Do you ever wish you could just enjoy every ride? No knot in your stomach as you head to the barn.
No racing heart when your horse feels a little too forward.
No replaying worst-case scenarios before you even swing into the saddle.
You're not alone and there is a way through.
If anxiety affects your performance or enjoyment of riding, hypnosis might be the answer for improving your horse riding confidence and results.
So you can enjoy every ride!
Why Positive Thinking Isn't Enough
Whether you’re suffering from a lack of confidence generally, around specific activities like competing, trail riding or jumping, or feeling anxious after a fall or injury, you’ve probably already realised that positive thinking isn’t enough.
How Your Unconscious Mind Works
This famous quote is attributed to Sigmund Freud - “The human mind is like an iceberg; it floats with one-seventh of its bulk above water”.
This is because what you see, think, feel and do is just the tip of what is going on in your mind.
The rest is going on below the surface of your consciousness in your unconscious mind.
Your unconscious mind stores the memories and emotions - both good and bad - connected to your experiences.
Your brain refers to these past experiences in every aspect of your day, without you even knowing about it.
In one sense, this is helpful because it means that once you’ve learned how to do something, you don’t waste time or energy consciously remembering how to do it.
You just do it without thinking.
Routine things like brushing your teeth or tying your shoe laces. Or how to post the trot.
Why Your Brain Sets Off Alarm Bells
Our brain likes to keep things simple for us. It also likes to keep us safe.
So your unconscious mind sets off alarm bells anytime it thinks you might be putting yourself in danger.
That’s great if you’re facing a bear in the woods.
Not so great when you want to do well at a horse show or enjoy hacking out with your friends.
The Night Before the Horse Show
It’s the night before the horse show or that planned trail ride, and you can’t sleep because your mind is full of negative thoughts.
All you can do is worry about what could possibly go wrong.
Things like forgetting your course or test, falling off or some other nightmare situation.
By doing this, you’re actually hypnotising yourself into a negative mindset and feeling anxious.
Having a negative mindset and feeling anxious means things are more likely to go wrong.
In that state, you’re unable to think clearly, make good decisions or ride at your best.
And you know your horse picks up on how you're feeling, too.
That cycle of negative thoughts creating negative experiences reinforces to you (and your unconscious mind) that what you’re doing isn’t fun - it’s scary or even dangerous.
Hypnosis Is Something You Already Do
Hypnosis isn’t magic. It’s something we all do many times every day.
Being engrossed in a movie or book.
Driving to work (and not remembering most of the drive).
What Happens in a Hypnosis Session
Hypnosis bypasses your conscious logical mind to work directly with your unconscious.
When you have a session with a hypnotist, it’s a collaboration.
We work together towards your desired end result.
And you are always in control.
With the hypnotist’s guidance, you can:
- release negative emotions and beliefs from past events,
- reset your thought patterns,
- change negative language, and
- retrain your mind and body to respond to stress in a different way.
Who Hypnosis Helps
Hypnosis can help riders to…
- get back in the saddle with confidence after a bad fall or accident
- resolve fears of riding on trails
- Eliminate performance nerves
- Improve focus at competitions
- deal with bereavement after losing your horse
- stop suffering with low confidence or panic attacks
Why Knowing You're Safe Isn't Enough
Your logical mind can be telling you that you have nothing to fear about riding because you have the skills and the right horse.
You know that 99% of the time, you have ridden without anything serious going wrong.
But somewhere along the line, something happened that scared you and your unconscious/emotional mind is sending you all the reasons for not doing something you used to feel confident and joyful doing.
I made a video about this - it's called Skills Aren't The Problem.
Ready to Enjoy Every Ride Again?
Help is available! Hypnosis can help you to overcome trauma, fears and phobias and rebuild your riding confidence to even greater levels than before.
Want to experience what a session feels like? Listen to my free recording, Release Tension for Equestrians.
With just a handful of hypnosis sessions you can be ‘back in the saddle’, feeling confident, focused, and enjoying every ride.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Hypnosis works directly with your unconscious mind, where your emotional memories and fear responses are stored.
It can release negative emotions from past events, reset unhelpful thought patterns, and retrain how your mind and body respond to riding situations that currently feel scary.
Always. Hypnosis is a collaboration, not something done to you. You remain fully aware and in control the entire time. It's a natural state you already experience daily - like being completely absorbed in a book, or arriving home without remembering the drive.
Most riders notice meaningful shifts within a couple of sessions. Some come with a single specific fear, like nervousness after a fall; others are working through longer-standing patterns.
We'll map out what's realistic for you on the free strategy call.
Yes - this is one of the most common reasons riders seek hypnosis. After a fall, your unconscious mind flags riding as dangerous even when your logical mind knows you have the skills and the right horse.
Hypnosis helps quiet those alarm bells so you can get back in the saddle with genuine confidence.
Yes. Performance nerves are your unconscious mind's alarm system firing at the wrong time. Hypnosis helps you stay calm and focused, think clearly, and ride at your best - whether you're competing, trail riding, or jumping.
Yes. Because hypnosis is an internal process, it translates naturally to a video call. Many riders find it easier to relax in their own environment. Sessions are available by video from wherever you are.
We start by talking about your goal — what you want to feel and do differently in the saddle. Then, with your agreement, I guide you into a relaxed state and we work directly with your unconscious mind to release what's holding you back. You stay in control the whole time.
This is not a sales call and there is no obligation to buy anything.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING A FREE CONFIDENCE STRATEGY CALL?
You'll have the chance to share your current situation and your goals with a coach who understands what it's like to have lost your confidence. (Because I've been there.)
We’ll look at what’s actually holding you back right now and determine your next best step to fix it.
This call is about strategy. It's completely free, without judgement or pressure to purchase anything.
Let's get you back to enjoying riding.
Cheers, Anne
