SHOW OFF YOUR CONFIDENCE

By focusing on these five areas, you can help emcee show nerves and show off you and your horse’s best

- ESME HIGGS

When it comes to competing, a lot of people experience competition nerves-myself included! Today I'm going to share some tips that help me feel more confident when riding.

1. TRAINING

Making sure that you feel completely ready to go into the show ring is a great way to feel more relaxed. Often with show jumping, I will enter a height that is a little bit smaller than I normally train at when I'm home. This is so it doesn't feel as daunting on the big day-you already know that you've got this and can do it. That's a great way to build confidence and build on success.

Also, have lots of lessons with your trainer beforehand, ask lots of questions, and get advice on which area is best to focus on. For example, I know at shows, I always forget to look up. I sometimes focus too much of my attention on my horse, Joey, rather than where I'm going!

It's human nature to do what we are good at, so you need to step back and look at yourself from the outside in order to see your weak areas and work on what needs the most attention.

2. PREPARATION

Always make sure you are organized and not late. This makes me feel a lot more settled at shows. The worst thing is having to rush, feeling stressed, and not having enough time in the warmup.

I like to arrive nice and early to give Joey a walk around the showgrounds so he gets used to his new surroundings. This is especially important if we're somewhere new to him. I find this really helps both of us settle, relax and get into the competition mindset.