Most of us are fully aware that equestrianism is hugely dependent on a sound mindset. How else would we be able to ride several hundred kilos of semi-wild animal??
It’s that X-factor that can be the difference between succeeding, progressing, feeling happy with your riding or even having the edge over a competitor.
Does riding follow the 80-20 rule: 80% mental and 20% physical effort? Sometimes it seems so! I’d say it was at least 60% mental and 40% physical, depending on your activity at the time. Riding competitively or pushing yourself to learn new things or start with a new horse, definitely tips the balance in favour of mindset!
Coming out of lockdown
Mindset sessions aren’t yet as commonplace as physical riding lessons, yet the tide is definitely turning. More and more equestrian instructors are training as professional mindset coaches or have at least some mental fitness training as part of their qualifications. Coming out of lockdown has also created an abundance of riders wanting to get back in the saddle, and get back up to their pre-lockdown standard, quickly. Some riders have also benefitted from having anxiety-busting coaching after such an unusual way of living in the last few months.
Why are riders seeing mindset as part of their training now?
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the number of riding instructors that I’ve spoken to, whose riders are enjoying mindset sessions alongside their lessons. I asked why a rider might substitute a riding lesson for some mental training. The answer was simple. The riders are seeing better and faster results.
That’s the beauty of having a riding mindset or mental preparation session or set of sessions, you see and feel a change in your progress, but you also see and feel a change in your physical way of riding. The mental and physical aspects dovetail. There’s an obvious additional bonus, your motivation soars too!
As a rider, however, you may not know the diversity of areas certified mindset coaches can help you in. True, mindset issues are often associated with a lack of confidence, but mindset coaching can support your riding in so many other ways too.
33 ways a mindset coach could help you
Are some of those surprising to you? Which ones weren’t you expecting?
Having a session or two to boost your riding or having an on-going coaching relationship, as you would with a riding instructor, whether once a week or once a month, can really reap benefits, in your mental approach to riding and to life! The by-products are fascinating and far-reaching – very often eliminating a fear of riding may eliminate anxieties at work or at home too!
If you’d like to know more about mindset coaching or training to be a coach, have a look at www.traceycolenlp.com. If you’d like to know how hypnotherapy as a mindset technique could play a role in your riding, see my article 'Could Hypnosis Help You Canter?'
