We’ve all been there, standing at the mounting block, gripping the reins, and bracing for something to go wrong. But what if we flipped the script? What if, instead of preparing for failure, we opened ourselves up to success?
The way we think about riding shapes our experience in the saddle. Fear keeps us stuck in worst-case scenarios, but courage invites us to consider: What if everything goes right?
The Power of a Positive "What If"
Your brain is wired to protect you. When you imagine falling, freezing up, or making a mistake, your body responds as if it’s happening in real time. But here’s the secret: your brain also responds to positive visualizations. If you picture yourself riding with ease, feeling the rhythm, and handling challenges with confidence, your body will start to believe in that reality.
Try this: Before your next ride, close your eyes and imagine it going exactly how you want. See yourself breathing deeply, feeling connected to your horse, and finishing with a smile.
Train Your Brain to Expect Success
We often rehearse failure without even realizing it. We replay past mistakes, dwell on fears, and assume the worst. But you can retrain your mind to expect success. Start small—catch yourself when you’re predicting disaster and replace that thought with a positive possibility.
Instead of: What if I lose control?
Try: What if I ride with confidence?
Try: What if I ride with confidence?
Instead of: What if my horse spooks?
Try: What if we stay calm and connected?
Try: What if we stay calm and connected?
Live in the Moment
When we’re stuck in the “what ifs,” we miss out on what’s actually happening. Instead of worrying about what might go wrong, be present with what is going right. Feel the warmth of the sun, listen to your horse’s breathing, and appreciate the simple joy of being in the saddle.
Courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s choosing to ride anyway. So, what if today is the day it all goes right?
7 Day Confidence Challenge:
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Fear has a way of keeping us stuck. One anxious thought leads to another, and before you know it, you're trapped in a cycle of hesitation, doubt, and avoidance. But fear doesn’t have to control your riding journey. By shifting how you respond to fear, you can transform it into a steppingstone toward courage.
Step 1: Recognize Fear as a Habit, Not a Truth
Fear often becomes an automatic response—one that plays on repeat in your mind. But just like any habit, it can be changed. The next time fear arises, pause and notice it without judgment. Instead of thinking, I’m scared, so I can’t do this, try saying, I’m feeling fear, but I can still take a step forward.
Step 2: Give Fear a Job
Fear has a purpose—it’s meant to keep you safe. But left unchecked, it takes over and stops you from growing. Instead of letting fear be in charge, assign it a job. Let it be a signal to check your surroundings, take a deep breath, and adjust as needed. Then, remind yourself that you have other tools to rely on, like focus, trust, and preparation.
Step 3: Collect Small Wins for Big Confidence
Courage isn’t about one big, fearless moment—it’s about small, consistent steps. Every time you challenge fear, even in tiny ways, you’re making a deposit into your confidence bank. Maybe today, that means simply tacking up your horse with a calm mindset. Tomorrow, it could be a short ride in the arena. Over time, these “Courage Pennies” add up, making fear a smaller presence in your journey.
Breaking the fear cycle takes practice, but with awareness, new tools, and small acts of courage, you’ll find yourself riding with confidence and joy again.
Ready to build your courage step by step? The Courage Pennies eBook is your guide to taking small, confidence-boosting actions that add up to big change.
Fear has a way of piling up like clutter in a tack room—old fears mix with new ones, creating a mess that weighs us down. But what if you could clean out that mental space and replace fear with confidence? Just like organizing your riding gear, sorting through your fears can help you regain clarity and control.
Step 1: Identify Your Fear Clutter
Take a moment to think about the fears that have been lingering. Some fears might be useful—like respecting a horse’s signals—but others might just be outdated worries you’ve outgrown. Write them down and ask yourself: Is this still relevant? If not, it’s time to let it go.
Step 2: Reframe the “What Ifs”
Fear often sneaks in through worst-case scenarios. Instead of letting your mind spiral into "What if I fall?" or "What if my horse spooks?", try flipping the script. "What if I ride well?" or "What if my horse and I connect?" Changing the story you tell yourself shifts your mindset and creates space for courage. Practice your courageous "what if's".
Step 3: Replace Fear with Action
Once you've cleared out unnecessary fear, it’s time to fill that space with confidence-building actions. Instead of focusing on what scares you, create a small, positive routine—like breathing exercises before mounting, running through a pre-ride checklist, or visualizing a smooth ride with all the details and the amazing feeling. The more you practice courage, the stronger it becomes.
Fear will always try to sneak back in, but when you keep your mental space tidy, it has less room to grow. Just like maintaining an organized tack room, regularly clearing out fear makes it easier to focus on what truly matters—enjoying the ride.
Ready to clear out fear and make room for confidence? Courage Coaching can help you take the next step toward fearless riding. Schedule a chat to see if this would be a good fit for you and find out about the coaching options I offer.
Panic surged through me as the horse reared, fell backward, and came crashing down. Time slowed. I had no control over what was about to happen. There was nothing I could do to stop it.
This memory played on an automatic loop inside my head—again and again, like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. Worse than that, I told the story to anyone who would listen. Each time, it grew bigger, more intense, and more real in my mind. I knew that what we focus on expands, but I had no idea how to stop feeding the fear.
The truth is, we all have these mental replays—stories running on a loop, sometimes without us even realizing it. They shape our emotions, our confidence, and our ability to move forward.
But here’s the shocking truth: we have the power to change the story. This realization sent me on a mission to rewire my memory of the accident.
Here’s how you can do the same:
Think about your favorite cartoon. If you don’t have one, stop right now and go watch a few Looney Tunes episodes on YouTube until you find one that makes you laugh. (Trust me, it’s worth it.) I personally love Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner for this exercise.
Once you have a cartoon in mind, start transforming your scary memory into a ridiculous animated scene. For me, I pictured myself as the Road Runner and my horse as Wile E. Coyote.
To make it even funnier, I put ballet slippers on the horse and wrapped a bright pink tutu around his belly. I gave myself the cute little Road Runner feathers and imagined my legs whirring like a blur. The coyote (a.k.a. my horse) used an ACME contraption to try and take me out—but just like in the cartoons, the giant weight flipped on him and squished him instead!
And me? I popped right back up, let out a little "Meep Meep!" and dashed off, leaving a trail of dust behind me.
I kept adding more details—more color, more absurdity—until eventually, whenever I started to think about that accident, I couldn’t stop laughing.
The funnier, the better.
As you build your cartoon, that is what you share when you talk about it to others. Now we want to expand the replay and have it become the new replay track. We rewire to the cartoon.
Do you need a little more help creating your cartoon? Let’s explore this together and I will see if I can help you out. Book your free chat now and take the first step toward finding your new replay. I have helped clients with both courage coaching and hypnotherapy to overcome their anxiety and enjoy life again.
Overcoming fear over the past twenty years has taught me so much. Looking back, every moment of hesitation was worth the courage it took to push through. The journey was worth the sixty seconds of terror from the horse flipping over on top of me. What I realized is that the process I used is very similar to the process for accomplishing almost anything new or challenging. We all have things we would like different in our lives but just don't know who to begin and what to do. AT a high level, we figure out what steps need to be taken, we plan how to accomplish those steps, and then we implement those steps.
I believe we can all overcome our anxiety and fear if we make that our decision.
Here is a simple process that I used:
evaluate your health (You can do the same for your horses as well):
Set aside some time and sit down with a paper, journal, or some way to take notes. Scan your body and write down what is healthy, what is declining, what is improving, and what needs to be improved. Once you have that list from your scan, prioritize the list for action and commit to yourself to start feeling better now. Don't forget your mindset as well!
Gain knowledge:
Take some time and figure out what knowledge you have and what knowledge you need to accomplish your goal. I was all cocky when I did this part and thought I knew it all but did I? When I really sat down and did this, there were so many things I didn't know, even simple things like how to teach a horse to stand quiet and relaxed at the mounting block for me to get on. Seems simple but I had never trained a horse to do that. It was eye-opening to see how many things I didn't know I needed to know. I had a long list of knowledge that I needed to gain. I would love to hear how it goes with your list. What were your top 2 or 3 priorities on gaining knowledge for you.
Experience it:
Once you have gained the knowledge to at least take the first few steps, do the steps. Don't wait until you have gained all the knowledge and gotten healthy, start now and take small steps toward your destination. Those small steps will give you momentum and courage to continue on with your journey to confidence and courage. You have to do, not just think about doing. DO!
ADJUST:
As you start doing, you will find that you need to make adjustments. These can come in many forms. Adjust your health a little more. Learn a skill you hadn't thought of. It can be just about anything to help you stay on your journey and keep moving towards feeling that confident courageous self you know is inside of you.
Your process has already been created for you! Rise from Fear to Courage: Saddle Up and Enjoy Riding Again shares my journey of overcoming fear and reclaiming the joy of riding. If you're ready to ride with confidence, this book will show you the way. Grab your copy today and take the first step toward fearless riding!
