Finding the Message in the Mess with Daniel Stewart

Athletic endeavors are hard, no matter the sport; however, all of us that ride and enjoy horses know they also add challenges that simply don’t exist in any other sport. Eventing is complicated, full of unexpected situations, and honestly most of the factors at a competition are out of our control. Coach and Clinician Daniel Stewart is spot on when he says, “Skis don’t spook at snow! There aren’t any chestnut mare tennis rackets that refuse to load in the car!”

We train and train on the physical aspects of riding but spend much less time focusing on the mental challenges that our sport presents, which is ridiculous when you think about it. In addition to the sometimes unpredictable nature of our equine partners, we riders also put a tremendous amount of pressure on ourselves – not only to perform well for ourselves and others, but to do right by our horses. That pressure can fill our brains with destructive thought processes and severely limit our ability to ride well.

Please click here to read the rest of the article as it appears on the Eventing Nation website.

Article written By Erin Tomson