Ever feel like if you didn’t get it right the first time, it must not be for you? This week's Sunday Strides is your reminder that confidence isn't born from perfection; it’s built through repetition.

So many riders get discouraged when things don’t go well on the first try. But what if showing up again (and again) is exactly what’s required?

In this short pep talk, I’m sharing why the real breakthroughs happen after the first awkward, messy attempts, and how committing to repeat with intention is the secret to true progress with your horse.

Whether you're learning a new skill, restarting after a break, or supporting your horse through retraining, this one is for you 💛

✨ What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Why it’s totally normal to feel awkward when trying something new

• The damaging belief that you should be good at something the first time

• Why clarity and confidence are built, not found

• How to create progress through repetition, tweaking, and consistency

• A practical challenge for this week: choose something you’ll try again, on purpose

💬 Ready to Make Progress in Your Riding?

If you’ve been feeling stuck, unsure, or like you’re constantly starting over, you're not alone.

This is the final week to apply for Restart & Reschool, my private coaching program designed to help you retrain yourself and your horse with support, structure, and real momentum.

🔗 https://stridesforsuccess.com/rr

📧 Or just email me directly: [email protected] Let me know what’s going on with you and your horse, and we’ll take it from there.

🔁 Catch Up On This Week’s Podcast Episodes:

• Tuesday: Why You’re Still Not Riding Like You Want To (And What to Do About It)

• Thursday (Strides Revisited): Creating an Initial Program for Your OTTB or Ex-Racehorse

👉 Let’s Connect:

• Join the conversation in our Daily Strides Podcast Online Community

• Let me know what you’re committing to this week by emailing [email protected]

Have you recently welcomed an OTTB (Off-the-Track Thoroughbred) into your life, only to feel overwhelmed by where to even begin?

This episode is all about helping you build a solid foundation for your ex-racehorse. Whether your Thoroughbred just left the track or has been with you for a while, this episode will guide you through how to create a clear, step-by-step plan to move forward confidently in your training.

Ex-racehorses are incredibly athletic, intelligent, and versatile, but those same qualities can make retraining feel confusing or frustrating if you don’t have a system in place. This episode will show you how to simplify the process, communicate clearly, and set both you and your OTTB up for long-term success.

🎯 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why your OTTB needs an adjustment period (and not necessarily months in a field)

• How to help your horse learn a completely new language of riding and handling

• The difference between fitness and strength development, and why it matters

• Why clarity and intentionality are essential in every ride you take

• How to work with your horse’s intelligence and sensitivity, not against it

• Why hopping from method to method creates confusion and gaps in training

• The power of sticking to a progressive, adaptable plan

📣 Need a Clear Path Forward with Your OTTB? Join Restart & Reschool – Your Personalized Private Coaching Program

If you’ve been starting over again and again… If your OTTB seems talented but progress feels frustratingly slow… If you're tired of second-guessing yourself every ride…

The Restart & Reschool private coaching program is here to help you break the cycle.

Inside this 13-week journey, I’ll help you: ✔ Identify & fill the gaps in your OTTB’s training ✔ Develop a rhythm in your riding that leads to consistent results ✔ Regain confidence and clarity in your own approach

Click here to learn more - Let’s get you and your ex-racehorse moving forward again.

💬 Be Part of the Conversation – Join Our Free Facebook Community

Are you retraining an OTTB? Or maybe just looking to ride more intentionally with your horse?

👉 Come join other like-minded riders inside the Daily Strides Podcast Online Community on Facebook. It’s where we share insights, ideas, challenges, and wins—all designed to support your riding journey, especially if you're doing it without a regular trainer.

🌿 Join the community here >>

🌀 Looking for Ongoing Support, Lessons & Structure? Step Into Connection – Formerly Daily Strides Premium

If you loved this episode and want ongoing guidance, Connection is the place for you.

💡 Inside Connection, you'll get:

• Weekly live group virtual riding lessons

• Themed collections like Groundwork, Confidence, Re-Schooling, and more

• Monthly challenges, goal-setting calls, and mindset sessions

• Private podcast access with guided in-saddle audio lessons

• A community of riders who get it

Connection is designed to help you build a rhythm and ride with intention, week after week.

🎧 Join Connection here https://stridesforsuccess.com/join

🔁 Listen Again or Share This Episode

If you know another rider with an OTTB or ex-racehorse, share this episode with them—it could be the clarity they’re craving.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here >>

Are you stuck in that cycle of wanting to ride… But not actually riding the way you want?  Or maybe you’re not riding at all right now, even though the tack, the horse, and the arena are all sitting there, waiting for you?!

In this episode of the Daily Strides Podcast for Equestrians, we’re getting honest about the real reason so many riders stall out in their progress. (Spoiler alert: it’s not motivation.)

I’m walking you through a simple 4-step process to get back into the saddle, or back into the right kind of saddle time... This week. Yes, this week!

This process works whether you're returning to riding, restarting your horse’s training, or simply feeling stuck in a rut. The key is clarity. And we’re going to create that together, one tiny step at a time.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why knowing what needs to be done isn’t enough to get unstuck

• How to set a clear, specific goal for the next 6 months of your riding

• The simple way to spot the real gaps between where you are and where you want to be

• How to choose one small action to take in the next 3 days, and why that’s the key to building momentum

• Why clarity comes after action, not before

The full article for this, with all of the examples and links, is at:- https://stridesforsuccess.com/episode1374-why-youre-still-not-riding-like-you-want-to-and-what-to-do-about-it-this-week/

 

Tell Me What You’re Committing To...

I would love to hear what you decide to do with this episode!

👉 Email me at [email protected] and let me know:

• Your specific 6-month riding goal

• One gap you’ve identified

• And the tiny action you’re committing to take in the next 72 hours

Let’s celebrate your step forward together 🙌

🎉 Join the Daily Strides Podcast Online Community

Want some accountability and support as you take action?

Come join us inside the Daily Strides Podcast Online Community on Facebook. It’s filled with equestrians just like you who are working through similar challenges and cheering each other on.

👉 Click here to join the group

We have regular live sessions, practical challenges, and loads of encouragement to help you move forward in your riding.

Interested in Restart & Reschool?

If this episode resonates with you and you’d love more personal guidance to restart or reschool your horse, or even just yourself in the saddle, then my Restart & Reschool coaching program might be exactly what you need.

It runs every quarter, and I work privately with a small group of riders to help them:

• Build consistency

• Close the training gaps

• And finally ride the way they know they’re capable of

If the current round is full, don’t worry! You can still apply now to get early access to the next one.

Send me an email to [email protected] and I’ll share all the details.

🐎 Ready to Start Riding with Clarity & Confidence?

Don’t let another week pass by spinning your wheels…

Take one small step toward your 6-month goal today, and let that action begin the momentum you’ve been missing.

Listen now, and then email me your commitment at [email protected]

In this episode of Sunday Strides, we're exploring a common, but quietly damaging, belief many riders hold:

“If I was truly capable, I wouldn’t need help.”

Whether you’ve just begun leasing, you’re training solo, or you’ve always dreamed of being an independent rider, today’s message is for you.

I share why needing support doesn’t make you any less capable… In fact, it often means you’re getting closer to your next breakthrough.

And I gently redefine what guidance really is: not control or correction, but structure, perspective, and encouragement, especially when you’re feeling stuck, messy, or unsure.

🧭 In This Episode:

• Why trying to do it all alone leads to slow (or no) progress

• How reaching out for help can accelerate your success, not slow it down

• A powerful metaphor from the racetrack that illustrates why focus and momentum need backup

• What structure really offers; freedom, not restriction

• An invitation to shift the way you view coaches, teachers, and guides in your journey

You’re not giving up.  You’re choosing growth.  And sometimes, growth means inviting the right person to walk beside you.

🐴 Ready for More?

If this message resonates with you and you’d like some personal support in your riding journey, there are a few ways to work with Lorna.

👣 From virtual coaching to guided riding plans, you’ll find support that matches your goals and your rhythm. 💬 Just email: [email protected] to start the conversation.

📣 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going...

Join the free Daily Strides Podcast Online Community on Facebook.  This is where riders from all over the world can share their wins, ideas, and questions, and continue these Sunday Strides topics together. 👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/dailystridespodcast

🎧 Love Sunday Strides?

• ✅ Subscribe so you never miss a weekly pep talk

• ⭐ Leave a review; it helps more riders discover the show

• 📲 Share this episode with a riding friend who needs to hear it

Have you ever tried something during a lesson and nailed it. Only to fall flat the next time you rode on your own?!

In this episode, we’re revisiting a powerful conversation around confidence, communication, and the three essential elements of becoming a better rider: emotional, mental, and physical development.

Confidence isn’t something you magically have or don’t.  It’s something you can build, and sometimes even borrow.

Whether you're retraining an OTTB, restarting after time out of the saddle, or simply trying to improve on your own, this episode will help you take stock of what’s really going on when things aren’t working.

Inside this episode:

• What it means to "borrow confidence", and why it works

• Why mental clarity must go beyond “knowing the thing”

• The emotional patterns that block physical progress

• How to check your beliefs before you check your aids

• Why your outside leg might not be doing what you think it’s doing...

The full blog post with all of the links is at:- https://stridesforsuccess.com/episode1185

Restart & Reschool: Private Coaching

If you feel like you should be further along in your riding... But your confidence keeps stalling, or you’re not sure what to focus on, this is your invitation to start fresh...

Restart & Reschool is 13 weeks of personal coaching to rebuild trust, rhythm, and structure in your riding. We’ll fill the gaps in your riding, your horse’s training, and your mindset, step by step, together.

📩 Email me at [email protected] and tell me what you’re stuck on. If the current round is full, I’ll personally let you know when the next one opens up.

Connection: Ride with Purpose Every Week

Connection is the new evolution of Daily Strides Premium. It’s for riders who want a rhythm in their training that’s grounded, joyful, and focused.

Each quarter includes: ✅ Groundwork (Month 1) ✅ The Basics (Month 2) ✅ Training & Development (Month 3)

We meet weekly for live virtual group lessons, plus planning sessions and fresh audio guidance, so you always have a plan when you mount up.

🎧 If you want a coach in your ear and a clear direction for you and your horse... Join Connection https://stridesforsuccess.com/connection

🐴 Join the Daily Strides Podcast Online Community

We’re talking about this episode and all things retraining, confidence, and partnership inside our FREE Facebook group. Pop in, say hi, and share your own story of “borrowing confidence.”

👉 Join the DSPodcast Online Community at:- https://www.facebook.com/groups/dailystridespodcast

💌 I'd Love to Hear from You

What's one thing you're going to change after this episode? Did you spot a blind spot in your riding, or your mindset?

📩 Send me an email at [email protected] and tell me. I read every email, and you might even get a short personal video back from me!

⭐️ Like the Podcast? Share It!

If this episode helped you see your riding differently: 🔁 Share it with a horsey friend 🎧 Subscribe on your favourite app ⭐️ Leave a quick rating or review It’s the best way to help more riders just like you find the podcast! Thank you! 

 

Want to Improve Your Riding… Without Even Mounting Up?

Join the FREE 21-Day Equestrian Fitness Challenge – the 2024 edition is all about walking and yoga to help you build stamina, strength, and focus in and out of the saddle.

It’s perfect if you’re short on time, not riding consistently, or just want to finally feel fit to ride. You’ll get simple daily prompts that make a real difference, without needing a gym or special equipment.

👉 Join the Challenge for Free Here

Let’s build that riding rhythm, one step at a time 🚶‍♀️🧘‍♂️🐴

Ever feel like you’re working so hard in the saddle… but nothing’s changing?

In this episode of the Daily Strides Podcast for Equestrians, we’re exploring the key difference between training and retraining, and why understanding this shift can unlock your next breakthrough.

Whether you're working with an OTTB, returning to riding after a break, or helping your horse transition to a new job or discipline, this concept will help you see the real reason progress feels slow (or stuck).

We’ll cover:

• How to tell if you’re training or retraining (for both you and your horse)

• Why retraining is more emotionally charged and what that means in practice

• The 5 signs you're stuck in a retraining loop

• Why unlearning is just as important as learning in your riding journey

• Practical ways to move forward, including how to use video and coaching to shorten your progress path

This episode is your invitation to pause, reassess, and choose the right strategy, so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.

What You’ll Learn 🐴:

• What makes retraining harder than training (and why that’s okay!)

• How emotional habits in horses and riders impact progress

• Why that recurring issue might be a retraining challenge, not a new training need

• Real-life rider and horse examples you’ll probably recognize

• How to use the 5-question “Training or Retraining” test to figure out your next steps

Read the full post and get all the links at:- https://stridesforsuccess.com/episode1373-are-you-training-or-retraining/

🎯 Ready to Get Support? 🌟 Restart & Reschool Private Coaching

If you’ve realised you're stuck in a retraining loop, whether it's you, your horse, or both, it’s time to stop second-guessing and get real support.

Restart & Reschool is a 13-week private coaching experience designed to help you confidently retrain, reschool, and move forward with a plan that works in real life. You’ll get:

• Private virtual lessons

• Video feedback between sessions

• A clear weekly structure

• Unlimited support via private message directly from Lorna

👉 Learn more here and grab one of the limited spots.

🎥 Free Guide: How to Use Video in Your Riding

Video can completely change the way you train and retrain. But only if you know how to use it properly! Grab this free guide to start recording your rides, reviewing them like a coach, and spotting the patterns that are slowing you down.

Bonus: If you're using a Pivo, you’ll also get tips to set it up for solo training success! Download your free guide at https://stridesforsuccess.com/video

👯‍♀️ Join the Daily Strides Podcast Online Community

Want to keep the conversation going with like-minded riders from around the world? Come and join the Daily Strides Podcast Online Community on Facebook. You’ll find support, encouragement, and conversations that keep you moving forward, plus weekly inspiration to keep your riding on track.

👉 Join here – it's free

❤️ Love the Episode?  If this episode helped you think differently about your riding or your horse's training, I’d be so grateful if you could:

• Subscribe so you never miss a new episode

• Leave a rating or review to help more riders find it

• Share it with a friend who might be stuck in the same retraining loop and needs a little boost!

 

This week’s Sunday Strides starts with a conversation Lorna had with one of her sons, and how that moment perfectly mirrors a challenge so many riders face...

Avoiding the parts of the ride that don’t feel good.

In this episode, Lorna shares why recognizing what’s “wrong” in your riding isn’t a setback. It’s actually the start of something better.

Because the truth is, you can’t fix what you’re not willing to see.

Whether it’s a messy transition, an avoided exercise, or a mindset that’s quietly holding you back, progress begins with honest reflection.

🐴 In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

• Why riders often avoid the discomfort of noticing mistakes

• The real cost of only focusing on the “good” parts of your ride

• How emotional honesty in the saddle builds trust & progress

• Why getting something “wrong” is actually a sign you’re growing

• A small challenge to help you see clearly—and ride forward—this week

💥 Your Sunday Strides Challenge:

Record your next ride. Watch it back with curiosity, not criticism! Then ask someone you trust for honest feedback :)

👉 What do you see that you’ve been avoiding? 👉 What’s one thing you can do differently this week to grow from it?

🌿 Want to Go Deeper?

Join me inside Connection; my online coaching and support program for riders just like you. We combine structured riding plans, guided audio lessons, live calls, and mindset coaching so you can make consistent, meaningful progress.

 Let this be the season you finally move from uncertain and inconsistent to confident and clear in your riding 🌟

🎯 Join Connection Here https://stridesforsuccess.com/join

💬 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going...

What came up for you during this episode? Share your insights inside the Daily Strides Podcast for Equestrians Online Community on Facebook. It’s free to join and a great way to connect with other riders: 👉 Join the Group Here

💌 If This Episode Resonated...

Please subscribe, rate & review the podcast wherever you're listening. And if you know a rider who’s been struggling to make progress, I would love if you can please share this episode with them :) Sometimes, a fresh perspective is the first step forward.

The circle: probably the most ridden shape in every arena session... And yet, how often do we actually ride it with intention?

In this Strides Revisited episode, we’re breathing fresh energy into the humble circle and showing you how to use it as a powerful tool for improving your horse’s balance, rhythm, and responsiveness.

You’ll learn 3 simple yet transformative exercises that you can ride today, no special equipment required. And these exercises will allow you to make more of the circles in your daily riding.

“So many riders lose the opportunity to improve both themselves and their horse… Simply because they’re not intentionally riding the circle.”

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• ✅ Why most riders waste time on aimless circles

• ✅ How to ride consistent, purposeful strides around the circle

• ✅ The power of leg yielding on a circle to develop suppleness and straightness

• ✅ How to master accurate transitions without losing balance or rhythm

• ✅ Creative ways to mark out your circle (using poles, cones, even your jacket!)

Whether you're schooling at home, working solo, or just getting back into the rhythm of riding, these exercises will challenge you and your horse in all the right ways.

Read the full post and get all of the links at:- https://stridesforsuccess.com/episode1220-3-exercises-to-ride-on-a-circle/

🐴 Want a Plan for Your Rides?

If you're loving these bite-sized lessons, you'll love Connection (formerly Daily Strides Premium). It's my membership for riders who want a structured, supportive riding journey; on your own time, in your own arena, with your own horse.

Inside Connection, you'll get:

• Audio horse riding lessons via a private podcast feed

• Live group virtual riding lessons

• Live group review and planning sessions

• A clear plan to follow month-by-month

• A community of like-minded riders

👉 Doors are open: https://stridesforsuccess.com/join

💬 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

Join our free Facebook community: 🎉 Daily Strides Podcast for Equestrians – Online Community Ask questions, share your wins, and connect with other riders around the world. 👉 Join here

✨ Ready to Restart & Reschool?

Applications are now open for the Restart & Reschool Q3 Coaching Cohort, beginning 8th July 2025. If you're retraining an OTTB, starting from scratch, getting back into regular riding, or just feeling stuck with your horse... This private coaching program will guide you every step of the way.

✔️ Private virtual lessons ✔️ Video feedback and reviews ✔️ Support from Lorna every week

🔗 Learn more & apply: https://stridesforsuccess.com/rr

🎙 Subscribe & Share

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast with your riding friends.

📱 Follow the podcast on your favorite app 💬 Leave a review to help other riders find us 📤 Share this episode with 1 other rider who you think will find value :)

Ever feel like you're doing everything right in the saddle… But your horse is still resistant, crooked, or just not quite “with” you? What if the real issue isn’t your horse, but something you're not seeing in yourself?

In this episode of the Daily Strides Podcast for Equestrians, we’re taking a fresh look at how video can help uncover the real reason things might feel off during your ride.

I’m sharing why so many riders miss critical asymmetries and habits that are actually holding their horses back. And how video can become your most honest, effective riding coach.

🐴 In this episode you’ll hear:

• Why riding is truly a team sport between you and your horse

• How common rider asymmetries show up and how they affect your horse’s balance and way of going

• Why focusing on saddle fit for the rider is just as important as for the horse

• Real-life examples of how video helped riders uncover imbalances they didn’t know existed

• The mindset shift from blaming the horse to getting curious about your role in the ride

• Practical ways to begin using video today to transform your awareness

• Suggestions for bodywork professionals who can help get you back in balance

Read the full post and get all the links HERE

✨ Key Takeaway

Video removes the guesswork. And once you see what's going on, you have the power to change it.

This episode is for you if you've been feeling stuck, frustrated, or like your horse is working against you. It’s time to look beyond your training plan and start exploring how your body might be contributing to the challenges you're experiencing.

🎥 Want to Start Reviewing Your Rides with Intention?

I’ve created a free step-by-step guide to help you use video in a way that’s actually helpful, not overwhelming. You’ll learn how to film, what to look for, and how to use the footage to improve your riding going forward.

👉 Get the free guide at stridesforsuccess.com/video

🔁 Ready for Real Support? Join the Restart & Reschool Coaching Program

Restart & Reschool is a private 13-week coaching experience designed for riders who are ready to uncover and overcome the real roadblocks in their training.

Together, we’ll build a plan tailored to you and your horse, use video to identify what’s working (and what’s not), and support you every step of the way as you transform your riding from the inside out.

🚀 Q3 Cohort is enrolling now! Only 5 spaces available. 👉 Apply now at stridesforsuccess.com/rr

💬 Join the Conversation with Other Riders

Want to share your progress, ask questions, and connect with other riders who are also improving their riding? Join us inside the Daily Strides Podcast for Equestrians Online Community on Facebook.

✨ It’s totally free, and it’s where the podcast comes to life! 👉 Join the group here

🔗 Helpful Links from the Episode:

• Free Guide: How to Use Video in Your Riding

• Join Restart & Reschool Coaching

• Connection (formerly Daily Strides Premium) Membership

• Pivo Motion Tracking Software (10% off with code DailyStrides)

🎙️ Subscribe & Share

If you enjoyed this episode, please:

• Subscribe to the Daily Strides Podcast for Equestrians so you never miss an episode

• Share this episode with a riding friend who might benefit from using video to unlock progress

• Leave a review; it helps other riders discover the show

Let’s grow this global community of thoughtful, intentional riders together 🌟

In this Strides Revisited episode, we’re revisiting one of those foundational exercises that truly shapes your riding journey: Turn on the Forehand.

Whether you’re working on opening gates, introducing collection, or improving your horse’s responsiveness, this simple movement has endless value for every rider at every level.

🔑 Key Highlights:

✅ What turn on the forehand actually is, and why it’s more than just a box-ticking exercise ✅ How thinking forward - even when standing still - builds rhythm, flow, and lightness ✅ Why this movement is one of the easiest ways to introduce collection and suppleness ✅ How to avoid forcing the movement and instead create a true partnership with your horse ✅ The role turn on the forehand plays in helping riders understand inside vs. outside aids

🎧 Inside Daily Strides Premium

Want to take your riding to the next level? Inside Daily Strides Premium, we’re diving deeper into exercises like turn on the forehand, helping you transform your basics into brilliance, one ride at a time. 👉 Join us here and get a fresh 30-minute riding lesson every week, live group lessons, structured progress, and real support from riders just like you.

🌟 Join the Daily Strides Podcast Online Community

Come hang out with other like-minded riders in our free Facebook community! Share your wins, ask questions, and get support as you build confidence in the saddle. Especially when tackling exercises like turn on the forehand. 👉 Join the community here

📹 New Freebie: Ride & Review Audio & Checklist for Video

Ready to level up your training sessions?

Download our brand-new free guide today and get started :) 🎥 Learn how to video your rides, what to look for, and how to use the footage to improve... So you can finally ride smarter, not just more. 👉 Grab your freebie over at https://stridesforsuccess.com/video

💛 Subscribe, Rate & Review

Love the podcast? Let’s spread the joy of better riding together! ✅ Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode ✅ Rate & review the show to help other riders discover it ✅ Share this episode with a friend who’s working on the basics, too!