help to transform your riding over time.
The goal is consistency, not perfection. You might find that your mind has a lot of resistance to things initially. That’s okay. Don’t make it mean anything. Again, just try to notice the thoughts and then let your intention be to choose better, more supportive ones.
Happy Riding,
Lorna
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Connect with Lorna online:-
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- Connect in the Daily Strides Podcast Online Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/dailystridespodcast
- Connect in the Virtual Stable Lounge Private Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1499737810323191
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