It is safe to say that the Equestrian sport is a challenging one, not only physically but also mentally. Making one error can result in a bad fall and injuries and might mean, you are out for the season. This obviously adds extra pressure to not make any mistakes. In addition, it is the only Olympic sport that involves working together with a living animal and that too adds an extra difficulty to the mix. Working together with a highly sensitive animal means that your mind not only impacts your body, but your horse will be influenced by it too.

What do most successful athletes have in common? They have big dreams, they reach for the stars and want to be the best in whatever they pursue. They set high goals and will do anything to reach them. Although this hunger and drive is important if not crucial to succeed, it can also become a heavy burden.

Guest blog by Stephanie Brugman.

It can be challenging to eat healthily at horse shows. Back in the day when I was riding full time and going to shows I would always bring my own food and tried to cook as much as possible in my truck. Of course there were also times I chose to eat fast food after a long day. A little older and wiser now, I have realised that what you eat is very important in order to feel fit and have enough energy to compete. We all know we need the energy to make it until the last day and to be feeling at your best. I have put together 5 tips to help you stay healthy and energised at the shows.

Suddenly my Instagram feed is full of scented, “sleep enhancing” candles, and sleeping mask pics. Sleep is the new black, it has become a hot topic, and rightly so. We are finally becoming aware of the importance of deep, re-energizing sleep, partly due to the best seller “Why we sleep” by Matthew Walker. I’m personally super interested in sleep because, in all honesty, over the past two years, even though I got my eight hours a night, I didn’t get the great quality of sleep I needed to wake up energized every day. Therefore, I decided to dive deeper into the topic and I want to share with you why you also want to get good quality shut-eye every night, and how to get there in 21 days!

As parents, trainers or coaches, we obviously only want the best for our child or student. However, sometimes, our best efforts can backfire. Giving certain praise or feedback, or using certain language, despite being done with the best intentions, can trigger unhelpful behavior and impact your child or student in a negative way. Let’s become aware of how we can best support, guide and encourage our children and students to stay motivated and confident in themselves.

You might not realize it but habits dictate almost everything we do, including our self-talk, how we deal with set backs, and our ability to focus in the ring. Certain behaviors, performed over and over again, become habits and routines that influence our thoughts, actions and riding. Or in Aristotle’s words, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” Here are ten habits you want to stop using.