The Rider's Mind: Equestrian's and Sports Psychology

Simone Biles, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Naomi Osaka, Rory McIlroy… If I asked you to find a common thread among all of these athletes, your first guess might be that they’re the GOATs in their respective sports. And you wouldn’t be wrong. But for the purposes of this post, the commonality I’m pointing to is that all of them have gone on record saying they work with a sports psychologist.

Most of you probably won’t find that surprising. Over the past decade, mental health—especially within the context of athletic performance—has become far more prevalent in mainstream conversations. The stigma that once surrounded this topic is slowly being replaced with openness, education, and evolving societal attitudes.

While I can’t speak to the universal equestrian experience, I can speak to how I’ve seen the sport shift over the past 10 years. Perhaps the most staggering change is the rate at which riders now receive feedback. Today, most rated shows are live-streamed, with nearly instant playback. That means before you've even left the ring, potentially thousands of people have witnessed your highest high—or your lowest low.

Now, I’m not here to argue that technology hasn’t been a gift. Our sport is more transparent than ever, and I, for one, am grateful I no longer need to keep hundreds of rounds stored on my phone. But let’s be honest: human beings weren’t built to process that level of constant perception and judgment. In a world where everyone has an opinion and isn’t shy about vocalizing it, it’s hard to stay focused on the doing of the thing rather than the perception of the outcome. (Bonus points if you go watch Brené Brown’s “Man in the Arena” speech—I’ll wait.)

Even if you somehow manage to tune out the external noise, you’re still left with the loudest voice of all—your own. Let’s not sugarcoat it: this sport is tough. That girl you see on TikTok with the picture-perfect life and an endless string of Grand Prix horses? I promise it’s hard for her, too. The sport is expensive, time-consuming, physically exhausting, mentally draining… and that’s often before 10 a.m. We are our own worst critics, so it’s no wonder we often struggle with performance anxiety.

None of this should be shocking. If you polled 10 riders and asked whether the sport is mentally challenging, all 10 would say yes—one might even be crying a little. So why is working with a sports psychologist still kept so quiet in our industry? I know we love to be behind the curve on, well, just about everything (safety, ethics, basic human decency), but this seems like a no-brainer.

To be fair, a few top riders have spoken openly about the role sports psychology has played in their success. McLain Ward, for example, has publicly stated many times how much it has helped his performance. And here’s a little insider info (pinky promise you won’t tell): every top rider I’ve worked with—or am friendly with—has used a sports psychologist. Every. Single. One.

So let’s talk about it. Sports psychology doesn’t need to be the emergency button for when you’re on the verge of quitting. Mental maintenance is just as important as physical maintenance. I’d love to see equestrians step into 2025 with the rest of the athletic world.

If you’re looking to dip your toe into the sports psychology pond, I highly recommend Bob Rotella’s book “The Golfer’s Mind.” Though he’s best known for working with golfers, he also works with top equestrians. His advice is practical and applies across disciplines.