You want to ride, but your body freezes, standing there frozen at the mounting block. My first time back, it was get on and take 4 steps. Seemed so small but I celebrated.
Maybe it’s been months… or even years since you last felt truly confident in the saddle. And now, every “what if” in the book is swirling through your head.
I know that feeling all too well, you are not alone.
After my accident, it wasn’t days or weeks to overcome the anxiety—it turned into years. One terrifying moment stole twenty years of my confidence.
That’s the part nobody tells you. Anxiety doesn’t just steal a few minutes of peace—it can quietly rob you of seasons, memories, and joy with your horse.
And when you’re in it, you feel completely alone. Everyone else looks like they’re having fun, while you’re fighting back nausea and trying to convince yourself to just swing a leg over.
But here’s the truth: you are not alone. What you’re feeling is more common than you realize. Riders everywhere, of every age and experience level, struggle with this exact same battle between heart and mind.
And here’s the other truth: you don’t have to stay stuck.
I learned the hard way, over twenty long years, how to rebuild my confidence. And now, after working with riders one-on-one, I’ve discovered something important: you don’t have to wait decades to get your confidence back.
Instead of fighting with your nerves, you can reset. Clear out the “what if” skeletons, start fresh, and rebuild from a place of calm. It begins with one simple belief: riding anxiety doesn’t make you weak—it’s actually pointing you toward the exact place where growth can happen. You can grow through your anxiety and improve all areas of your life (shockingly!).
When you learn to see your anxiety not as an enemy, but as a guide, everything shifts. You start focusing on what you can do, step by step, until confidence becomes second nature again. Get on and get back off. Walk a circle. Walk a figure eight. You anxiety helps you prepare and your confidence gets built one step at a time. Pick your first steps.
And you don’t have to figure out your next steps alone.
I’d love to hear your story—how long it’s been for you, and where you feel stuck. And if you’re ready for deeper support, you can grab a free Calm-Ride Strategy Call with me, and we’ll create a plan to get you back in the saddle with confidence.
Because you are not alone. And your way forward is waiting.
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