Gaining confidence in a skill
Embrace Your Starting Point
Firstly, acknowledge where you stand today. Accepting your current state is the cornerstone of building confidence. Remember, your present situation isn’t a life sentence; it's just a moment in time.
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To many, it astonishes me when riders label themselves as "unconfident". Your perception might lead you to believe you lack confidence. Yet, from my vantage point, every rider I've encountered possesses more strength than they give themselves credit for.
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Confidence is relative. For instance, if you're accustomed to jumping at 90cm, the idea of 1m might seem daunting - and it should! It's pushing you beyond your comfort zone. Similarly, if you’ve never jumped, the very idea can be intimidating. Or if you regularly canter in the countryside but rarely venture into an arena, the notion of executing a 20-meter circle might fill you with trepidation. Everyone has their own thresholds and benchmarks, and that's okay!
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Break It Down
The next step is understanding how to systematically train both you and your horse to enhance confidence in a particular skill. Let’s consider cross-country riding. Are you comfortable cantering in expansive areas? Do you feel secure in the saddle? Do you often take your horse out alone? Identifying the foundation is essential. I dedicate time to help riders dissect the skills they wish to master into smaller, more manageable components. After all, if the basics aren't robust, apprehension is a natural response. Feeling nervous, in such instances, isn't a sign of weakness; it indicates a prudent approach to safety.
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Mind Over Matter
Lastly, we delve into the psychological barriers. The human mind operates on two levels: the conscious and the subconscious. While your conscious mind might rationally understand and believe in your abilities as a rider, the subconscious mind can sometimes hold contrasting beliefs. However, it's also worth noting that there are times when both conscious and subconscious minds align in a negative perspective. For instance, a rider might consciously express to me their self-doubt or dissatisfaction with their riding form. In these cases, the subconscious might echo these sentiments, intensifying feelings of insecurity and apprehension. This convergence on a negative belief can be just as challenging, if not more so, than when the two minds are at odds. Through sport psychology, NLP, hypnosis, and timeline therapy, I tailor a mindset strategy to either reconcile differences between the conscious and subconscious or to redirect and transform negative harmonized beliefs into positive, empowering ones.