July 18, 2016 
1. Don’t focus on “winning the class”
If you walk in thinking, "I have to get a placing, I must win," you'll send your pressure gauge through the roof. While winning may be something you really want, using it as a goal is not going to be effective.
The truth is you are not 100% in control of any win. What you are in control of on that day is the way you ride and your attitude, so why not focus on these things? Choose a goal, and choose carefully. Goals can be extremely calming and focusing if you choose the right kind. Try goals like “no matter what happens, I will stay positive today” or “today I will ride with rhythm.”
In short, make sure your goals are about the process of what you need to do out there and are based on things you can control. This will help keep your mind where it is most effective—and yes, up your chances significantly of having a successful ride.
2. Don’t “battle” your nerves—embrace them
Performance anxiety invokes the "flight or fight" mechanism in your body. The blood begins pumping to all your major muscles to prepare you to face a dangerous situation. Your digestion system shuts down (butterflies), you urgently need to locate a bathroom (evacuation for faster flight), and your mind races ahead to try to assess the threat. The problem, of course, is that there is no real threat. Your body just feels like it’s under siege.
The good side of performance nerves is that they are telling you something very important. That you care about what you are doing and want to do it well. It can be a sharpener of your mind and focus if you know how. Butterflies don’t have to be monsters holding your reins, they can be effective coaches if you work with them. When the physical sensations of anxiety start to manifest in your body, try responding to it differently. Great! My body and mind are preparing for the challenge ahead I will direct this energy into a sharp focus.
In other words, don’t let that energy use you up, use it for good!
3. Be prepared with a pre-ring routine
Do you know what your ideal performance state is? It's that sweet spot. That mental, physical, and emotional place from which you ride your best. If you haven’t competed a lot, go ahead and use exceptional training sessions.
You should also know what works best for your teammate. Is your horse better when relaxed and well worked or fresh and energized? Don’t assume what will work for you will work for your mount.
This is the target state you will be aiming to create before entering the ring.
Routines are the tool you will use to help you get there. Don't get complicated when designing your pre-ring routine. Choose carefully, as each step should meet a need of you or your horse’s. Some may do double duty. For example, a process goal may calm both yourself and your horse during warm-up. Your self-talk can be designed to alleviate your show ring nerves and ultimately provide reassurance to your mount.
4. Communicate your needs and wants
Riders vary tremendously with how much contact they want with others before and after they compete. Some want to be left alone to focus, others want to chat to distract themselves from their nerves. Whatever your preference, make sure those around you know what you need and when. So tell your parents, trainer, and fellow riders how they can help you. You might be surprised just how willing they are to help support you and reach your goals.
5. Watch your language
Make sure you have some positive self-statements at the ready. Stress naturally causes us to focus on the negative. Choose a keyword to keep coming back to for the day. Something that reminds you where you want your focus to be: “rhythm,” “commit.” Or a phrase: “embrace the pace,” “stay here and now.” If you have your language ready, you are less likely to have headspace for that nasty gremlin of doubt.
6. Focus on your own page
No doubt when you arrive you will want to check out your competition. Do I know them? Have I ridden against them before? But this can quickly turn into are they better than me? What if they are better than me? I will never make medal finals. Ever...I cannot blow this. Not exactly helpful thoughts when it comes to bringing out your best. So, remember how they taught you in school to focus on your own page? Do that. Focus on what you came there to do and do it well. Do not give your attention to the next guy/girl, you’ll just be handing them an advantage. Instead, keep your energy and focus for yourself.
7. Be prepared to accept mistakes
There is no way anyone gets through life, sport, and certainly a tryout without making a mistake. It's not the end. It's only one moment in time. In fact, it could be that some mistakes are made because you are showing your ability to take risks. When you do make one, have a reboot strategy ready so you can get over and get on with it. Use a cue like “next” or “now” to shift your focus to the present, which is exactly where you need to be to ride effectively.
8. Forget perfection
Perfection is not an ideal. It’s not even possible. So what happens when you start to focus on the impossible? You become frustrated, impatient, and angry with yourself. As you can guess, this means you'll likely not perform to your potential. It also means you are more likely to become frustrated, impatient, and angry with your horse. What you do impacts your team—every time. Think of a new ideal for yourself to go after- excellence, mastery of skills, continuous improvement. If your mindset is positive and possible, you will get the best from yourself.
9. Everyone is human
Don’t forget that the guy or girl next to you is likely as nervous as you! Check it out. Take a look around when you arrive and have fun playing the “human test.” I'll bet you can come up with one thing per person (that guy has probably made mistakes before, she has likely been embarrassed, I’ll bet he has had a bad haircut in his life) that makes them just has human as you. You are not surrounded by super stars, only others with strengths and weaknesses just like you. Whew!
10. Start fresh every day
Horse shows are like little endurance events by the end. You hurry up and wait. And wait and then you hurry off again, for days on end. That means you might just have a bad day and then have to go back out and try again. The last thing you want is to drag that bad day with you. This can leave you feeling mentally and physically tired and focused on the negative.
So make a point of doing a quick review. I like to call this the 2/2 formula. Choose two things you were proud of, and two things that need “sharpening” for the next day. Then allow yourself to move along and relax with something non-sport related. Remember the motto “every day is fresh,” meaning it is full of opportunity. Lucky you!
About the Author
April Clay is a rider and sports psychologist in Calgary, Alberta. Want to learn more about show preparation and mental toughness? Check out the Resilient Rider Online Course and the Confidence Factor at www.outofyourmindcourses.com.
