6 exercises to help keep your heels down when riding
Maintaining a good lower leg position with the heels a little lower than your toes, is important for so many reasons: To be able to apply leg aids effectively and correctly To help you stay on board and secure if the horse is excitable To help build a balanced, symmetrical, independent seat Lots of riders struggle to keep their heels down, and have a tendency to draw their heels up as [...]
How far have you come?
How often do you actually look back and see how far you have come? It’s really easy to get lost in the noise and lose perspective on your journey towards confidence. Start keeping a log/diary/journal of your achievements, so that you can reflect on all the hard work, commitment and positive progress you have made over time. It could be over a week, month or years. Your starting point is not [...]
Celebrate your wins
How often do you celebrate your riding achievements? I mean, really celebrate and acknowledge what you have done? I know many riders that will, when congratulated, reply with “Thank you, but {insert horse’s name] was brilliant today” or “Thank you, but it was really messy” or “ I could have done X, Y, Z better” or “God, it felt awful”. Sound familiar? How about acknowledging that YOU made X happen? Regardless of [...]
Consistency is key
“It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It's what we do consistently.” Tony Robbins The hard part about building confidence is that it takes consistent, positive action to become a confident rider. Doing a mindset exercise once is good, but committing to doing at least once, every single day, will make the biggest difference. Stretching your comfort zone and riding in an uncomfortable situation [...]
Perception is Projection
What do you say to your yard buddies? Do you support them, reassure them, boost them up? I’m sure you do! There is an NLP theme which is ‘perception is projection’, and what this means is that you can’t make a judgement about somebody, if that characteristic isn’t also in you too. So if you’re super positive about someone else, then you are also saying it about yourself. However, [...]
Be the rider who takes action
You can read all the books, watch all the YouTube videos, go to as many lecture/demos as you can, do all the online courses, talk for hours about what you’re going to do. But unless you actually take action, and take that first step on your journey, nothing will change. Start now, get perfect later! Find out how you can start your journey to becoming a confident, positive rider [...]
Rider as an Athlete
I know you do everything you can to keep your horse happy, healthy and sane. I know that you do All. The. Things. I know your horse has a carefully managed routine. He has the best feed you can afford. He has regular farrier and dentist appointments. He has his teeth check and vaccinations done annually. He sees the vet if you sense something is ‘not quite right’. He [...]
15 ways to improve your hands when riding a horse
Here we’ll look at 15 different ways to improve your hands when riding, to help you achieve an even, elastic, consistent, receiving contact down the rein. Close your thumb down over the top of the rein, to help stop the reins from sliding through your hand. Use markers on the reins to help you keep them the same, correct length Keep your fingers closed and around the reins. Imagine [...]
Riding ‘as if’ you are confident
One of my favourite confidence-building techniques is to ride ‘as if’ you are a fully competent, confident rider. Pick a professional/elite rider that you admire, and step into their shoes. What do they see, hear and feel when they ride? What thoughts do they have while riding? What emotions do they feel? What actions do they take? Spend some time visualising and experiencing the full spectrum of vision, sound [...]
Focus on your riding mindset
Focus is one of my favourite things! It offers motivation, removes distractions and increases awareness in any given moment. Many riders who lack confidence have their focus trained on the wrong things, often external factors that simply can’t be controlled! When you’re riding, consider the difference between these two states: State A - While I’m riding, I’m focussing on: The wind and how it’s making my horse tense and spooky, he’ll spin [...]
Limiting beliefs about riding
We all have things that we 100% believe to be true about ourselves, but how many are actually helpful to us? Limiting beliefs are those which constrain us in some way. Just by believing them, we do not think, do or say the things that they inhibit, and in doing so we impoverish our lives. We may have beliefs about rights, duties, abilities, permissions and so on. Limiting beliefs are [...]
Stop beating yourself up!
That voice inside your head, yes the one that tells you that you’re not good enough? It’s lying to you. That voice that asks you ‘why can’t you just do it?’. It’s lying to you. That voice that watches other riders and says ‘You’ll never be able to ride like that’. It’s lying to you That voice that tells you those people stood by the arena are saying to [...]
Watch your language
How often do you say “I should ride” or “I should have done X, Y, Z”? In my opinion, ‘should’ is one of the most tricky words we can use. By saying ‘should’ we instantly make ourselves feel inadequate, less that good enough and guilty. By using ‘should’ we basically telling our minds that we know what to do, but for some reason we’re not doing it, and therefore [...]
How to stop thinking ‘what if’ when riding your horse
Do you ever think ‘what if' when you're riding or about to get on board? What normally follows ‘what if? Well, depending on your perspective, common phrases include: ‘What if I fall off?’ ‘What if he bucks?’ ‘What if he takes off with me?’ ‘What if I look like a fool?” ‘What if he spooks at that plastic bag?’ [Insert your What it here!] Most riders think ‘what if’ on [...]
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 [...]
Set yourself up for riding success
All too often, I meet riders who lack self-belief and confidence, who have this bizarre drive to step so far out of their comfort zone that they’re either frozen with terror or become all gung-ho. It’s as if they are so desperate to overcome their fears that they jump in at the deep end and hope for the best, a strategy which at best is unlikely to give them [...]
Get out of your own way
When we get stuck, it’s really easy to try and find coping mechanisms to make us feel better. Finding less difficult things to do than the thing we’re stressed about. Procrastination is a common coping mechanism in all sorts of ways, for example spending so much time doing yard jobs or grooming your horse until he’s spotless rather than simply doing as much as necessary, tacking up and getting [...]
Who’s in your team?
“We are the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with” Jim Rohn As horse riders, it’s essential that we surround ourselves with people who support and challenge us to be the best we can be. All too often in the horse world, I come across people who are at best negative, and at worst actively vile. People like this can erode rider’s confidence in the [...]
Overcome anxiety about riding in front of other people
I know lots of riders who really struggle to ride their horses when other people are watching. Collecting rings can be the most intimidating places for riders! My favourite advice in relation to this issue is ‘control the controllables’, which I think originated from Sir Clive Woodward, when he described his coaching ethos for the England Rugby team in preparation for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. If you can [...]
Overcoming anxiety and overthinking around your riding
Are you an ‘overthinker’? If you are, bet the niggly, negative voice in your head never shuts up. I bet it’s filled with a whole heap of ‘what ifs’, ‘shoulds’ and ‘can’t’. Maybe your mind is spinning with those hurtful thoughts like a washing machine on a spin cycle. I also bet that you feel stuck inside that spin cycle. It can be utterly exhausting to be stuck with [...]
What do you want to do?
What do YOU want to do? Not what everyone else thinks you should do. Not what your yard buddies think. Not what your coach tells you. Not what your friends and family think you ought to do. Not what you think you SHOULD do. What do YOU want to do with YOUR horse? Because ultimately this is all that is important. Until you start acknowledging what is YOUR dream [...]
So what are you afraid of?
So come on, what are you really afraid of… Falling off? Getting hurt? What other people think? Looking like a fool? Upsetting or hurting your horse? Being out of control? All of the above?? As humans, fear is an entirely natural and important emotion, as it is our mind’s way of trying to keep us safe from harm. So it’s important to recognise that if you’re feeling fear around [...]
You’re one decision away from being a confident rider
It’s easy to forget, but in any given moment, you can choose to think, feel and act differently. Those stories that you’ve told yourself for years? They’re not real. Lacking self-belief because someone in a position of authority 10 years ago once told you that you weren’t good enough to do something? And you believed them? Feeling scared because your horse once bucked while you were riding in this [...]
When you’re a confident rider
When you’re a confident rider, you feel empowered. You can proactively make decisions based on facts, rather than being reactive, emotional and a victim to the circumstances. When you’re a confident rider, you are in control of yourself, your thoughts, emotions and actions. When you’re a confident rider, you know exactly what you will achieve, and more importantly, you know WHY. When you’re a confident rider, you can define [...]
What makes a confident rider?
“Confidence is a belief in oneself, the conviction that one has the ability to meet life's challenges and to succeed—and the willingness to act accordingly. Being confident requires a realistic sense of one’s capabilities and feeling secure in that knowledge.” Psychology Today, 2020 Do you consider yourself a confident rider? Do you have sufficient self-belief to know that you can handle whatever challenges come your way? If not, you’re [...]
6 simple breathing techniques to reduce anxiety and nerves when riding your horse
If you’re a rider who suffers with anxiety or nerves when you're riding your horse or getting ready to ride your horse. I've got some really simple, straightforward techniques around breathing that are going to help you to feel a little bit more relaxed, a little bit less stressed, and a little bit less anxious and nervous. Counting the breath So the first exercise is to breathe in for [...]
10 tips for building Rider Confidence
Confidence: Here are some of my top tips for developing and building your confidence around riding. Now it doesn't really matter to me whether you are a beginner rider, somebody who's been riding for a while and has had a break perhaps and now coming back to riding horses again, or it might be that you're a really experienced rider and you are maybe struggling about around jumping or [...]
6 top tips to find the time to get riding this winter
Intro: Hi there, I wanted to talk to you about something I hear and have felt quite a lot at this time of year. We're coming towards the end of January and we're into the depths of winter, which is just the hardest work with horses. I wanted to talk to you about finding the time to ride because I know for lots of my clients it's a real [...]
Creating Monsters
As freelance coach, I go to a lot of yards, and speak to an awful lot of riders, and there's one thing that I hear repeatedly... people's stories of how horrendous a fall/spook/incident was. Stories are told and retold. Other liveries embellish and describe events in great detail. Injured parties share their videos and photos on social media, full of the horror of an accident. We all love a [...]
Real or Imagined?
Have you ever really thought about how your mind works? The principles of NLP consider there to be two different parts to our minds; the conscious mind, i.e. the logical and rational part, and the unconscious mind, i.e. emotional, contains deeply held beliefs, and controls 97% of our behaviour. I see many riders trying to solve problems with their logical and rational minds, only to find that their unconscious [...]
Are you at Cause or Effect?
It's really easy for our minds to jump straight to the negative. I think for many riders, it's a kind of default setting! When we're thinking negatively, it can make us feel really stuck and demotivated. If we can develop self-awareness around what we are thinking & saying to ourselves, it is possible to get to where you want to be in your riding. A basic principle of NLP [...]
My favourite 3 letter word
Nope, it's not a swear word! The word I'm talking about can flip your thinking instantaneously, and I'd love you to try it out for size. But first, let's think of where it's useful. As a rider, we all have those mindset gremlins that can plague our progress if we let them. You know, those phrases that begin with "I can't". "I can't canter" "I can't jump that fence" [...]
A Riding Instructor and a lightbulb moment
A Riding Instructor and a Lightbulb Moment No Riding Instructor is perfect! There's value in developing good communication skills, and reflecting on what worked & what didn't. As a Riding Instructor and Equestrian Coach, sometimes you just get those moments in lessons where the penny drops, and something you've been trying to improve for a while suddenly becomes clear. I had one of those moments this week. The client [...]
All change!
Where do I even begin to start? The last few months have been an absolute whirlwind of madness & emotion. I have struggled to keep on top of things, and there are many gaps that I want to fill you all in on. At the end of May 2019, I left my job as Senior Lecturer in Equine Science and Programme Leader for the BSc(Hons) in Equine Science, Management [...]
So what’s holding you back?
Sometimes, riding & owning horses is really tough; I know, I'm with you. Now don't get me wrong, there are many many brilliant and rewarding things about having a life with horses, but sometimes it's really hard to get out of a low spell. Perhaps you've just bought a new horse and the honeymoon period has ended; things just aren't going as you had hoped they would [...]
Do you REALLY want to make progress with your riding?
Do you REALLY want to make progress with your riding? I ask this because many people I teach come to me because they are really, genuinely quite stuck (and I mean that in the nicest possible way!). It could be that they're struggling with something specific, either in their riding or with their horse. It could be that they don't feel like they're getting anywhere or reaching their goals. [...]
10 ways to get the most from your riding lessons
Let's face it, finding the money to invest in training for both you and your horse isn't always easy, so here are my top tips to get the very best value from your lessons: Book your sessions in advance - Any good coach who is worth their salt will want to prioritise their best and most valued clients, but with the best will in the world, if you consistently [...]
Why you should be setting your equestrian goals for 2019
Have you got your New Year's resolutions then? I honestly haven't really made any this year, since I don't really ever seem to stick to them anyway! Yes I'd love to be fitter, healthier, more 'sorted', but then what does that actually mean? So this year, I've actually made a plan. Like a grown up. It's on an Excel spreadsheet and everything (ever the geek!). But seriously, the plan [...]
November Madness!
What a month November turned out to be! Busy doesn't even come close to describing it all, what with teaching all hours God sends, alongside heading out for a whole heap of professional development events, I can safely say that I don't think I've ever worked as hard as this month! It has been brilliant though, from catching up with regular clients, to meeting new ones, to running fully [...]
Centaur Biomechanics Equine Sports Science Seminar – October 2018 It was a real pleasure to attend this conference day at Hartpury College; it’s just the kind of thing I love doing! It is so important to keep up-to-date with research and hear it “from the horse’s mouth” (sorry!), so that we can share knowledge and understanding around the industry. The two primary speakers, Prof. Lars Roepstorff and Dr. Rachel [...]
The Rider’s Hands
Improving the Rider's Hands There are lots of novice riders who struggle to keep their hands in a good position and who struggle to maintain an even, elastic contact with the horse’s mouth. The good news is there are lots of ways to improve your hand position and how use your hands as a rider and we're going to talk about those today. The key thing to think about is [...]
Centaur Biomechanics Rider Workshop
So last weekend I attend one of two annual events hosted by Russell Guire's company Centaur Biomechanics. It was held at the Unicorn Trust in Gloucestershire, which was absolutely lovely (although a day spent on wooden benches wasn't the most comfortable, but they had pre-warned us so I was a proper middle-aged woman and nicked the sofa cushions to take with me!). The clinic was presented by International List [...]
Back in the game!
I cannot even begin to explain how happy I am to be getting my life back together again! Some of you will be aware that three months ago, I underwent some fairly major surgery for an ongoing health issue, which meant that I simply had to put everything on hold for 3 months. It's not the first time that I've been forced to put my life on hold through [...]
Why don’t horse riders look after themselves?
Why don’t horse riders look after themselves? www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk I can honestly say that I look after my horses better than myself. It’s true! They have all their needs met; they have the very best diet, a structured exercise & work plan, they are groomed & pampered regularly, they have friends they can socialise with, the vet is called at any sign of pain or injury, and they pretty much have [...]
The 5 Second Rule
The 5 Second Rule www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk I’ve recently read a book by Mel Robbins, called ‘The 5 Second Rule’, and it is amazing! The concept is incredibly simple and can be used in any aspect of our lives, but I want to think about it in terms of horses and our motivation to ride. What do you want to improve in your life? What are the things that you really should [...]
Stop being so hard on yourself!
Stop being so hard on yourself! www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk I coach a wide variety of different riders and I can honestly say that I love doing it. My clients are primarily grass-roots level and for the most part just want to improve and enjoy the time they spend with their horses. It is so very rewarding seeing the partnership progress and develop, overcoming their fears & problems. One of the biggest issues [...]
Managing horses and a family
Managing horses and a family www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk I had my little girl 20 months ago, and it has been an absolutely whirlwind. We never really planned to have children; we’d always talked about it but had got to a point where we simply didn’t think it was meant to be. Now I was never ‘mumsey’ or remotely maternal; I had no idea about what to do with babies or children, and [...]
Traditional Grooming
Traditional Grooming www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk We don’t groom our horses enough these days! Traditionally, when horses were working animals, grooms would be employed to provide the horse with a range of massage and grooming techniques, and I think it’s a real shame that we have lost the time and knowledge to give our horses proper, correct daily grooming. If you’re anything like me, a quick brush over before I ride is [...]
To rug or not to rug…
To rug or not to rug? www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk My horse struggles to keep weight on. He always has, it’s just the way he is. He’s been checked by the vets (lots!), but he’s just not driven by food. Consequently, he has a body condition score of 3/5, which is healthy and good, but he can drop weight very quickly when weather gets cold. I have a whole range of rugs [...]
Time to Ride
Time to Ride www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk We’re at the time of year where the nights are now longer and darker, and it can be difficult to maintain motivation to ride and keep our horses fit and strong. So how can we do the best for our horses and fit in time to ride? Here are my top tips… Timetable Plan your week ahead to help you identify spaces or gaps [...]
Do we take worming seriously enough?
Do we take worming horses seriously enough? www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk Worms, or more correctly, internal parasites, can be at best a nuisance or at worst fatal to horses. There are so many different types, it can be difficult to know how best to manage them. The constant challenges of poo-picking and maintaining horse pasture, of choosing which type of wormer (anthelmintic) to use at which time of year, and of assessing [...]
Brilliant Bedding
Brilliant Bedding www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk I’ve tried most types of bedding over the years, from straw to shavings to paper. I admit that I haven’t used cardboard! But my all-time favourite is wood pellets. I’ve been using them for about 18 months & they are officially ACE! Why do I love them? Easy to muck out Soo very easy. Basically, I use approximately 10 bags to set up the bed, and [...]
Supplements vs. Balancers
Supplements for Horses www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk I know an awful lot of horse owners who add things to their horse’s feed. In my experience, there seems to be a trend for feeding horses a mixture of chaff, nuts and an array of supplements. Now don’t get me wrong, there are horses which require additional supplementation for specific issues, and who benefit from a specific product, but does every horse and pony really [...]
Managing the veteran horse
Managing the Veteran Horse www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk For many horse owners, there comes a time when your horse gets older and his needs change. For some, this might happen at a reasonably young age, but for others changes may not become evident until the horse or pony gets past 20 years old. As with the human population, horses are increasingly living well into old age! So what kind of things do we [...]
Feeding Hay in the Field
Feeding hay in the field www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk Not many of us are lucky enough to have an endless acreage of pasture for our horses. Indeed, many livery yards restrict turnout over the winter months so much that we’re lucky to let our horse’s stretch their legs in the field at all! Good grazing is at a premium over winter, and to attempt to keep horses occupied, meet their need to trickle [...]
10 ways to save money with horses
No matter what you tell your other half, horses are expensive. But don’t worry, there are things you can do to try to be a little thriftier & save money for the fun stuff, like competing, going to events, shopping, etc. Buy in bulk So we’re coming to Autumn/Winter where many of us will be stabling our horses more, which means greater costs. Try to buy in bulk [...]
10 ways to improve your riding
Get fitter The top professional riders know this, but as amateurs a lack of fitness can often get eclipsed by work, family and simply the time involved in riding & managing horses. So anything you can do to improve your cardiovascular fitness is only going to help you ride better. Ideas might include HIIT sessions (high intensity interval training sessions – google it!), swimming, jogging, exercise classes or DVDs at [...]
10 horse things to do each month
Clean your tack! All the books say you should clean your tack after each time you ride, but really? Who has time for that? I certainly don’t, so my compromise is to do it monthly. It could be a quick wipe over or a more thorough, full strip of the saddle/bridle. You might also tie this in with going to a competition or a lesson. Check the fit of [...]
10 ways to help your horse in hot weather
10 ways to help your horse in hot weather Offer some shade in the field. Wherever possible, ensure that your horse can get out of direct sunlight in the field. This might be a posh (or not!) field shelter, or using paddocks with decent hedges or trees. Provide a constant, clean supply of water Horses will inevitably drink more during hot weather, so always make sure that you [...]
Top Tips for riding in the Winter
Top Tips for Riding in the Winter www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk We’re definitely in the grip of winter now and it can be a real challenge to get motivated to ride at this time of year. Time is precious and here are my top tips for riding in the winter: Wear the right clothes! In my experience the best way to keep warm and dry in the winter is to use layers. [...]
Improve your horse’s straightness
Improve your horse’s straightness www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk Most horses start their ridden career with a degree of one-sidedness; just as we prefer to use one hand over the other, or curl our legs up a certain side when we’re sitting on the sofa while watching TV, horses also find things easier and more comfortable on one side of their body when compared to the other. The challenge for us as riders [...]
Rules of Relaxation
Rules of Relaxation www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk The first basic ‘rung’ of the German Scales of Training is rhythm, which is such a key component of the training of any ridden horse. However, for me rhythm can only really be achieved if the horse is relaxed. I teach a wide variety of riders, across many levels with a huge variety of different horses. One of the biggest issues I come across is [...]
Rewarding your horse
Rewarding your Horse www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk I’m a big believer in rewarding my horses when they try hard, or do something that I ask. But I’m quite particular in howI reward & praise them. I’ve seen many people give their horses praise, but some methods can be really quite alarming! Great big enormous claps on the neck, virtually yelling ‘Good Boooooy’ at the top of their voice, throwing themselves at their horse’s [...]
Connect to the contact
Connect to the Contact www.theeverydayequestrian.co.uk What does the word ‘contact’ mean to you in terms of riding? For me, I think of the connection that I have with the horse down my arms, through the reins to bit and the horse’s mouth. I believe that it should be a true two-way conversation, where I can request something from the horse and he can respond. But that’s easy to say on [...]
Slave to the rhythm
What is ‘rhythm’? Rhythm means how regular the steps are at each pace. Every stride should be a consistent length, height and level of impulsion (energy). For example: Walk – four clear hoof beats, at a good ‘marching’ pace Trot – two hoof beats. The horse’s legs move in diagonal pairs, plus a moment of suspension where all four hooves are off the ground Canter – three clear beats with a moment [...]