1d • Ten-Minute Tuesdays
This Week's 10-Minute Experiment
This Week’s 10-Minute Experiment: What’s Happening vs. What Am I Predicting?
Last week we worked on physical tension with the standing-in-your-stirrups exercise. This week, we’re tackling mental tension—especially the anxiety that starts before you ever get on. I'm constantly amazed by how many of my students say they suffer from this type of anxiety! Why don't we talk about it more?
As you approach your horse and the mounting block, notice where your brain goes.
Are you thinking:
What if she spooks?
What if he won’t stand?
What if today is the day it all goes wrong?
Don’t argue with the thought. Name it.
Then ask yourself:
Is that happening right now—or am I predicting it?
For the next 10 minutes, narrate what is actually happening:
“My horse is walking beside me.”
“His head just came up.”
“I’m holding my breath.”
“She shifted her weight.”
“I’m standing on the mounting block.”
Notice the difference between:
“Her head came up.” → observation
“She’s about to spook.”→ prediction
You’re not trying to convince yourself that everything is fine. If the horse you have right now is giving you a legitimate reason not to mount, listen to that information.
The goal is simply to stop riding the horse you’re afraid you might have before you’ve even gotten on.
Imagine and expect the horse you want, while staying aware of the horse you actually have.
And when your brain races into the future, bring it back with one question:
What is actually happening right now?
You don't have to imagine yourself like this but, you could 😉
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This Week's 10-Minute Experiment
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