Equestrian Performance Mindset

By Jocelin LillienauSports Education Self-Improvement Leisure Hobbies

Equestrian Performance Mindset episodes

October 26Why You're Not Making Progress in Your Riding - #258
Have you ever looked at how much time, money, and energy you've invested in your riding and thought, "I should be further ahead by now?"
You've spent years learning, training, competing, and making sacrifices for your sport. So when the results don't match your expectations, it's easy to feel frustrated, question your ability, or wonder why other riders seem to be progressing faster than you. But what if the pressure to prove that your investment has been worthwhile is actually making things harder?
In this episode, I and Lorna explore why riders can become trapped in a cycle of self-criticism and the expectation that their results should justify everything they've put into their sport. We discuss how to look beyond competition results and recognize the other things riding has given you, from personal growth and meaningful friendships to purpose and a deeper connection with your horse.
We also explore why asking yourself questions like “Why am I not good enough?” or “Why am I still struggling with this?” rarely helps you move forward, and how changing those questions can help you identify what you actually need to learn, develop, or change.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Why investing so much in your riding can create an invisible expectation to achieve certain results.
How the pressure to prove yourself can affect your confidence and performance.
Why competition results aren't the only measure of what you're gaining from riding.
How to recognize the unhelpful questions that keep you stuck in self-criticism.
Why years of experience don't necessarily mean you're working on the skills you need most.
How a growth mindset can help you identify opportunities to improve.
When it might be time to reassess your training, horse, support system, or mindset.
Why understanding how your mind works can be an important part of becoming the rider you want to be.
Resources Mentioned:
Apply for Coaching: https://www.mindeq.eu/coaching
Weekly Hacks: https://www.mindeq.eu/weeklyhacks
Follow Jocelin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelinlillienau
24 min
October 18How to Achieve Your Riding Goals When You Feel Stuck - #257
Have you ever felt like your riding goals are out of reach because of where you live, the trainers available to you, your finances, or the responsibilities you have outside the arena?
It can be frustrating when you know what you want to achieve, but your circumstances seem to make progress harder. And when you look at other riders who have access to better facilities, more opportunities, or the right support network, it’s easy to feel like you’re already starting at a disadvantage.
In this episode, I and Lorna explore how your environment can influence what you believe is possible in your riding, and what you can do when changing your circumstances isn't an option. Because sometimes, the answer isn't to push harder, move somewhere else, or try to change everything around you. It might be to ask yourself a different question.
Together, we discuss how to recognize the difference between genuine limitations and the stories you tell yourself about what you can achieve. We also explore why focusing on what you lack can keep you feeling stuck, how identifying your existing strengths can open up new possibilities, and why accepting a difficult season doesn't mean giving up on your goals.
You'll also discover four practical questions to help you work out what's really preventing your next step and identify one realistic action you can take within your current circumstances.
In this episode, you'll discover:
How your environment, finances, responsibilities, and access to training can shape your riding opportunities.
Why constantly focusing on what you don't have can keep you stuck.
How to recognize when a genuine obstacle is becoming a limiting belief.
Why changing the question you ask yourself can reveal new possibilities.
How to identify your strengths and use the opportunities already available to you.
Why accepting your current circumstances can sometimes be more helpful than pushing yourself harder.
Four practical questions to help you find your next step towards your riding goals.
Resources Mentioned:
Weekly Hacks: https://www.mindeq.eu/weeklyhacks
Follow Jocelin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelinlillienau
19 min
October 04How to Deal With a Dip After Riding Success - #256
What happens when you've finally reached the goal you've been working towards?
You've had a string of great competitions. Your horse feels incredible. You're getting the results you've been hoping for. And then a thought creeps in: “What happens when this stops?”
In this episode I and Lorna explore what happens mentally when you've reached a peak in your riding, and why the fear of the next dip can sometimes stop you from fully enjoying where you are right now. Because performance isn't a straight line. There will be peaks, plateaus, mistakes, setbacks and days when things simply don't work. But does a bad result actually mean you've become a worse rider? Not necessarily.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why riders can become afraid of losing a successful streak
What happens when your identity becomes attached to your results
Why consistency doesn't mean getting the same result every time
The difference between PERFORMANCE and PROGRESS Why your performance curve naturally moves up and down
How mistakes and difficult rides can provide valuable information
Why pushing your comfort zone often creates temporary dips
How to avoid turning one bad ride into a story about your ability
Why you don't need to make a bad performance bigger than it actually is
The importance of accepting that sometimes you simply didn't ride your best
Why peaks and troughs are both necessary parts of growth
How fear of a future setback can stop you from enjoying a current success
Why you can hold both a great result and the possibility of a difficult day
How your full range of emotions can actually support performance and growth
Resources Mentioned:
Coaching & support: https://www.mindeq.eu/coaching
Weekly Hacks: https://www.mindeq.eu/weeklyhacks
Follow Jocelin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelinlillienau
Midas's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midas_forestier_sellier/
Midas's Email: [email protected]
21 min
September 27The Mistake that Everyone Saw - #255
Have you ever made a mistake while riding and then spent hours, days, or even months thinking about it?
Maybe other people saw it happen. Maybe you immediately started wondering what they thought. Or perhaps one mistake turned into a much bigger story in your head: “I can’t see a distance.” “I’m not good enough to ride at this level.” “Everyone thinks I’m terrible.” “Maybe I’m not ready for this.”
In this episode, we explore why a mistake can feel so much bigger than the few seconds it actually took to happen, and how the meaning we attach to that mistake can keep affecting our riding long after the moment has passed.
I and Lorna discuss:
Why we often care so much about other people seeing our mistakes
How our own judgement of a mistake can amplify our worries about other people's opinions
The difference between a mistake and the story you create around it
How a growth mindset can help you see mistakes as information rather than proof that you're not good enough
Why stepping up a level often brings old fears and patterns back to the surface
How your brain can turn one uncomfortable experience into a rule designed to keep you safe
Why you don't need to eliminate nerves, fear or self-doubt before you can ride effectively
How you can be nervous and still ride your canter
Why trying to stop thinking about something can actually make the thought stronger
How redirecting your attention can help you get back to what matters during a round
The difference between avoidance and acceptance
Why getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is part of personal growth
How to start unravelling the deeper beliefs and identity stories sitting underneath a mistake
Resources Mentioned:
Coaching & support: https://www.mindeq.eu/coaching
Weekly Hacks: https://www.mindeq.eu/weeklyhacks
Email: [email protected]
Follow Jocelin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelinlillienau
21 min
September 20 7 Signs You Need to Improve Your Mindset - #254
Do you keep taking more lessons, trying harder and working on your riding… but still find yourself struggling with the same problems? What if the problem isn't your riding?
In this episode, I and Lorna explore 7 signs that what you're experiencing in the saddle may be more of a mindset issue than a riding or skill issue. Because knowing how to ride something and being able to access that skill when it matters are two very different things. From worrying about what other people think to allowing one mistake to ruin an entire round, they break down some of the mental patterns that can quietly interfere with your performance.
We also explore why trying harder isn't always the answer, why you don't need to feel confident before pushing outside your comfort zone, and why your results shouldn't determine what you think about yourself as a rider.

Resources Mentioned:
Coaching & support: https://www.mindeq.eu/coaching
Follow Jocelin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelinlillienau
23 min
September 13Do You Really Belong at the Next Level? - #253
What happens when you finally reach the level you’ve been working towards… and instead of feeling proud, you start wondering whether you actually belong there?
In this episode of the Equestrian Performance Mindset Podcast, I and Lorna dive into the mindset challenges that can appear when you step up a level in your riding. After my recent four-star cross-country round, we reflect on everything that went into getting there, not just the result on paper, but the years of work, training, financial commitment, self-doubt, setbacks and sacrifices behind it.
We explore why riders so often compare their journey to someone else’s and create rules about what a “real” top-level rider should look like. Do you need to be a full-time professional? Have multiple horses? Follow the traditional route? Or is that simply a story you’ve created about what it means to belong?
In this episode, we talk about:
Why reaching a new level can bring up feelings of “Do I really belong here?”
The difference between your circumstances and your actual ability
Why comparing your riding journey to other riders can undermine your confidence
How to recognize the evidence that proves you are capable
Why qualifications matter more than the story you tell yourself about whether you are “entitled” to be there
Why stepping up a level can reveal gaps in your training, without meaning you don’t belong
How a growth mindset changes the way you view mistakes and failure
Why sometimes you have to “learn on the job”
The danger of waiting until you feel like the rider at the next level
How repeatedly performing at a new level helps your brain gather evidence that you belong
Why the way you interpret your results and experiences matters just as much as the results themselves
Making the most of the opportunities available to you rather than comparing your circumstances to someone else’s
Why you shouldn’t measure your progress with somebody else’s ruler

Resources Mentioned:
Coaching & support: https://www.mindeq.eu/coaching
Weekly Hacks: https://www.mindeq.eu/weeklyhacks
Follow Jocelin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelinlillienau
28 min
September 06When the Score Doesn't Match the Ride - #252
Have you ever walked out of a dressage test thinking, “That actually felt really good!”… only to see your score and wonder, “How on earth did I get that?” You’re not alone.
In this episode of the Equestrian Performance Mindset Podcast, I and Lorna dive into one of the most frustrating experiences in equestrian sport: when your performance feels like it deserved more than the score you received. Because sometimes, the frustration isn’t about comparing yourself to another rider. It’s about knowing how much work you’ve put in, feeling genuine improvement in your horse and your riding, and then seeing a number on a piece of paper that doesn’t seem to reflect that progress. And yes, it’s okay to be frustrated. You don’t have to pretend that the result doesn’t matter. You don’t have to convince yourself that you shouldn’t care. And you certainly don’t have to immediately “just focus on the positives.” Instead, the key is learning how to feel the frustration without allowing it to take over the rest of your competition.
In this episode, we talk about:
Why a disappointing score can feel so frustrating when you know you’ve improved
The difference between progression and results
Why judges only see a snapshot of your performance, not the journey behind it
How to use honest feedback from the people around you
Why your support team should be supportive and honest
How comparing your score to another rider can pull you into an unhelpful mindset
How to become curious about a disappointing mark rather than judging yourself
What to do when something feels better than it looks to the judge
Why progress can sometimes be felt before it can be visibly seen
How to acknowledge frustration without letting it ruin the rest of your competition
Practical ways to refocus before show jumping or cross country
How journaling, talking it through, or simply “parking” the result can help you move forward
Why you should still be proud of yourself, your horse and the partnership you’re building
Resources Mentioned:
Coaching & support: https://www.mindeq.eu/coaching
Weekly Hacks: https://www.mindeq.eu/weeklyhacks
Follow Jocelin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelinlillienau
26 min
August 30Getting Out of Your Own Way - #251
What if you haven't actually forgotten how to ride?
What if the skills are still there, but pressure, nerves and overthinking are getting in the way of accessing them?
In this episode of the Equestrian Performance Mindset Podcast, I and Lorna continue our conversation around pressure and what we observed at Aachen. We explore what happens when riders become activated under pressure and why the goal isn't necessarily to get yourself completely back to a calm, “green” state. Because sometimes pressure is simply part of challenging yourself. The real skill is learning how to function and perform while you're activated.
Lorna explains this through her colour system: green represents feeling safe, grounded and connected; yellow represents activation; orange is when your heart rate, breathing and muscle tone begin to change; and red is when you become overwhelmed. The goal isn't to panic because you're orange. It's to learn that you can still perform while you're there.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Why pressure doesn't disappear as you progress, it changes.
Why feeling nervous doesn't mean something has gone wrong.
The difference between being activated and being overwhelmed.
Why you don't necessarily need to return to a completely “green” state before performing.
How to train yourself to access your skills while you're nervous.
Why pressure can make skills you already have feel harder to access.
The importance of being able to think, see, feel and make choices under pressure.
How jumping distances, rhythm and eyesight can be affected when riders become overly focused.
Why riders can start interfering with abilities they already have.
My “river” analogy and how the things you think, fear or worry about can become “rocks” blocking the flow of your existing skills.
How to identify the “rocks” getting in the way of your own performance.
Why worrying about what people on the sidelines think can interfere with your riding.
How visualization can be used to practice making decisions while activated.
Resources Mentioned:
Coaching & support: https://www.mindeq.eu/coaching
Weekly Hacks: https://www.mindeq.eu/weeklyhacks
Follow Jocelin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelinlillienau
24 min
August 23The Mental Game of Riding Under Pressure - #250
What if becoming a better rider doesn't mean you'll feel less pressure?
In fact, what if the opposite is true? As you progress, the pressure can actually change. The expectations become bigger, the stakes become higher, and suddenly you're not just riding for yourself, you may be representing a team, a country, sponsors, supporters and years of hard work.
In this episode of the Equestrian Performance Mindset Podcast, I and Lorna share our observations from Aachen, exploring what happens mentally when riders compete in an environment filled with noise, expectations, spectators, media attention and enormous pressure. One of the biggest misconceptions they challenge is that elite riders somehow don't feel pressure. They do. The difference isn't necessarily that they don't feel it. It's how they learn to ride inside the pressure while staying connected to themselves, their horse and their process. From thousands of spectators and roaring crowds to the expectations that come with representing your country, this episode explores what riders can learn from some of the world's biggest stages.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Why even the world's most experienced riders still feel pressure.
Why becoming a better rider doesn't mean pressure disappears.
How expectations can increase after repeated success.
What it's like to compete when you're representing a team or country.
How media and public expectations can add another layer of pressure.
Why trying to completely ignore pressure isn't the answer.
How to reconnect with your horse and your process when the environment feels overwhelming.
Why having something specific to focus on can redirect your attention.
How Daniel Deusser used a tricky moment with his horse to bring his attention back into the present.
Why uncomfortable experiences can actually help both horse and rider develop.
What Michael Jung's reflections on the atmosphere at Aachen can teach us about performing under pressure.
How to train your brain to return to your process even when thousands of people are watching.
Resources Mentioned:
Coaching & support: https://www.mindeq.eu/coaching
Follow Jocelin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelinlillienau
20 min
August 17How to Balance Horses, Work and Life - #249
Do you ever feel like you're trying to be everything to everyone; and somehow, despite doing so much, you still feel like you're falling behind? You're not alone.
In this episode of the Equestrian Performance Mindset Podcast, I and Lorna dive into the pressure ambitious riders often put on themselves to keep every area of life moving forward at the same time. Your horses. Your career. Your fitness. Your family. Your relationships. Your finances. Your social life. Your goals. And somehow, you're expected to perform at your best in all of them. But here's the problem: your attention, energy and nervous system are finite resources. When you spread them across too many things, you don't necessarily become more productive, you become more fragmented.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Why trying to do everything at once can actually hurt your performance.
Why “balance” doesn't necessarily mean giving everything equal attention.
How to think about your life in different seasons.
Why putting a dream on the back burner doesn't mean giving up on it.
How your full-time job can actually be part of funding your riding dreams.
Why social media can give us a distorted view of what successful riders' lives actually look like.
How being busy can become part of your identity.
The connection between people-pleasing and constantly overloading your schedule.
Why ambitious people often keep adding more instead of taking things away.
How to recognize the patterns that keep you stuck in overwhelm.
The Top 3 exercise that can help you decide what deserves your attention right now.
Why choosing one priority means giving yourself permission for something else to wait.
How fragmented attention can affect your performance.
Why “focused attention creates excellence.”
How to become more present in whatever season you're currently in.
Resources Mentioned:
Weekly Hacks: https://www.mindeq.eu/weeklyhacks
Email: [email protected]
Follow Jocelin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelinlillienau
23 min

About Equestrian Performance Mindset

From the publisher's feed

The Equestrian Performance Mindset podcast is teaching equestrians how to get the most out of themselves by training their mind alongside their riding skills. It provides actionable tips on how to:…