Coping with Competition – Tips and Tales for Riders to Curb the Nerves

This is something that Darielle, one part of the dynamic duo from the blog, No Bucking Way, also experiences. Darielle and her friend, Orla, blog about the ups and downs of bringing on their young horses. For Darielle, arriving at the venue with her horse Dante, is when the nerves kick in and says:

“[arriving] automatically gives me the “Why am I doing this” feeling. The feeling of why am I doing this, I am not ready.”

Orla, too, feels that her fears get the better of her when she has too much time to think about the competition. This is normally on the drive there, or as she waits to go into the ring.

“On the drive, especially if I’m by myself, my thoughts can really get the better of me. I always go to the worst case scenario and think, “what if today is the day I have the worst possible fall?”

What Will People Think?

Serena started her blog, Make Up and Muck Heaps, to document her recovery from a serious fall which left her out of the saddle for a long period of time. Last year she put her feet back in the stirrups, and this year is making the leap back into the ring. For Serena, going out in front of a crowd is her main hurdle. She says:

“When others are watching is something I’ve personally struggled with for years, my view of their view of me!”

Naturally, we compare ourselves to others. It is human nature, after all. As Serena pointed out, the pressure to perform in front of others, not letting yourself or your trainer down and doing right by our horses inevitably hinders our ability to do so.

For some, putting yourself out there can feel like you’re opening yourself up to criticism from those who take pleasure in discrediting your efforts. Darielle explained that comments made at shows on the size of her horse have negatively impacted her belief in her ability to ride him, contributing to her competition nerves. Natalie admits that as much as she hates it, she also can worry too much about the opinions of others.

I feel that this is probably one of the most relevant issues when it comes to competition nerves. We live in a social media driven world which has its advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage is that there will always be a minority who take pleasure in being judgmental, or enjoy intimidating others – we’ve all seen it in the warm up! (FYI, if that’s your experience just know it says a lot more about the (lack of) character of those who do it, then it does yours!)

However, learning to focus on yourself and ignoring the crowd is a real challenge that many of us face. The majority of the equestrian community are genuinely supportive and enthusiastic people, who want to see you do well, as hard as it is to believe at times (just read that sentence again, because it is true).

The Fear of Getting it Wrong

I can relate to the feelings that fellow equestrians have experienced. My nerves stem from the fear of getting it wrong, which was exaggerated by all the worries the girls have addressed.

My fear of getting it wrong came from my imagination. Foreseeing a mistake that would cause my mare to get a fright and make her stop. This was a real life problem a couple years back. I would doubt my ability, worry about who was watching, be intimidated by the big square oxer and low and behold, we’d have a stop. I’d end up on the ground and the viscous circle would start again. This is something Orla also relates to with her mare, Coco.

“I’ve had a lot of falls in the last year and all bar one have been while jumping, so these experiences always come back to me on show day in an attempt to psyche myself out.”

But she also explains that ironically enough, none of these falls have happened at a show but yet this is where we tend to be most effected by our past negative experiences. So how do we cope?

Nerves Are Good

“They show how much you care about what you’re doing and give you the boost you need to do your very best”

Quote cred to Orla’s Dad (who has to be a legend with that kind of encouragement)

So I know what you might be thinking – how do we get out of the bed to compete at all at all? Well, as Orla’s dad has pointed out, we do it because underneath it all, we love our horses and we love what we do.

But we don’t make it to the show grounds because of love and determination alone. We have learned that there are certain things that help us cope with our nerves. These routines and rituals help us overcome the feelings of dread, help us to put ourselves in the right frame of mind and enable us to put ourselves in the ring.

Here’s how we do it.

Natalie’s Tips – Inside Track Eventing

Music: I have a Spotify playlist that I play in the car on my way to a show, it’s full of upbeat and motivating songs – and I’m not ashamed to say I will sing along and dance in the car like a madwoman! It takes me out of my head, brightens my mood and gets me to the competition venue in a good mood.

Routine is key for me – I do the same things, the same way, every time. From how I pack the night before, the order in which I load at the yard that morning, my pre-show coffee, to how I tack up and warm up at a show. I feel ‘safe’ when I do something I know, something I feel secure in, and routine and consistency helps keep me and my horses feeling confident – like “yeah, I know this, I can do this!”

Support – I often have to compete alone, but I have endless support from my close friends and coach over the phone. Sometimes, I am lucky enough to have them there with me. Even if it’s just for them to say “you’ve done the work, you’ve got this” or “just remember to have enough canter coming off that turn” – a bit of reassurance and support when I’m caught up in my head and turn to jelly means the world to me.

Focus on one thing at a time – Just get to the venue. Learn the course. Put in your entry. Watch a round or two (if you have time)…and so on. – Orla