26/ APRIL 2023 THE RIDER Confident Horsemanship: 5 Tips To Stop Shaming Yourself


like these are rooted in sense of shame - a painfully negative emotion based on an internal state of inadequacy, unwor- thiness, dishonor, regret, or disconnec- tion.


You are telling yourself that you are


worthless or useless which creates a sense of hopelessness. Everytime you don’t meet your expectations, you gather more “proof” that supports that limiting belief of not being good enough. And your shame grows. That is why shame is such a dam-


By Anne Gage If you tell yourself any of these or


similar statements, you are a self- shamer. I’m not good enough. I’m such a coward. I’m so uncoordinated. Discouraging thoughts and beliefs


CDIO3* Continued from Page 25


competition in sixth place with a score of 69.059%, while riding Angelika MW (Fidertanz 2 x Welt Hit II), an eight-year-old Oldenburg mare she co-owns with Elizabeth Ferber, Kathy Putnam and Julie Skinner. The duo repeated their placing the next day, taking sixth with a score of 68.588%. Creech-Terauds and Daniel


L (Damsey x Wolkenstein II), an 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Diane Creech and Louise Leatherdale, opened the Nations’ Cup in seventh place behind Dueck, with a score of 68.000% and finished the next day in the same position with a score of 67.735%. In other competition, Chia


of Winnipeg, MB, and Strasser of Sainte-Adèle, QC, competed in the CDIO 3* Grand Prix and CDIO3* Grand Prix Special. Chia, riding her own Fiderflame (Fidertanz 2 x Abanos), a 13- year-old Oldenburg gelding, fin-


aging emotion. It creates a circular thought pattern that keeps you in loop of negative anticipation (worry), making poor decisions, and more “evidence” of yourself as not good enough. Shame often comes up for riders re-


turning to the sport after a long time off. Older riders are especially prone to it be- cause they see themselves as not being as good as they were when they were younger. They feel that they don’t learn things as fast as they used to. They may also be tortured with memories of bad


ished in ninth in both competi- tions, with a score 66.130% on Thursday and 66.681% on Fri- day.


While Strasser and her own


Déjà vu Tyme (Dauphin x Wer- bellin), a 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding, finished in 11th place with score of 63.826% on the first day and 59.659% on the sec- ond day. Both teams were supported


by Chef d’équipe and Grand prix rider Denielle Gallagher-Legrif- fon. All involved were extremely complimentary of the positive impact she had behind the scenes and for the enthusiasm and or- ganization she brought to the team competition. When asked for her


thoughts after the event, she ex- pressed her pride of the team. “Our Canadian riders had very solid tests, took risks, and were going for it!” she said. “They were so professional and fo- cused; I was so proud to watch each of them in the ring. We have some truly amazing talent in Canada,” Gallagher-Legriffon added.


LongRun’s TB Star of April


downtime at the farm. She will make someone a lovely all-around pleasure mount or low level hunter, but is good looking and sweet enough to


Keystone Law is a pretty 6 year old mare looking for her forever home. She is currently enjoying some


also produce some sport horse babies should you choose that route.


If you’re interested in meeting Keystone Law


please contact LongRun! Shannon Dueck. Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley


experiences or negative words from coaches, family, or other riders. Shame may have been used as a “coaching” technique as a way to motivate students. But, shame is really a demoralising, con- fidence and self-esteem killer These 5 tips will help you stop self-


shaming: 1. Re-imagine that inner critic. Give him/her a cartoon voice. Turn the vol- ume down low. Speed the voice up. See him/her as a funny looking character and shrink him/her down so he/she fits in the palm of your hand. If he/she sits on your shoulder, simply flick him up and tell him to go away as you have important things to get on with.


2. Re-define yourself. I recently did this exercise with a client with great success. Write down the answer to the question “what type of rider am i?” Think of all the positive terms. For example, I’m an experienced rider. I’m a compassionate rider. I’m always learning. I’m a focused rider. Keep writing and adding to the


list. Your words matter because mind is always listening to (and believing) what you tell yourself. So give it positive statements.


3. Name your strengths. Because our brains have a natural negativity bias, it’s easy to remember and focus on what we’ve done “wrong” or “not well enough”. Take time after every ride to write down what went well and what you are good at. Keep this list (and the list from tip #2) in a journal so you can read these lists whenever you need a re- minder of just how well you are really doing.


4. Change your posture. There really is a mind-body connection. Emotions af- fect your posture. But you can also change how your emotional state by changing your posture. Research has shown that taking a power posture for at least two minutes actually reduces stress hormones, increases confidence and changes your thinking.


5. Gently expand your comfort zone. We only grow when we step outside our comfort zone. It feels a bit uncomfort- able - or exciting depending on the per- spective you choose. Do one small thing that feels a bit challenging but that does- n’t feel overwhelming. Just like we do with horses, reward your try. Congratu- late yourself for taking the step and take pride in your effort. Pride counteracts shame.


Author Bio: Anne Gage, The Horse Riding Confidence Coach, shares advice and tips for horse riding women of a certain age. From managing riding nerves and anxiety, understanding your horse's behaviour, building a deeper partnership with your horse, and more. Whether you're a lifelong horse rider, just coming back to riding after time off, or just starting out, learn more at www.rideconfident.com


Evi Strasser. Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley When asked what’s next for


our Canadian Dressage team, she said, “many will continue work- ing and riding towards their goals, for some Pan Am Games is their goal. I’m sure all will be gearing up with that and Paris 2024 in their sights. I’m so ex-


Ariana Chia. Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley


cited to follow all of their jour- neys!” For more information on


the CDIO3* Nations’ Cup com- petition, held during week seven of the AGDF, visit gdf.coth.com.


Vanessa Creech Terauds. Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley


Call (416) 675-3993 ext 3440 •www.longrunretirement.com • info@longrunretirement.com


Ava MacCoubrey. Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley


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