26/ OCTOBER 2024 THE RIDER Confident Horsemanship: 5 Ways to Rein in Negative Thinking for Adult Horse Riders


with awareness and practical tools to shift your mindset. Here are five ways to rein in negative thinking and develop an empowering mindset.


1: Recognize the Patterns You can break free from negative


By Anne Gage, The Horse Riding Con- fidence Coach


Many adult horse riders wrestle


with self-doubt, overthinking or doubt- ing their ability to be a good partner for their horses. However, you can control and change negative thoughts. It starts


thinking by developing awareness of your habitual thought and language pat- terns. Keep a journal and write down the recurring thoughts you have about rid- ing. Most of those thoughts are rooted in fear rather than fact. Once you’ve iden- tified the negative patterns, ask yourself: “Is this true?” If it is true, ask what you can do to change it. What help or train- ing do you or your horse need? That turns limiting thoughts into solvable problems, which empowers you to ride confidently.


2: Movement For Body and Mind If you’re stuck in a loop of negative


thinking, get active. Stretch before rid- ing, gofor a walk, or do groundwork


with your horse. Movement shifts your focus. Spending time on the ground with your horse before you get in the saddle builds trust and helps reset your mindset. This connection carries over when you ride, helping you feel more grounded and less overwhelmed by negative thoughts.


3: Focus On Something Good Look at riding challenges as learn-


ing opportunities. Instead of dwelling on what went wrong during your ride, focus on what went well. Did you feel more in sync with your horse? Did you over- come a fear? Write it down. Keeping a journal can shift your focus from what’s not working to what is. As you make finding something good a regular prac- tice, you’ll notice a positive shift in your mindset both in and out of the saddle.


4: Find a Support System Sharing your thoughts with a trusted friend, fellow rider, or coach can


lighten the mental load. Sometimes, just talking brings a new perspective to chal- lenges. Keep your conversations solu- tion-focused, not venting sessions. Surround yourself with positive, encour- aging people who support your mindset growth. The more you connect with Like-minded people, the more you real- ize you’re not alone.


5: Choose Empowering Language How you talk to yourself effects


your mindset and performance. Instead of saying, “I’ll never get this,” or “I’m not good enough,” use empowering lan- guage like, “I’m making progress every day,” or “I can handle this.” This change in language causes a ripple effect that boosts confidence and helps you stay calm during challenges. And remember, your body language matters too/ Stand- ing with your shoulders over your hips, your chest lifted and open, and breathing deeply from your diaphragm signals calm confidence to your mind, your


body, and your horse. You have more control of your


thoughts than you realize. With aware- ness and practice, you can shift your mindset, deepen your connection with your horse and enjoy every ride.


Anne Gage https://confidenthorsemanship.com


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


Elizabeth Bates Wins $15,000 Cityscape Grand Prix at Ottawa National


Ottawa, Ontario – Elizabeth Bates won the $15,000 Cityscape Grand Prix on Saturday, September 14, at the Ottawa National tourna- ment. The event marks the final Gold level show jump- ing tournament of the 2024 season at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON. When Bates, a native


of Toronto, ON, who is now based in Brussels, Belgium, decided to return for a North American tour, competing at Wesley Clover Parks was high on her list. Bates had fond memories of winning the 2015 edition of the Brookstreet Grand Prix rid- ing Wildfire the year before she relocated to Europe. It was a sweet homecoming, as Bates once again found herself leading the victory gallop


following the


LongRun’s TB Star of October


advanced rider in low level eventing or


2018. He will make a great partner to an intermediate or


Belentime is a handsome 16.2 gelding, foaled in


If you're interested in meeting Belentime, please contact LongRun!!


jumping disciplines.


$15,000 Cityscape Grand Prix.


Held on the grass


field, the $15,000 Cityscape Grand Prix saw seven horse and rider combinations de- liver clear rounds over the track set by course designer Shane Wooley to qualify for the jump-off. Returning mid-way through the jump- off, Bates was again clear in a time of 42.37 seconds to move into the lead riding Heartbeat W. None who fol- lowed could catch her time, giving Bates the win. “I walked my plan, and I rode exactly what I had planned,” explained Bates. “I have always loved grass arenas, and the course de- signing has been very fair with very friendly courses to jump.” Local athlete Macken-


zey Nadeau of Stittsville, ON, was also double clear but a slower time of 44.59 seconds left her in the run- ner-up spot riding HHS Fairy Fort, her 11-year-old grey Irish Sport Horse mare. Stephanie Bourassa of Laval, QC, also left all the rails in place riding Guss de Kergane, an eight-year-old Selle Français gelding, to take third with a time of 45.83 seconds. American competitor


Virginia Bonnie of Up- perville, VA, filled the next three places in the final standings. The 20-year-old was double-clear for fourth riding Curtis SL and in- curred four faults in the jump-off with both Heldo- rado and Efodea to finish fifth and sixth respectively. For Bates, the hard


work she has put into build- ing a partnership with Heartbeat W has paid off. “He’s 12, but when I got him at 10 years old, he had almost no record,” ex- plained Bates of her Dutch Warmblood gelding (Balou- bet de Rouet x Heart- breaker). “He had changed hands a lot because he was a difficult horse, but people told me they saw something in him. I’ve had him for two and a half years now and we are still working on our jump-off. In the beginning, I had to work on trust and rideability. For the last six months, I’ve been trying to work more on the jump- off.”


Of Heartbeat W’s per-


sonality, Bates noted, “He is not a people person. When I got him, he was not at all re-


show jumping tournament worthwhile by winning the $15,000 Cityscape Grand Prix with Heartbeat W on Saturday, September 14, 2024,


laxed and he did not trust people. He has come around. He is super kind. If you go hacking, he’ll stop and look up at the sky, ap- preciate the view, and listen to the birds. He really wants to be chill, but he has so much fire in the ring. Those are always the type of horses I’ve ended up with.”


at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON. Photo by Sunkist Media The Ottawa National


marked Bates’s second time competing at Wesley Clover Parks this season as she had been in Ottawa three weeks prior for the CSI5* Major League Show Jumping Tournament. Riding as a member of Northern Lights, Bates and Heartbeat W won the $200,000 USD Major


League Show Jumping Team event alongside team- mates Sean Jobin aboard Coquelicot vh Heuvelland Z and Nicole Walker riding Atout des Trambles. “A big bonus is hav-


ing a really nice venue to Continued on Page 27


Elizabeth Bates of Brussels, Belgium, made her trip to the Ottawa National


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


Local competitor Mackenzey Nadeau of Stittsville, ON, was double clear to take second place riding HHS Fairy Fort in the $15,000 Cityscape Grand Prix. Photo by Sunkist Media


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