One of the hardest things for riders to do when they face a challenge is to keep going. It's not because you don't want to keep going - it's because it's hard! Break things down into manageable pieces. You can't learn Chopin if you don't take the time to learn each note of the scale, so put in the time and keep going towards each SMALL step because they add up.

Many riders rely on their horse to give them confidence. And many horses are "confidence building types" with laid back personalities and a willingness to overlook a rider's bobbles. But the job of the rider is to direct the horse and for our horses to do their best, they need to get confidence from us as much as we get confidence from them. I like to remind riders of this because in order to set ourselves up for long term success, we often need to work on ourselves before we can work on the horse. This means that you should set small goals for yourself and then, as you meet them, set a similar goal for your horse. What does this look like? Let me give you an example: If you're not feeling secure about cantering, don't worry that the canter is imperfect or your horse isn't staying in the canter for more than a few steps when you ask. Instead, focus on riding a good trot into the canter transition - and getting some help from a ground person or in the round pen. After you feel you can comfortably maintain the trot into the canter, then you can refocus on your horse and start to build more stamina in the canter. If you build up a little more security in your transition, you'll ride a better canter and your horse will feel more confident to build it with you.

Have you ever had a coach where, in hindsight, there were some red flags for training with them? Bad coaching can really have a negative impact on a rider's confidence. One of the hardest things to do is to walk away from a trainer where there are red flags because the trainer can exert a lot of control over how the rider feels about their decisions. Keep your mental health and your horse's interest in your heart! This isn't to say that some lessons might be more challenging than others, but there is a difference between a challenge and something more negative.

So many riders struggle silently—unsure if it’s “okay” to say they’re nervous, confused, or frustrated.Sometimes they don’t want to seem difficult.Sometimes they assume the trainer already knows what’s going on.And sometimes… they’re just not used to being heard. I always encourage riders to speak up and tell me what they’re feeling. Most of the time, I can tell when something’s off—but not always. And I know a lot of trainers don’t take the time or don’t think it’s part of their job! But here’s the truth: Your feelings matter. You are there to learn and improve—not to hold on to fear, tension or doubt that will hold you back! Ask yourself: Have you ever held back from asking for help—even when you needed it? What stopped you—and what would’ve made it easier to speak up?

Regular lessons with a trainer that you know and trust are a good way to make progress with your horse and your riding. How are regular lessons different than riding in a clinic? A clinic is a lesson or set of lessons that are given by a visiting instructor. This can be set up at your home barn or at an outside location. The outside instructor may be visiting from another area, may be more specialized than your regular coach or even work in a different discipline. A clinician can offer new perspective and new challenges for you and your horse to work on. Some things may work well for you and others might not be as good of a fit in the long run. It is always good to take the opportunity to broaden your knowledge base and experiences. Don't hesitate to tell the clinician what you are working on or what you feel you need help with. This will set your lesson up for success! Most clinics allow an audience or auditors who are not riding. This means that you can learn from the clinician by listening to them and train your eyes by watching others ride. If you aren't sure you're ready to ride in a clinic, try watching first to gain some insight into the clinician's teaching methods.