The Role of Fear for Riders

The root of the majority of rider confidence issues is fear.  

• Fear of failure 
• Fear of being judged 
• Fear of letting people down (or your horse!) 
• Fear of not being good enough 
• Fear of getting hurt 
• Fear of an unknown outcome 
• Fear of the worst case scenario 

It has huge physiological and psychological effects. 

Until you acknowledge that fear is underpinning your lack of confidence and can find exactly what it is that you’re afraid of, you’ll find it incredibly difficult to (re)build your confidence.  

Fear is real. Fear is powerful. But fear can also be wrong. Fear can convince you that you can’t do something, when you can. Fear can make you feel paralysed and unable to function, when you are totally capable of riding well. Fear causes your mind to play tricks on you and limit the possibilities. 

Often what we’re most afraid of isn’t anywhere near as bad as we imagine it to be.  

The good news is that fear is a vital emotion, which keeps us safe. So fear is not a bad thing, we just need to know how to manage it effectively. Then, and only then, can we begin to find a way forward to where we want to be.  

So how can you manage fear? I promise that it’s not rocket science! Here are some of my top tips: 

• Be courageous enough to acknowledge that you are scared 
• Decide to do something positive about it 
• Be kind to yourself; you have nothing to prove to anyone 
• Put processes and strategies in place to keep you as safe as possible 
• Get professional help & support 
• Take consistent action to manage your fear… every single day 
• Celebrate every win, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant 
• Keep track of all of your progress; build evidence of your success and achievement 

You can do this, can’t you? I know you can! 

If you’d like help and support in building your riding confidence and mindset, the please click the button below for more information: