Relax! And enjoy your horse more!
For the horse lover and rider, loss of nerve or confidence can be devastating.
It affects your relationship with your horse or pony, your ability to enjoy your horse and your riding and can even damage your self esteem.
What should be a relaxing and rewarding activity can be transformed into a stressful, fearful one. In the worst cases people may stop riding or even succumb to selling their beloved animal because they feel they cannot cope with them.
For the confident rider who wants to improve their competitive performance and partnership with their horse, the ability to manage nerves is equally important. When your body is tense and nervous your ability to communicate with subtlety with your mount is dramatically reduced.
Whilst it is relatively easy to get help from a qualified instructor with your riding technique, it is difficult to find support with the psychological and emotional aspects of building confidence, controlling your nerves and understanding the impact of your emotions on your relationship with your horse.
But worry no more – help is now at hand! Pam Billinge is a body psychotherapist, performance coach, horse owner and committed student of natural horsemanship who works with the complicated interaction of mind and body. She offers private coaching and group workshops to help riders learn how to relax. Not just on and around their horse – but also in life generally.
