8 Top Tips for Nervous Horse Riders

by Alison | Jan 6, 2021 | Horse Riding, Rider Confidence | 0 comments

Understanding how we process sensory information can significantly influence how we experience nerves, anxiety, and fear when riding our horse. We use our ‘internal representational systems’, which refer to the primary ways we perceive and internalise our experiences through our senses, to make provide information about our experiences. Our mind filters and uses this information to make meaning of our subjective experience, as a point of reference for the future.

Our internal representational systems are visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), kinesthetic (feeling), gustatory (tasting), and olfactory (smelling). The processed information from each of these senses will impact how your unconscious mind processes your world and have an impact on how you feel about yourself, your horse and riding.

Visual (Seeing)

If you tend to think in pictures, you might visualise potential problems while riding, like imagining a fall or picturing the horse becoming spooked. These vivid mental images can make you feel more anxious. To manage this, you can refocus your mind on visualising exactly what you actually want to happen, in as much detail as you can. Your mind really doesn’t know the difference between what’s real and what’s imagined, and will respond to precisely what you tell it! So using this to your advantage and use your brilliant imagination to create a visualised scenario where things happen exactly as you want them to, and where you manage any surprises with ease and confidence.

Auditory (Hearing)

If you’re sensitive to sounds, the external noise of the horse’s hooves, your horse’s breathing, or sounds from the environment will all add to how you experience riding your horse. Internal sounds, such as your self-talk are also an important factor, since we often don’t realise quite how we speak to ourselves in our mind! Listening to calming music (where it’s safe to do so, obviously!), and positively managing your self-talk before and during your ride will help boost your confidence.

Kinaesthetic (Feeling)

If you are someone who is highly attuned to your feelings and emotions, you might be acutely aware of every physical sensation in your body and how it makes you feel. You might be aware of a knot in your stomach, tightness in your throat, or a very real feeling of having your legs turn to jelly! These type of physical sensations quickly transmit an alert to your mind, triggering nerves, anxiety and even fear. Practising deep breathing or other relaxation techniques can help you manage these physical sensations and reduce your anxiety.

Gustatory (Tasting)

As riders, the sense of taste is one we don’t often think about, and it’s closely tied to memory, where certain flavours can trigger emotional responses. I know of riders who chew minty gum before they ride (never chew gum while riding, as it is a choking hazard), and that minty sensation on their tongue can anchor feelings of readiness and confidence. Being mindful of what you eat or drink before riding and choosing flavours that you find comforting or refreshing can help trigger a shift in how you feel.

Olfactory (Smelling)

Certain smells can evoke powerful emotional responses. I don’t know about you, but I love the slightly warm, sweaty smell of horses who have just worked (that sounds weird, doesn’t it?!). As a child, I dreamed of the smell horses, of leather tack, and even now the first fly spray of the summer brings a reminiscence of happy hacking days. Find those smells which make you feel good and remind you of happy times, then make use of these whenever you can.

Recognising which of these sensory inputs resonates with you most will provide you with simple tools to improve your riding confidence. By consciously adjusting how you seek out and use these sensory inputs, you can help yourself feel more in control and less anxious while riding.

Preferences

While each of us might have a preference for one or more internal representational systems, such as visual, auditory, or kinesthetic, it’s important to note that we don’t exclusively use just one; our mind gathers and uses information from all of them. Think of it like having a favourite tool in a toolbox; even though you might prefer one tool, you still use the others when the situation requires it.

For instance, even if you primarily process your experience in a primarily visual way by imagining scenarios and pictures in your mind, your mind will still also pay attention to what you hear, the physical sensations you feel, the tastes and smells that surround you. Each sense provides a different piece of the puzzle, contributing to a fuller understanding and experience of your environment.

This means when you’re riding your horse and trying to manage anxiety, even though you might focus on using your preferred sensory channel, such as visualising calm and successful rides, you’ll also benefit from tuning into the sounds that calm you, the feel of the horse beneath you, and even calming scents or flavours. Using a combination of all your senses can help create a richer, more grounded experience that can be more effective in managing your nerves.

Simple Tips

Visual

Focus on shifting your mindset by vividly imagining positive outcomes. Instead of letting your mind linger on potential challenges, picture yourself riding smoothly, handling challenges with ease, and finishing your ride successfully. This practice of visualisation can help build your confidence and reassurance.

Auditory

Integrate calming sounds into your daily routine to help soothe your nerves. This could be as simple as listening to the radio while you tack up, or repeating positive affirmations to yourself such as “I am calm and in control” or “I trust my abilities and my horse.” These auditory cues can help create a mental environment of calmness and positivity.

Kinesthetic

Use physical relaxation techniques to reduce anxiety and physical tension. Before riding, try doing some gentle stretches, deep breathing exercises, or progressive muscle relaxation—where you tense and then relax different muscle groups. This not only relaxes your body but also prepares your mind for a more comfortable and focused ride.

Gustatory

Choose flavours that evoke a sense of calm and enjoyment for you. This might mean having a peppermint or a piece of dark chocolate before you ride or sipping herbal tea like chamomile which is known for its soothing properties. These tastes can trigger positive sensory memories and help calm your nerves.

Olfactory

Introduce a comforting and familiar scent into your riding environment. This could be applying a dab of lavender oil on your wrist or adding a few drops of tea tree oil to your riding gear. The smell of chamomile can also be soothing. These scents can significantly enhance your emotional state by triggering positive associations and reducing stress, creating a more relaxing atmosphere for both you and your horse.

By actively engaging these sensory strategies, you can better manage your emotions and enhance your overall riding experience. Each tip is designed to help you focus, relax, and enjoy your time with your horse, making your rides more pleasant and successful.

In conclusion, understanding how your internal representational systems influence your emotions can help you manage your nerves and anxieyt around riding. By recognising your preferred internal representational systems, you can use different strategies to feel calmer and more in control, so you can become a more confident rider.

Every rider feels nervous from time to time. It is all part and parcel of taking part in a sport where your partner just happens to be 10 times your size, with an unpredictable mind of their own. Most non-horsey people think we are mad and there have been certain odd occasions where I have questioned the reality of riding myself.

Our nerves can kick in at any given time which is especially true when stretching out of our comfort zone. Feeling nervous occasionally is no bad thing since it allows us to experience that huge high and buzz when we do the thing that we were nervous about.

However, feeling nervous about riding can become a real problem when our nerves appear regularly such as in response to a specific situation or activity. It can often have a huge impact on how we progress as riders and can often prevent us from achieving all the things we want to do with our riding.

A one-off bad riding experience can easily escalate into something much bigger and knock our confidence which can lead to nervousness or fear. Everyone’s levels of nervousness vary greatly.

So, when do your nerves show up?

There is a wide range of situations whilst horse riding where nerves may appear. Some of the most common examples include;

Hacking out

Cantering

Jumping

Competing

Riding a different horse

Getting back on after a fall (link to blog)

This is certainly not an exhaustive list and I am sure you can think of some other examples of riding activities or situations where you may have felt your nerves kick in.

How do you feel when you’re nervous?

As individuals, we all have our own unique way of feeling when we are nervous. Some of us may show our nerves more than others do. Just because you can’t always visibly see the symptoms of nerves does not by any means they are not there. Some common examples of how you may be feeling when you are nervous could be;

Shallow breathing
Heart racing
Sweating
Shaky legs
Light-headed
Forgetfulness
Butterflies in your tummy
Needing to go to the bathroom

I’m sure you can add to this list from your own experiences.

Nerves are your body’s physiological response to a perceived threat; your body is getting ready to run away or defend itself against the thing you fear.

When you’re feeling nervous, the key thing to remember is that your mind is responding to a perceived threat, whether that threat is real or imagined.

What effect can feeling nervous have on our riding?

Changes in our riding position are one of the most common effects of feeling nervous whilst riding. We often hold our breath, tip forward in our upper body, grip up with our legs, shorten and pull on the reins. This is sometimes referred to as moving into the foetal position. This position is an instinctive response to fear and has the purpose of protecting our major internal organs.

Unfortunately, the foetal position is one of the worst things we can do as riders! At best it makes us insecure and unstable, and at worst quickly tells our horse that there is a Big Thing to worry about and he/she should get ready to run away! This can essentially turn a not-great situation into a very bad one for both you and your horse.

The good news is that there are many things you can do to overcome your nerves when riding! Here are some of my top tips:

1. Recognise your nerves

Practice becoming more self-aware and noticing when you’re feeling nervous. If you don’t realise that you’re experiencing symptoms of nerves and anxiety, you can act to manage and overcome them.

“The first part of finding a solution is recognising that there is a problem”

The quicker you identify your nerves kicking in, the sooner you can act and change how you think, feel, and act. Conversely, the longer you allow yourself to feel nervous, the more difficult it becomes to let go of them.

The key to being self-aware is to gather information about what is going on in your mind without judgment or filtering. Simply notice what is happening as if you are an impartial observer, then you become empowered to act.

2. Slow down

When we’re anxious and nervous, time speeds up in our minds. It can feel like everything is happening on fast-forward! One of the first things you need to do is to slow down. Remind yourself that you always have a choice in what you are thinking, feeling, and doing.

You are in control of you.

Stop, take a minute or two to check in with yourself, notice your thoughts and emotions. Take the time to explore what is happening in your mind, and see how you could change just one thing to help you feel more positive.

3. Change the filter

One of my favourite questions is to ask, “how else could you look at this?”. The film that is playing in your mind is not real. It is simply your mind telling you a fictitious story it has created based on your fear, previous experiences, and imagined threats.

Just because your horse spooked when a bird flew out of a particular tree whilst out hacking, does not mean that it will always happen. I’m sure that you have ridden your horse past many trees, even that particular one, without any reaction at all! It’s simply that your mind is doing a brilliant job of filtering information from your world, but has a tendency to filter out all the positive experiences you have had where your horse has not spooked at all.

So, try changing your mind’s filter by asking yourself better questions, and looking for the positive evidence (and I promise you there will be plenty, you just have to find it) to discredit that negative story that your mind is giving you.

4. Sit better

When we’re nervous, we ride defensively and our body wants to protect itself from accidents, which unhelpfully means that we’re actually more likely to fall! One of the simplest and most effective ways to feel more confident is to sit back on your seat, bring your shoulders back, look up ahead, and relax and lengthen your legs. By riding in a more positive, effective position, we are better able to convince our mind (and our horse!) that everything is absolutely fine.

5. Take smaller steps

When you learn to drive, you don’t go straight out onto a motorway during your first 3 sessions, do you? So why would you think that you should be able to go cantering around an open field straight away, without building your confidence and technique in the arena first?

Whatever it is that you are nervous about, break it down into the smallest possible steps. For example, if you’re nervous about getting on the horse and the thought of mounting fills you with anxiety, then your tiny steps might look like this:

A) Practice bringing your horse to the mounting block calmly and in a relaxed manner

B) Standing on top of the mounting block while your horse stands patiently alongside you

C) Place your foot in the stirrup and feel calm and comfortable

D) With your foot in the stirrup, lean over the saddle a little, feeling confident and relaxed

E) Place a little more pressure on your foot in the stirrup, and notice how the horse stays still and relaxed

F) Visualise swinging your leg over the horse’s hindquarters and sitting down gently into the saddle

The key here is to just practice ONE of these steps each day until it becomes boring and non-eventful, then and only then move onto the next step.

6. Simple reframe

This is one of the most simple and effective ways to reframe your nerves so that you can ride more confidently, positively, and effectively.

Instead of saying to yourself “I’m so nervous, I can’t do this”, change it to “I’m so excited, I can do this”. Your physical symptoms of nerves and anxiety are exactly the same as your physical symptoms of excitement and anticipation!

Try making this your new mantra, so that you can let go of your old nerves.

7. Remember that it’s supposed to be fun

Most of us are never going to go to the Olympics, and that’s OK! If you have lost your love of riding, think about why you ride and what you want to get from it. Working on your values and discovering what is important to you (not anyone else), can help you feel more in control and positive about what you do with your horse and your riding.

For example, if you experience extreme negative emotions around doing a certain thing, then ask yourself why you really want to do the thing. What is driving you? Why specifically do you want to do XYZ? This can be challenging, but you will find answers to help you decide whether it is really important to you or not, and therefore whether you work to find a solution and overcome how you’re feeling, or simply stop doing it!

8. Get help

We are never taught at school how our minds work. When you can get your mind working for you instead of getting in your way, you can do anything you want to. It’s important to recognise that if you are struggling with fear, anxiety, nerves or feeling overwhelmed around your riding, that you will need help and support from a professional to become a confident, positive rider.

Working with a Rider Mindset and Confidence Coach will help you get rid of those old limiting beliefs, and help you learn tools and techniques to help you build a positive mindset so that you can get back to doing what you love.

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