BECOME A SELF-CONFIDENT LEADER

We ride and compete because for us there is nothing better in the world than the horse/rider connection. Yet we know it’s not always perfect. I teach many clinics for riders of all levels, and I often need to help students who are passionate about riding but whose enjoyment of their horses is compromised by a lack of confidence.

I don’t have a magic formula for building rider confidence, but I have something almost as good: tools a student can use to address just about any issue she is having with her horse. My starting point is that in the competitive partnership that is your relationship with your horse, there needs to be a leader and that leader must be you. Think about it. You’re the only one in the partnership who knows the plan—where you’re going and what you’re doing. You’re the only one who knows whether you’re turning right or left in the dressage ring, when the water jump is coming up