for competitive riders at all levels
performance coaching
Calm under pressure. Consistent when it counts. Train your mind to perform at the level you know you’re capable, with equestrian performance coaching.
Calm, consistent results for competition riders.
You’ve invested countless hours in the saddle. Studied technique and mastered the skills for your discipline. Perhaps you’ve travelled across the country for clinics with top trainers, battled through horizontal rain to train in the middle of winter, or spent a small fortune on the best equipment; all that just might make the difference.
Yet something still holds you back from reaching your potential. Technically, you’re very capable, but when the pressure to perform mounts, something changes. Tension creeps in. Your focus narrows. Small mistakes feel bigger than they are, and your results don’t always reflect your true ability.
Performance isn’t just physical. It’s psychological too.
At advanced and affiliated levels, the difference between being placed and missing out is often mental precision, staying calm, making clear decisions and riding deliberately under the pressure of competition.
Equestrian performance coaching is about creating calm, repeatable performance when it matters most.
unlock your new mindset for riding success
equestrian performance coaching
When your mind works with you instead of against you, everything changes.
hypnotherapy for sleep
equestrian performance coaching
When skill alone isn’t enough.
Equestrian performance coaching doesn’t replace your trainer and lessons, it complements your work in the saddle to help you become the rider you want to be without being held back by fears, doubt, anxiety and tension, helping you ride better and get results you deserve.
You may recognise:
Riding well at home but underperforming in competition.
- Worry, anxiety and feeling stressed about upcoming events.
Tension that affects your performance.
Overthinking lines, distances or test movements.
Losing rhythm after a mistake.
Feeling the weight of expectation, either from yourself or others.
The “what if…” thoughts that make you doubt yourself and your ability.
- Avoiding moving up a level even though you’re well-prepared.
This isn’t a lack of ability. It’s a nervous system response.
Under pressure, the brain prioritises survival over precision. Focus narrows. Muscles tighten. Timing shifts. Your horse feels every change.
Performance coaching trains you to stay composed, deliberate and effective when it counts.
the science behind stress
When pressure mounts, and stress kicks in.
Whether you’re at a small local show or a national qualifier, your brain perceives the situation as ‘high stakes’ and activates the body’s survival system – the stress response. In that moment, you may find yourself in:
- Fight mode – over riding and forcing what normally feels relaxed.
- Flight mode- avoiding or holding back on your performance.
- Freeze mode – your mind goes blank, and you feel stuck.
In the saddle, this can often show up as:
- A jittery, wired feeling as adrenaline and cortisol flood your system.
- Your heart rate rises, your stomach churns, and muscles tense.
- Your attention focuses on what feels threatening, such as being judged, making a mistake, or what’s happening around you.
- Overthinking or your mind going blank.
Your breathing becomes shallow, or you ‘forget to breathe’.
Decision-making becomes impaired, derailing your planned approach.
Ultimately, your riding changes, giving signals your horse can pick up on. Making it much harder for you to stay soft, accurate, and connected so you can perform at your best. This automatic response creates a vicious cycle of anxiety and tension, which means your performance suffers, creating even more anxiety about future events.
Breaking this cycle requires the right support and psychological tools to help you overcome this response, which are easy to learn and implement whenever you need them.
equestrian performance coaching
Develop your competitive advantage.
This isn’t about “positive thinking.” Equestrian performance coaching is about training your mental skills in the same way you do your riding skills.
Together we work on:
Regulating physiological stress responses
Strengthening attentional control and focus
Building competition day routines
Improving recovery after mistakes
Managing expectation and self-talk
Enhancing clarity of decision-making under pressure
Mental rehearsal and performance visualisation
The goal is for you to compete with the same clarity and consistency you show in training.
A psychology-led, evidence-based approach for competition riders.
My approach is evidence-based, which means it is backed by research and science has proven to be effective, safe and beneficial. Integrating coaching with powerful psychological techniques, tailored to your specific needs, which may include:
Acceptance and Commitment Coaching: Helping you learn to accept natural performance nerves while staying committed to your personal values and goals.
Cognitive Behavioural Coaching: Changing the thought patterns that fuel performance fears and anxiety, replacing catastrophic thinking with realistic, helpful perspectives.
Mindfulness: Developing present-moment awareness that enhances feel, timing, and confidence.
Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy: Using focused attention and relaxation to help establish new patterns and responses. There’s no “trance” or mysterious subconscious work involved. It is structured psychological training designed to optimise your performance.
Calm + Confident
performance equestrian coaching packages
Equestrian performance coaching is delivered through the following programmes to enable you to make meaningful progress.
6-week coaching programme
Performance Foundations
Ideal for riders who:
- Ride well at home but aren’t seeing. the results they would like in competition.
Experience nerves or tension under pressure.
Want structured tools to improve focus and regulate stress.
Includes:
- 90-minute initial performance assessment
5 x 60-minute coaching sessions
Personalised performance plan
Competition day focus routine
- Mental rehearsal skills
- Personalised audios
Between-session exercises and support resources
Designed to create measurable shifts in confidence, focus and consistency.
package cost: £540
payment plans available
8-week coaching programme
Performance Advantage
Ideal for riders who:
Compete at affiliated or advanced levels.
Are stepping up a level and want to stabilise performance.
Want greater consistency under pressure.
Want to refine their focus, emotional regulation and decision-making.
Are committed to psychological training and improving performance.
Includes:
- 90-minute initial performance assessment.
7 x 60-minute coaching sessions.
Personalised performance plan and goal setting.
Competition day focus routine.
Focus and attention training.
Setback recovery tools.
Performance visualisation techniques and personalised audio exercises.
Your Mind Works app-based support and messaging between sessions.
- Addressing specific blocks to your progress or supporting more complex issues to create meaningful change.
package cost: £720
payment plans available
performance booster
Intensive Reset
Focused performance support when you need to get back on track, fast.
Ideal for riders who:
- Have an important competition approaching
Are stepping into a bigger class or new level
Need to recover after a setback
Feel their confidence or focus has dipped
Want targeted support without committing to a full programme.
Includes:
Performance review and goal setting.
4 sessions over 2–3 weeks.
Immediate stress regulation tools.
Competition day reset strategy.
Setback recovery plan.
- Targeted visualisation and mental rehearsal.
- Between-session support and exercises.
package cost: £360
payment plans available
your mind works app
TRAIN between sessions
You will have access to structured exercises and resources between sessions via the Your Mind Works app, including:
- Personalised Client Space - Your private area with resources and exercises curated specifically tailored for your goals.
- Custom Audio Library - Your personalised visualisation, self-hypnosis and mindfulness audios easily accessed from your device.
- Progress Tracking - Visualise your journey and achievements.
- Scheduling + Notifications - Gentle reminders for scheduled activities and exercises. Set your own reminders or follow guided practices.
- Guided Journal - Benefit from journaling prompts designed to deepen insights and track progress.
- Mindfulness & Relaxation Collection - Extensive library of guided mindfulness exercises, meditations and breathing techniques.
- Seamless Communication - Share journal entries, exercises or practice results with me before sessions to make our time even more effective.
Track your progress
Your Personalised Client Space
Schedule mindfulness practices and exercises in your calendar
Join me for live group sessions
Library of resources including mind tools, practices and audios.
Our web-based app means you can easily access on any device.
Your Mind Works is available for Apple and Android, or can be easily accessed on your desktop browser and even on your TV.
How we work together
online and in-person, North Warwickshire and Leicestershire.
01
book a free consultation
Book your free 30-minute consultation via Zoom to ensure we are a good fit to work together and discuss how I can best support you.
02
in-depth assessment
Our first session is an in-depth assessment, where we will explore your current challenges and goals. This is an extended 90-minute session.
03
your coaching plan
Following your assessment, we will agree on a personalised coaching plan for you. We work together to make sure you’re happy with the proposed approach and your role in coaching.
04
convenient sessions
Sessions can be held via Zoom video call from the comfort of your home, or in person, located between Tamworth and Ashby-de-la Zouch, Leicestershire.
Ready to compete at your best?
YOUR NEXT STEPS
If you’re committed to developing your competitive edge and want your results to reflect your ability, book a free 30-minute performance consultation.
We’ll discuss your current competition level and the specific challenges you’re facing. Your long and short-term goals and whether performance coaching is the right fit for you. There’s no pressure. Just clarity.
frequently asked questions
Rider confidence coaching focuses on overcoming fear and rebuilding trust. Equestrian performance coaching is for riders who are capable and confident but want to optimise results under pressure.
Yes, one of the best tools in our coaching is Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH) or HypnoCBT®, which is a transformative approach. Using a natural, learnable psychological state to help you access your brain’s capacity for positive change more effectively.
Hypnosis and learning self-hypnosis are powerful techniques for mental rehearsal and visualisation. We use your brain’s natural psychological ability to establish confident performance patterns and eliminate fear responses. CBH allows you to mentally rehearse successful rides in a deeply relaxed state, creating new neural pathways for confidence. You can also learn active techniques that can be implemented when training or on competition days. My approach is evidence-based and backed by research as an effective psychological tool for change.
The initial assessment session is comprehensive but conversational. We’ll discuss what brings you to coaching, relevant background information, and your goals. I’ll ask questions to understand your unique situation, and you’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions too. By the end, we’ll have a clearer direction for our work together and initial recommendations.
Performance coaching is delivered in structured programmes rather than open-ended sessions.
Most riders begin with either a 6- or 8-week programme, depending on their goals and current challenges. These timeframes allow for meaningful progress and practical application between sessions.
For short-term preparation before a specific event or after a recent setback, the Intensive Reset may be more appropriate.
We’ll discuss which option best suits your situation during your initial consultation, and progress is always continually reviewed throughout your programme.
Research consistently shows that online sessions can be just as effective as those in-person. For most clients, the comfort of their own environment actually enhances the therapeutic experience. The addition of the “Your Mind Works” app provides continuous support between sessions, which many clients find accelerates their progress.
This also means we can work together wherever you are in the world.