In this episode of Riders Unscripted, Ashley opens up about her struggle with anxiety during dressage, particularly when trotting down the center line. She recalls past experiences of feeling judged and embarrassed, and her body's response of bracing and tightening. With Natalie’s help, Ashley explores these emotions, focusing on the physical sensations and learning to sit with the discomfort. Natalie guides her through breathing exercises to create a sense of safety, aiming to build emotional resilience. Despite previous attempts with sports psychologists, Ashley still faces repetitive patterns of anxiety. They discuss the importance of establishing safety to prevent these patterns and are looking forward to seeing the impact of this approach on her performance.

About Riders Unscripted

Riders Unscripted offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at real sports psychology sessions with real riders. Join host Natalie Hummel as she works with equestrians to tackle the mental hurdles that come with riding. From performance anxiety to confidence struggles, every episode sheds light on real challenges riders face and shares practical tools to help you achieve your goals and ride to your potential.

Meet the Coach, Natalie Hummel 

Natalie Hummel is a former upper-level rider turned mindset coach with a focus on the nervous system and the mental side of performance. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Louisville and is certified by Wellcoaches and Mastery Coach. Natalie is also a coach on the Ride iQ app, where she leads a 10-part sports psychology program exploring fear, anxiety, and self-doubt, while guiding listeners through actionable exercises like the ones featured on the podcast.

Brought to you by Ride iQ

Quality coaching shouldn't be limited by your schedule or budget. Ride iQ transforms your daily rides with on-demand guidance from top coaches, making expert instruction accessible on your terms. Ready to improve your rides? Start your 14-day free trial at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ride-iQ.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and experience the difference consistent coaching makes.

In this episode of Riders Unscripted, Natalie works through visualization exercises with one of her clients, who is preparing to travel for the competition season and give a speech on training horses up the levels. They discuss finding safety in her nervous system so that she can accomplish everything in a short amount of time without feeling frantic. Natalie guides her through an exercise to help overcome her fear of public speaking and approach her to-do list in a calm and present way.

About Riders Unscripted
Riders Unscripted offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at real sports psychology sessions with real riders. Join host Natalie Hummel as she works with equestrians to tackle the mental hurdles that come with riding. From performance anxiety to confidence struggles, every episode sheds light on real challenges riders face and shares practical tools to help you achieve your goals and ride to your potential.

Meet the Coach, Natalie Hummel 

Natalie Hummel is a former upper-level rider turned mindset coach with a focus on the nervous system and the mental side of performance. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Louisville and is certified by Wellcoaches and Mastery Coach. Natalie is also a coach on the Ride iQ app, where she leads a 10-part sports psychology program exploring fear, anxiety, and self-doubt, while guiding listeners through actionable exercises like the ones featured on the podcast.

Brought to you by Ride iQ
Quality coaching shouldn't be limited by your schedule or budget. Ride iQ transforms your daily rides with on-demand guidance from top coaches, making expert instruction accessible on your terms. Ready to improve your rides? Start your 14-day free trial at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ride-iQ.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and experience the difference consistent coaching makes.

In this episode of Riders Unscripted, Natalie works through visualization exercises with one of her clients, who has two young children and hopes to one day compete in a 5*. They discuss staying present in the day-to-day so that she can reach small goals that will bring her vision to life. Natalie guides her through an exercise to help turn towards the frustration she feels so she can have the capacity to work towards those goals.

Meet Your Coach, Natalie Hummel
Natalie Hummel, the host of Riders Unscripted, is a former upper-level rider turned mindset coach with a focus on the nervous system and the mental side of performance. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Louisville and is certified by Wellcoaches and Mastery Coach. Natalie is also a coach on the Ride iQ app, where she leads a 10-part sports psychology program exploring fear, anxiety, and self-doubt, while guiding listeners through actionable exercises like the ones featured on the podcast.

About Riders Unscripted:
Riders Unscripted lets you listen in on real sports psychology sessions between host Natalie Hummel and equestrians tackling the mental challenges of riding. Each episode dives into real-life struggles riders face—challenges you might recognize in yourself—and explores strategies to move past them.

Brought to you by Ride iQ Quality coaching shouldn't be limited by your schedule or budget. Ride iQ transforms your daily rides with on-demand guidance from top professionals, making expert instruction accessible whenever you're ready to train. We empower dedicated riders like you to make real progress every time you get in the saddle, building confidence with every ride. Start your 14-day free trial at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ride-iQ.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and discover the difference consistent coaching makes.

In this episode of Riders Unscripted, Natalie works on embracing the fear of failure with her client. They discuss what keeps her from achieving her goals and what her version of success would feel like. Natalie uses a visualization exercise to help her embrace her emotions and gain clarity.

Meet Your Coach, Natalie Hummel

Natalie Hummel, the host of Riders Unscripted, is a former upper-level rider turned mindset coach with a focus on the nervous system and the mental side of performance. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Louisville and is certified by Wellcoaches and Mastery Coach. Natalie is also a coach on the Ride iQ app, where she leads a 10-part sports psychology program exploring fear, anxiety, and self-doubt, while guiding listeners through actionable exercises like the ones featured on the podcast.

About Riders Unscripted:

Riders Unscripted lets you listen in on real sports psychology sessions between host Natalie Hummel and equestrians tackling the mental challenges of riding. Each episode dives into real-life struggles riders face—challenges you might recognize in yourself—and explores strategies to move past them.

Brought to you by Ride iQ Quality coaching shouldn't be limited by your schedule or budget. Ride iQ transforms your daily rides with on-demand guidance from top professionals, making expert instruction accessible whenever you're ready to train. We empower dedicated riders like you to make real progress every time you get in the saddle, building confidence with every ride. Start your 14-day free trial at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ride-iQ.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and discover the difference consistent coaching makes.

In this episode of Riders Unscripted, Natalie works through visualization exercises with one of her clients that is preparing for the American Eventing Championships in Kentucky. They discuss overcoming mental blocks in order to stay present and perform at her best. Natalie guides her through an exercise to help slow her mind down, listen to the horse’s feedback, and ride in the moment.

Meet Your Coach, Natalie Hummel

Natalie Hummel, the host of Riders Unscripted, is a former upper-level rider turned mindset coach with a focus on the nervous system and the mental side of performance. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Louisville and is certified by Wellcoaches and Mastery Coach. Natalie is also a coach on the Ride iQ app, where she leads a 10-part sports psychology program exploring fear, anxiety, and self-doubt, while guiding listeners through actionable exercises like the ones featured on the podcast.

About Riders Unscripted:

Riders Unscripted lets you listen in on real sports psychology sessions between host Natalie Hummel and equestrians tackling the mental challenges of riding. Each episode dives into real-life struggles riders face—challenges you might recognize in yourself—and explores strategies to move past them.

Brought to you by Ride iQ Quality coaching shouldn't be limited by your schedule or budget. Ride iQ transforms your daily rides with on-demand guidance from top professionals, making expert instruction accessible whenever you're ready to train. We empower dedicated riders like you to make real progress every time you get in the saddle, building confidence with every ride. Start your 14-day free trial at ⁠⁠Ride-iQ.com⁠⁠ and discover the difference consistent coaching makes.