“The riders mental attitude must be calm and in control of their emotions.” Miguel de Lancastre e Tavora

Mindfulness is being fully aware of the present moment. It is the ability to become a witness to thoughts, emotions and behaviours arising, without getting caught up in them. When we are mindful we are not affected by everything going on (around and inside of us), rather we are resting in our soul where we are able to respond skilfully.

The biggest challenges I see riders facing are not physical, but mental and emotional ones. Holding on to pessimistic thought patterns, looping back to fearful experiences or being unable to shake the stress of our everyday-life off our shoulders when climbing on our horse, all affect us negatively, and therefore our horse.

Many riders can be calm and centred in their training at home, and then get taken over by “competition nerves” when out with their horse. A mindfulness practice increases self-awareness and can be an incredible helpful tool for riders to improve their ability to stay calm, focussed and positive in the saddle at any time.

“Our life is shaped by our mind, for we become what we think” Buddha