Here’s the thing nobody likes to admit out loud:

You can have the horse. You can have the talent. You can put in the hours. You can even be confident in every other part of your life… and still feel like a complete rookie when your nerves take over in the saddle.

That’s exactly what happened to my client, Bonnie Habel, an APHA rider who shows trail and horsemanship with her mare, Morgan. She had the horse. She had the training. She had the drive. But at the Paint World Show, all of that went out the window when her nerves hijacked her ride.

In today’s episode, Bonnie shares what really happens when the spiral sets in, and how working inside the Mental Gym for Equestrians helped her flip the script. This isn’t a highlight reel—it’s the real, raw transformation of a rider who went from rattled and disconnected to grounded, collected, and genuinely excited about her rides again.

If you or someone you know has benefited from this episode, be sure to tag us @nicoleburnettmentalcoach, @resilientreiner, and Bonnie on Instagram and share this episode with your community! I’m curious to hear your takeaways and what part of Bonnie’s story resonated most with you.

And hey, if you loved it, please take a minute to leave a review on iTunes—it helps other riders discover the show and find the same breakthroughs.

In This Episode You Will Learn:

• What it really felt like for Bonnie when her nerves hijacked her ride at the World Show
• Why experience, talent, and the “right horse” aren’t enough when the mental side is missing
• The exact wins Bonnie started noticing just weeks into Mental Gym for Equestrians
• How her relationship with her trainer and her horse both shifted once she began to trust herself again
• Why focusing on small changes (like feeling collected before she even rides) made a massive difference in her confidence

Questions I Answer (with Bonnie’s story woven in):

• What does it look like when nerves completely take over a seasoned rider?
• Why don’t traditional “just ride more” solutions work for show-pen anxiety?
• How can a rider rebuild confidence when they already know their cues but still spiral?
• What’s the real payoff when you start riding longer for fun instead of cutting rides short?
• How does confidence in the saddle spill over into life outside the arena?

LINK/RESOURCES:

• 🎯 5 Days to Confident Competitor. Stop ‘show nerves’ and saddle up with swagger! https://nicoleburnettcoaching.thrivecart.com/5-days-to-confident-competitor/ 
• 🎯 Resilient Reiner Academy → The confidence to win so you ride like you belong. Sign up here!  https://www.nicoleburnettcoaching.com/resilientreineracademy 
• 🎯 Mental Gym for Equestrians → Ride like a pro https://mentalgymforequestrians.com/ 
• 🎯 Get Free Weekly Mental Coaching Tips → Join my email list! Subscribe here