How to Ride with More Confidence!
Sitting in the warmup ring on my cute gray thoroughbred mare, tears streaming down my face, realizing that once again, I did not have the confidence to ride her through her attitude.  I got off and handed her to the teenager to get on and work her through her attitude.  What did this young lady have that I didn't have?  Confidence.  She was half my age, had far less riding experience than I did and yet, here I was, sitting on the sidelines while she "fixed" my horse.  We all have those moments when our anxiety and fear get the best of us.

How can we build up our confidence so that we are not the ones sitting on the sidelines?

First, soak up moments of courage outside of riding.  The more confidence and courage you have in anything, the more you have in riding.  Look for little areas in life where you did something you didn't "FEEL" like doing.  You took the courage to do it.  For me, going to the dentist is huge.  I have built up so much confidence, I now sleep at the dentist.  Are there areas in your life outside of riding that you need a bit of courage.  Weight loss?  Getting healthy?  Going to the dentist?  Soak up the courage pennies when you have those moments.

Second, while riding, practice getting a little anxious and then coming back to calm.  For me, the trigger is the horse lifting their head.  I can focus on feeling that anxiety when my horse lifts their head and then feel that go through me and out my fingers and toes.  Filling myself back up with calm.  As I come back to calm, it feels rewarding and the more I do it, the easier it becomes.

Third, focus on where you are going and what you are doing.  Keep the focus on the ride.  Shush the what if and monkey chatter and come back to focus.  We all have that background talk that can escalate our anxiety, but we also have the ability to move past that and focus in the moment.

Building confidence is a process, but it starts with one small step. Whether you're struggling with riding, facing a personal fear, or just trying to boost your everyday courage, every "courage penny" you earn counts. To help you start building your confidence, download my free eBook, The Ultimate Guide to Courage Pennies. Inside, you’ll find practical steps to help you face fear and build a more confident, courageous mindset—both in and out of the saddle.

Start today. You’ve got this.


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Hey there! I’m Elise Hittinger—Fear Slayer, Confidence Creator, and your go-to Courage Coach.

 
Once upon a time, I was that fearless kid riding deep into Angeles National Forest without a second thought. Then bam—life threw me a plot twist. A horse flipped on me, pinning me beneath it, and fear crept in like an uninvited guest who wouldn’t leave.

That moment tested everything. But here’s the wild part—I walked away with only bruises and a divine reminder that I wasn’t done yet. Fear may have stolen my joy for a while, but it did not get the final say.

Fast forward to a move to Kentucky, where the trails were calling my name. I had two choices: let fear keep the reins or take them back. Spoiler alert—I took them back. Now, I help other riders (and, honestly, anyone sick of fear running their life) do the same.

I make fear pack its little bags and GTFO. Whether it’s through hypnotherapy, NLP, or a little well-placed humor, I help people trade anxiety for confidence, doubt for courage, and overthinking for action.

So, if you’re ready to kick fear to the curb and rediscover the joy you deserve—I’m here for it. Let’s do this.

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