It’s natural to be nervous about showing. People watching you, the “will my horse behave” or “will the judge even look at me?” doubts that cross your mind. We all get ‘em! However, being nervous can really effect your performance and your horse’s, since they feel all your nerves. Here are 7 ways to keep your nerves at bay so you have a better ride in the ring. Do you have any secrets to calming nerves not listed here? Share them in the comments with us!
#1 – Be Sure You Are Ready
Are you crazy nervous because you know deep down, you aren’t ready? I remember my first horse show- I was in high school. I had ridden since I was five, but never shown. Now I had friends who did and I wanted to as well. So I took my Bashkir Curly with no professional training and went. Disaster. I should have waited but everyone else was doing it and I wanted to too. I didn’t even understand the “rules of the ring.” Well, it wasn’t fun and it just caused me to be even more nervous about showing because of the bad experience. Waiting until you are really ready will help you have confidence and be less nervous.
Image source: @FiveFurloungs via Flickr
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