You can build riding confidence before you ever get on your horse.

But eventually...

you've gotta get on if you want to ride.

In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about how to start rebuilding your riding confidence BEFORE you get in the saddle—and why eventually riding becomes an important part of creating new confident experiences with your horse.

If you're scared to ride your horse or dealing with horseback riding anxiety, confidence can start on the ground. You can make a plan, practice in your mind, spend time getting comfortable with your horse, and prepare your brain and body for what comes next.

Then it's time to play the game.

Think about a video game. You play. You lose. You start over. But this time, you know a little more. You get a little farther.

Riding confidence can work exactly the same way.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Build confidence BEFORE you ride.

• Get on and play the game — mine started with 4 steps.

• Repeat those first steps until they're BORING...then add a little more.

You don't have to start by riding the whole ride.

But eventually, you have to ride.

If you're ready to figure out what YOUR first steps could look like, a Calm-Ride Strategy Session gives us a chance to create a plan that meets you where you are today and helps you move toward enjoying riding again.

 https://elisehittinger.com/scheduler/calm-ride-strategy

And if you'd like to keep going, explore the Turn Riding Fear Around playlist on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@elisehittingerCH )—and keep training courage into your riding. ????????

Your horse has NO IDEA you were supposed to ride today.

But YOU do.

If you feel guilty when you don't ride your horse, you're probably carrying around a whole list of expectations.

I should ride more.

My horse needs to be worked.

I'm wasting another beautiful day.

In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about the guilt and pressure riders can put on themselves when they don't ride—especially when riding anxiety, fear, or a loss of confidence is already making the decision to get in the saddle feel harder.

Getting on because you feel guilty isn't the same as choosing to ride.

What if instead of asking, “Should I ride today?” you started asking, “What do my horse and I get to do today?”

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Name your guilt. Once it has a name, have it just sit down and watch.

• Decide what you and your horse actually get to do TODAY.

• Let riding be a choice, not something you owe your horse.

Your relationship with your horse is bigger than whether or not you rode today.

Your horse wants you to show up for the relationship you actually have.

If guilt, fear, or riding anxiety has been making the decision to ride feel heavier than it needs to, a Calm-Ride Strategy Session gives us a chance to look at what's happening and create a plan that works for you and your horse.

 https://elisehittinger.com/scheduler/calm-ride-strategy

If you’d like to keep going, explore the Turn Riding Fear Around playlist on https://www.youtube.com/@elisehittingerCH and keep training courage into your riding.

The pressure to push through riding fear might be exactly what's keeping you stuck.

Just get on.

Push through it.

Don't let fear win.

Riders hear this advice all the time. But what happens when you never actually deal with WHY you're afraid to ride?

In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're looking at the difference between pushing through riding fear and actually working through it. Sometimes pushing through works. Sometimes it adds more pressure without addressing what your fear is trying to tell you.

If you're scared to ride your horse, struggling with horseback riding anxiety that has just crept in, or trying to rebuild your riding confidence after a fall or scary experience, you don't have to prove anything by forcing yourself into the saddle.

Your fear has information. Understanding it can help you decide what your next doable step actually is.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Acknowledge the fear - feel gratitude for it.

• What's the root fear telling you?

• Knowing that, what's your next doable step?

• THEN decide — ride or don't ride each day.

The goal isn't to get REALLY good at pushing through fear.

It's to listen to what it's telling you and take one step forward.

If you're ready to understand what's behind your riding fear and figure out your next doable step, a Calm-Ride Strategy Call gives us a chance to do exactly that.

 https://elisehittinger.com/scheduler/calm-ride-strategy

And if you'd like to keep going, explore the Turn Riding Fear Around playlist on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@elisehittingerCH )—and keep training courage into your riding. ????????

What if riding could be FUN again?

Not something you SHOULD do.

Something you WANT to do.

In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about what can happen when riding fear, riding anxiety, or a loss of confidence takes the fun out of horseback riding—and how to start finding your way back to enjoying time in the saddle.

Remember when riding was FUN? You weren't analyzing every ride or wondering whether you felt confident enough. You just wanted to get on your horse and GO.

Maybe getting your riding confidence back isn't really the goal.

Maybe you want to enjoy riding again. To look forward to getting on your horse. To have FUN.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What would FUN riding look like for you?

• What would you love to FEEL when you think about riding?

• What's one thing you could change that would make riding more fun right now?

Riding doesn't have to look like it used to.

If riding fear or anxiety has taken some of the fun away, a Calm-Ride Strategy Call gives us a chance to look at what's getting in the way and find your next step toward enjoying your horse again. Let's find what FUN looks like for you now.

 https://elisehittinger.com/scheduler/calm-ride-strategy

If you’d like to keep going, explore the Turn Riding Fear Around playlist on https://www.youtube.com/@elisehittingerCH and keep training courage into your riding.

What if “I don't want to ride anymore” isn't actually the whole story?

What if what you really mean is...

“I don't want to feel like THIS when I ride anymore.”

In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about what happens when riding fear, riding anxiety, or a loss of confidence leaves you wondering whether you even want to ride your horse anymore.

You love your horse. You WANT to want to ride. But when riding has become filled with fear, tension, What Ifs, or anxiety, it's easy to start wondering whether maybe you're just done.

There's a BIG difference between:

“I don't want to ride anymore.”

and...

“I don't want to feel like THIS when I ride anymore.”

Before you decide you're finished with horseback riding, give yourself a chance to figure out which one is really true for you—and what you would love riding to feel like instead.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Ask, “If fear wasn't part of riding, would I still want to ride?”

• Take some time to DREAM about what you would love riding to look like.

• What's the biggest thing getting in the way of enjoying that dream? And what is one step to overcome.

Maybe you're not done riding.

If fear or anxiety is getting between you and the riding you want, a Calm-Ride Strategy Call gives us a chance to figure out what's getting in the way and find your next step toward enjoying riding again.

 https://elisehittinger.com/scheduler/calm-ride-strategy

And if you'd like to keep going, explore the Turn Riding Fear Around playlist on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@elisehittingerCH )—and keep training courage into your riding. ????????

What if you don't actually miss being fearless?

What if you miss being EXCITED to ride?

Remember when you couldn't WAIT to get to the barn? You weren't wondering whether you'd feel confident enough that day. You weren't analyzing every possible What If.

You just wanted to RIDE.

In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're looking at something that can get lost when you're dealing with riding fear, riding anxiety, or a loss of confidence on your horse: the FUN.

Sometimes we become so focused on getting our riding confidence back that we forget what we're actually wanting. The excitement. The anticipation. That feeling of, “OH GOOD! I GET TO RIDE TODAY!”

If you've lost your motivation to ride, aren't excited about going to the barn anymore, or find yourself wondering why horseback riding doesn't feel as fun as it used to, this episode gives you a different place to start.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Ask, “What did I LOVE about riding then?”

• What do I miss now?

• What would make riding feel FUN again?

Maybe fearless isn't what you're looking for.

Maybe you want to be excited to ride again.

You don't have to ride exactly like you used to...

to love riding like you used to.

If you're ready to find out what would make riding feel fun again for the horsewoman you are TODAY, let's talk. A Calm-Ride Strategy Call gives us a chance to look at what's getting in the way and create your next step toward enjoying your horse again.

 https://elisehittinger.com/scheduler/calm-ride-strategy

If you’d like to keep going, explore the Turn Riding Fear Around playlist on https://www.youtube.com/@elisehittingerCH and keep training courage into your riding.

You used to be the rider who just got on and RODE.

No committee meeting.

No 47 possible What If scenarios.

Just LET'S GO!!!

So what happened?

In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about why experienced riders can suddenly become scared to ride—even when they used to feel completely fearless on a horse.

There's a whole lot of life wisdom between Fearless Kid You and the rider you are today. More experience. More knowledge. Maybe a fall or two. A different horse. And possibly a body that doesn't bounce quite like it used to.

You don't need to erase everything you've learned to rebuild your riding confidence. You get to bring that wisdom with you and discover what the horsewoman you are TODAY needs to enjoy riding again.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Stop asking, “How do I become fearless again?” Start Asking, “What do I need to enjoy riding NOW?”

• Keep the wisdom but set the fear down

• Invite Fearless Kid You back into the ride with your wisdom.

You don't have to become the fearless rider you used to be.

Fearless Kid You doesn't need the reins.

Maybe she just needs to ride double with you.

If riding fear or anxiety has changed the way you feel about getting on your horse, I'd love to help. A Calm-Ride Strategy Call gives us a chance to look at what's changed, what you need now, and create your next step toward enjoying riding again.

 https://elisehittinger.com/scheduler/calm-ride-strategy

And if you'd like to keep going, explore the Turn Riding Fear Around playlist on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@elisehittingerCH )—and keep training courage into your riding. ????????

You know what's exhausting?

Holding yourself together.

In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about why riding anxiety can leave you feeling physically exhausted in the saddle. Tension, holding your breath, tightening your muscles, bracing, and trying to control everything all use energy—sometimes more than we realize.

If you tire quickly while horseback riding, feel exhausted after riding, or notice that anxiety makes your body tense and tight in the saddle, this episode will help you understand where some of that energy may be going. As your body discovers what safe feels like, it can spend less energy bracing and leave more energy for actually enjoying your horse.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Notice where you're spending your energy.

• Help your body discover an easier way to ride.

• Save your energy for enjoying your horse, not holding yourself together.

Tension takes energy.

What could riding feel like if you didn't have to spend so much energy holding yourself together?

If riding anxiety, tension, or physical exhaustion is making riding harder than you'd like, I'd love to help. A Calm-Ride Strategy Call gives us a chance to look at what's happening for you and create a plan to help you feel calmer, more confident, and more comfortable in the saddle.

 https://elisehittinger.com/scheduler/calm-ride-strategy

If you’d like to keep going, explore the Turn Riding Fear Around playlist on https://www.youtube.com/@elisehittingerCH and keep training courage into your riding.

What if the goal isn't to stop the What Ifs?

In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're looking at those "What if?" thoughts a little differently.

Your brain is asking them for a reason. It wants to keep you safe. Instead of leaving the question unanswered, you can give your brain something much more useful—a plan.

If riding anxiety has your brain jumping from one What if? to the next, this episode will help you turn those questions into something you can actually use. Because "What if?" doesn't have to be the end of the conversation.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Listen to your What if? - What is it trying to tell you?

• Answer it with What's the plan? - Know what you will do.

• Let your plan become your confidence.

Your What Ifs have information.

Listen. Answer. Make a plan.

When you're ready to turn your riding What Ifs into a plan that's right for you, I'd love to help. A Calm-Ride Strategy Call gives us a chance to look at what's happening in your riding and create your next step toward enjoying it again.

 https://elisehittinger.com/scheduler/calm-ride-strategy

And if you'd like to keep going, explore the Turn Riding Fear Around playlist on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@elisehittingerCH )—and keep training courage into your riding. ????????

Every good horseman knows you don't judge a horse until you've warmed them up.

Maybe our own bodies deserve the same courtesy.

In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about stiffness and what happens when we give our bodies a chance to warm up before deciding what's really going on. Just like with our horses, movement gives us information.

Once your body becomes as fluid as it can be today, you can start listening. Is it tension? Inflammation? Pain? Or simply a body that needed a little time to get moving?

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Warm up before deciding what's wrong.

• Listen to what your body is telling you.

• Help your body become as fluid as it can be today.

Stiffness is a starting point.

Warm up. Move. Then listen to what your body has to say.

If your body has been making riding harder than you'd like, I'd love to help. A Calm-Ride Strategy Call gives us a chance to look at where you are today and create a plan to help you feel better, build confidence, and enjoy riding again.

 https://elisehittinger.com/scheduler/calm-ride-strategy

If you’d like to keep going, explore the Turn Riding Fear Around playlist on https://www.youtube.com/@elisehittingerCH and keep training courage into your riding.