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Struggling with anxious students in your adaptive or therapeutic horseback riding lessons? You’re not alone—and you can help them succeed.

In this video, we’ll go over 10 practical, proven strategies to build confidence and create a supportive learning environment for anxious riders. Whether you teach mounted lessons or groundwork, these tips will help you better connect with your students and set them up for success.

We’ll cover:

- How to read body language early

- Why normalizing anxiety helps

- Choosing the right words and mindset

- Demonstrating tasks clearly

- Calming techniques you can use immediately

- Why posture matters for confidence

- The role of honest, well-timed praise

- How to vary difficulty appropriately

- The surprising impact of horse build and tack choices

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Teaching Anxious Students

01:36 Proactive Reading of Student Body Language

03:24 Normalizing Anxiety in Lessons

05:14 Impact of Words and Mindset

08:48 Demonstrating Tasks to Ease Anxiety

11:45 Calming and Relaxation Techniques

14:33 Importance of Good Posture

17:14 Honest and Well-Timed Praise

19:32 Varying Lesson Difficulty

22:48 Impact of Horse Build on Student Confidence

27:28 Choosing the Right Tack and Equipment

31:32 Conclusion and Instructor Engagement

👉 If these tips helped you, please like, subscribe, and share your experience in the comments!