In the pursuit of better performance, most riders focus on doing more: more training, more analysis, more comparison, more pressure. But there’s a crucial element that often gets overlooked, and without it, progress feels harder than it needs to be.

That element is presence.

Learning how to be fully present, curious, and engaged doesn’t just improve your mindset. It directly impacts how you ride, how you compete, and how fulfilled you feel along the way.

Why Presence Matters in Riding and Performance

Presence is the ability to be fully engaged in the moment you’re in, without mentally replaying the last mistake or jumping ahead to what might happen next.

When riders are present:

• They ride with more feel and connection

• They make clearer decisions under pressure

• They notice subtle changes in their horse

• They experience less tension and overthinking

Ironically, the more ambitious and driven a rider is, the easier it becomes to lose presence. Goals, expectations, and comparisons pull attention away from the ride itself.

But performance doesn’t happen in the future.
It happens right now.

Distraction Is the Silent Performance Killer

Modern riders are constantly distracted; by phones, results, social media, and mental noise. Even at competitions or important training sessions, it’s easy to be physically present but mentally elsewhere.

This lack of attention comes at a cost:

• Missed learning opportunities

• Reduced enjoyment

• Shallow experiences that don’t build confidence

You can work incredibly hard and still feel unfulfilled if you’re never fully there for the moments you’ve worked so hard to create.

Curiosity: The Shortcut to Better Focus

One of the most effective ways to train presence isn’t force or discipline, it’s curiosity.

When you approach riding with curiosity, attention follows naturally.

Instead of asking:

• “What if I mess this up?”

• “What will people think?”

You ask:

• “What happens if I try this?”

• “What can I notice here that I’ve never noticed before?”

Curiosity turns pressure into exploration. It shifts the brain out of judgment and into learning, exactly where performance thrives.

Life, Riding, and the Comfort Zone Trap

Many riders stay stuck not because they lack ability, but because they wait:

• until they feel confident

• until they have more money

• until they feel “ready”

The mind is excellent at creating reasons to stay safe. But growth, in riding and in life, requires stepping beyond the comfort zone and collecting experiences rather than waiting for certainty.

Progress doesn’t come from avoiding mistakes.
It comes from showing up fully for the experiences you choose.

A Simple Daily Practice for Riders

To integrate this mindset into everyday riding, try this:

Ask yourself once a day:
What can I observe today as if I’ve never seen it before?

It could be:

• your horse’s reaction

• your balance

• the atmosphere at a competition

• your own thoughts under pressure

This single question trains presence, sharpens awareness, and reconnects you to why you ride in the first place.

Final Thought: How You Do One Thing Is How You Do Everything

The way you approach your riding reflects how you approach life, and vice versa. When you choose presence, curiosity, and bold experiences, performance becomes lighter, clearer, and more meaningful.

Riding isn’t just about results.
It’s about how deeply you engage with the journey that gets you there.

If you’re curious to explore this topic even further, you might enjoy going deeper into how presence and mindset directly affect performance and confidence.

Do you know we have an episode that dives deep into this topic? (Make The Most Out of Riding & Life)
 

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