Equestrian Performance Mindset

Have you ever made a mistake while riding and then spent hours, days, or even months thinking about it?

Maybe other people saw it happen. Maybe you immediately started wondering what they thought. Or perhaps one mistake turned into a much bigger story in your head: “I can’t see a distance.” “I’m not good enough to ride at this level.” “Everyone thinks I’m terrible.” “Maybe I’m not ready for this.”

In this episode, we explore why a mistake can feel so much bigger than the few seconds it actually took to happen, and how the meaning we attach to that mistake can keep affecting our riding long after the moment has passed.

I and Lorna discuss:

Why we often care so much about other people seeing our mistakes

How our own judgement of a mistake can amplify our worries about other people's opinions

The difference between a mistake and the story you create around it

How a growth mindset can help you see mistakes as information rather than proof that you're not good enough

Why stepping up a level often brings old fears and patterns back to the surface

How your brain can turn one uncomfortable experience into a rule designed to keep you safe

Why you don't need to eliminate nerves, fear or self-doubt before you can ride effectively

How you can be nervous and still ride your canter

Why trying to stop thinking about something can actually make the thought stronger

How redirecting your attention can help you get back to what matters during a round

The difference between avoidance and acceptance

Why getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is part of personal growth

How to start unravelling the deeper beliefs and identity stories sitting underneath a mistake

Resources Mentioned:

Coaching & support: https://www.mindeq.eu/coaching

Weekly Hacks: https://www.mindeq.eu/weeklyhacks

Email: info@mindeq.eu

Follow Jocelin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelinlillienau

Do you keep taking more lessons, trying harder and working on your riding… but still find yourself struggling with the same problems? What if the problem isn't your riding?

In this episode, I and Lorna explore 7 signs that what you're experiencing in the saddle may be more of a mindset issue than a riding or skill issue. Because knowing how to ride something and being able to access that skill when it matters are two very different things. From worrying about what other people think to allowing one mistake to ruin an entire round, they break down some of the mental patterns that can quietly interfere with your performance.

We also explore why trying harder isn't always the answer, why you don't need to feel confident before pushing outside your comfort zone, and why your results shouldn't determine what you think about yourself as a rider.

Resources Mentioned:

Coaching & support: https://www.mindeq.eu/coaching

Follow Jocelin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelinlillienau

What happens when you finally reach the level you’ve been working towards… and instead of feeling proud, you start wondering whether you actually belong there?

In this episode of the Equestrian Performance Mindset Podcast, I and Lorna dive into the mindset challenges that can appear when you step up a level in your riding. After my recent four-star cross-country round, we reflect on everything that went into getting there, not just the result on paper, but the years of work, training, financial commitment, self-doubt, setbacks and sacrifices behind it.

We explore why riders so often compare their journey to someone else’s and create rules about what a “real” top-level rider should look like. Do you need to be a full-time professional? Have multiple horses? Follow the traditional route? Or is that simply a story you’ve created about what it means to belong?

In this episode, we talk about:

Why reaching a new level can bring up feelings of “Do I really belong here?”

The difference between your circumstances and your actual ability

Why comparing your riding journey to other riders can undermine your confidence

How to recognize the evidence that proves you are capable

Why qualifications matter more than the story you tell yourself about whether you are “entitled” to be there

Why stepping up a level can reveal gaps in your training, without meaning you don’t belong

How a growth mindset changes the way you view mistakes and failure

Why sometimes you have to “learn on the job”

The danger of waiting until you feel like the rider at the next level

How repeatedly performing at a new level helps your brain gather evidence that you belong

Why the way you interpret your results and experiences matters just as much as the results themselves

Making the most of the opportunities available to you rather than comparing your circumstances to someone else’s

Why you shouldn’t measure your progress with somebody else’s ruler



Resources Mentioned:

Coaching & support: https://www.mindeq.eu/coaching

Weekly Hacks: https://www.mindeq.eu/weeklyhacks

Follow Jocelin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelinlillienau

Have you ever walked out of a dressage test thinking, “That actually felt really good!”… only to see your score and wonder, “How on earth did I get that?” You’re not alone.

In this episode of the Equestrian Performance Mindset Podcast, I and Lorna dive into one of the most frustrating experiences in equestrian sport: when your performance feels like it deserved more than the score you received. Because sometimes, the frustration isn’t about comparing yourself to another rider. It’s about knowing how much work you’ve put in, feeling genuine improvement in your horse and your riding, and then seeing a number on a piece of paper that doesn’t seem to reflect that progress. And yes, it’s okay to be frustrated. You don’t have to pretend that the result doesn’t matter. You don’t have to convince yourself that you shouldn’t care. And you certainly don’t have to immediately “just focus on the positives.” Instead, the key is learning how to feel the frustration without allowing it to take over the rest of your competition.

In this episode, we talk about:

Why a disappointing score can feel so frustrating when you know you’ve improved

The difference between progression and results

Why judges only see a snapshot of your performance, not the journey behind it

How to use honest feedback from the people around you

Why your support team should be supportive and honest

How comparing your score to another rider can pull you into an unhelpful mindset

How to become curious about a disappointing mark rather than judging yourself

What to do when something feels better than it looks to the judge

Why progress can sometimes be felt before it can be visibly seen

How to acknowledge frustration without letting it ruin the rest of your competition

Practical ways to refocus before show jumping or cross country

How journaling, talking it through, or simply “parking” the result can help you move forward

Why you should still be proud of yourself, your horse and the partnership you’re building

Resources Mentioned:

Coaching & support: https://www.mindeq.eu/coaching

Weekly Hacks: https://www.mindeq.eu/weeklyhacks

Follow Jocelin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelinlillienau

What if you haven't actually forgotten how to ride?

What if the skills are still there, but pressure, nerves and overthinking are getting in the way of accessing them?

In this episode of the Equestrian Performance Mindset Podcast, I and Lorna continue our conversation around pressure and what we observed at Aachen. We explore what happens when riders become activated under pressure and why the goal isn't necessarily to get yourself completely back to a calm, “green” state. Because sometimes pressure is simply part of challenging yourself. The real skill is learning how to function and perform while you're activated.

Lorna explains this through her colour system: green represents feeling safe, grounded and connected; yellow represents activation; orange is when your heart rate, breathing and muscle tone begin to change; and red is when you become overwhelmed. The goal isn't to panic because you're orange. It's to learn that you can still perform while you're there.

In this episode, you'll discover:

Why pressure doesn't disappear as you progress, it changes.

Why feeling nervous doesn't mean something has gone wrong.

The difference between being activated and being overwhelmed.

Why you don't necessarily need to return to a completely “green” state before performing.

How to train yourself to access your skills while you're nervous.

Why pressure can make skills you already have feel harder to access.

The importance of being able to think, see, feel and make choices under pressure.

How jumping distances, rhythm and eyesight can be affected when riders become overly focused.

Why riders can start interfering with abilities they already have.

My “river” analogy and how the things you think, fear or worry about can become “rocks” blocking the flow of your existing skills.

How to identify the “rocks” getting in the way of your own performance.

Why worrying about what people on the sidelines think can interfere with your riding.

How visualization can be used to practice making decisions while activated.

Resources Mentioned:

Coaching & support: https://www.mindeq.eu/coaching

Weekly Hacks: https://www.mindeq.eu/weeklyhacks

Follow Jocelin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelinlillienau