What is confidence and how does it help us to get the most out of riding?
Confidence and Mindset Coach Jane Brindley explores.
Many equestrian publications feature articles on how to be a confident rider and there are countless books published on this subject which give useful tips and advice.
However, let’s take a step back from that and look at what confidence is and how being a confident rider, or being a rider who lacks confidence, has a profound effect on everything we do with our horses.
Each of you is likely to have a different definition of what confidence means to you. Here are some examples:
- “Confidence is not being held back by doubt”
- “Knowing that I will be successful in whatever I do”
- “Doing something without excessive worry or doubt”
In sport psychology confidence is considered to be a belief in one’s ability to complete a task in order to be able to obtain a certain outcome. The emphasis is on the belief as opposed to it being a feeling.
Confidence is variable and not static, it is something you can work on having control over once you understand yourself better. You can work on the belief so that you learn to accept that you will sometimes feel nervous but that doesn’t interfere with your belief in your ability to fulfil your goals.
So what are the characteristics of a confident rider?
Well you can’t always tell by watching a rider whether they are confident or not and there are riders at all levels and in all equestrian disciplines with varying degrees of confidence. A rider’s confidence may vary enormously at different times of their lives or when riding different horses so it’s best not to make too many assumptions but generally a confident rider will have most of the following characteristics.
- They will ride willingly and often
- They will be prepared to push themselves out of their comfort zone
- They will tend to say “yes” to new suggestions
- They will ride in all sorts of different situations
- They will ride alone or in company without issue
- They will enjoy riding at whatever level and in whatever discipline they have chosen
- They accept challenges and are prepared to work hard to achieve their goals
- They will generally use positive language to describe themselves and their riding
- They will find positives and opportunities for learning, even on a bad day
- They will accept praise with grace and without the need for excessive reassurance
- They avoid unhelpful comparisons with others
- Their body language will generally look comfortable
- If they don’t want to do something they will say “No” for a genuine reason
- And many other characteristics too
Confident riders come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and ride all sorts of different types of horses.
The characteristics of a rider lacking in confidence will generally be the opposite of all of the above. However confidence isn’t often an “all or nothing” thing but rather something to constantly work on nurturing and developing.
When looking at the above list it’s obvious that a rider who is confident will get far more out of their experiences than the rider lacking in confidence. However, it’s important to remember that confidence isn’t a static, unchanging thing throughout a rider’s life. It’s not something that you are necessarily born with though your upbringing and life experiences will have a significant effect on your beliefs about yourself.
Many riders are super confident as children and teenagers and then struggle once the responsibilities of adulthood kick in.
Other riders may be totally comfortable when riding one horse and struggle when they get a new one.
Some people are supremely confident in one area of their lives and not in others, a confident rider may find work situations very challenging and others may thrive in the workplace but struggle on horseback and then we probably all know some lucky people for whom confidence is simply never an issue at all.
If you find that things are difficult for you in any area of life, but particularly in riding then don’t suffer alone. For many horse riders and owners the time they spend looking after their horse and riding is a release from the day to day responsibilities of a busy life and it needs to be enjoyable.
Find someone to help you who is experienced in working with confidence and self belief problems and who has the skills and knowledge they can share with you, allowing you to develop the tools which you can apply in different riding situations.
By learning to challenge your thinking you can change your behaviour and ultimately change your life and your enjoyment of the wonderful sport of equestrianism.
Keep a look out for my next article on Five Steps to Riding Confidence – coming soon.
Jane Brindley is a confidence and mindset coach who has been working with horse riders, at all levels, since 2004 when she set up her business Horse Riding with Confidence Scotland. Jane works both face to face if you are local and online via Zoom wherever you are in the World.
Jane uses hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, NLP and performance coaching to help riders overcome anxiety, grow in self belief and resilience and develop a strong mindset for performance. www.horseridingwithconfidencescotland.co.uk