As part of my psychology degree I am spending this academic year studying sport psychology. As an equestrian coach and rider it’s a subject that for me has huge relevance. But all this talk of working with athletes has got me thinking, how many riders would describe themselves as athletes. A rider’s identity, their self-schema can have a huge impact on both mindset and motivation, so I believe its an important conversation to have. Would you as a rider describe yourself as an athlete?

Googles defines an athlete as “a person who is proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise”

So perhaps we should begin by looking at the physiological aspect of riding. I think all us riders have had to force a fake laugh when your non-riders friend quips “riding is not a sport; the horse does all the work!”. As someone who works with riders on a daily basis this comment always makes me roll my eyes and sigh. My answer to that statement would be this; in order to develop a correct aiding system and train half a ton of horse, we have to work hard to develop a constant awareness of the correctness our posture and bio-mechanics, so that we can constantly work to improve and refine it. In doing so we can aim to develop a frame around the horse which offers clear, consistent feedback which in turn will encourage/condition him to work in a posture that allows him to move with ease and in balance. As if trying to maintain correct alignment and posture wasn’t enough of a challenge, we have to do it whilst resisting the forces created by the movement of the horse and the more disorganised the horse is the harder a task that can be. As bio-mechanic expert Mary Wanless states “does the disorganised horse disorganise the rider or does the organised rider organise the disorganised horse”.  So no, an effective rider does not just sit on their horse and do nothing, good riding requires high levels complexed movement and huge levels of tone.

Secondly let’s consider the psychological aspect of competitive riding. Firstly, like all athletes a rider will be hugely emotionally invested in their performance. Having often invested heavily both emotionally and financially in improving their performance, as well as the time and money involved in taking care of a horse, a rider can often feel overwhelmed with pressure and anxiety come competition day. A factor that has the potential to negatively impact performance.  As riders we also face the added factor of having a very large and sensitive flight animal as our sporting partner, whose own psychological state can often be impacted by our own. These among many other factors mean that a rider’s mindset is extremely important.  By a rider viewing themselves as an athlete they can begin to take advantage of the psychological skills that can help them become a better equestrian.

So, I’d love to hear from you do you consider yourself as an athlete? How do you view yourself as a rider, what’s your self-schema? Because if how we view our identity as a rider can impact the way we train and perform, it’s got to be a conversation worth having!