When Decisions Matter
How to make decisions when they matter We are often faced with having to make decisions that affect our lives. Some of the decisions we make are of little consequence and therefore, if we get them wrong, it doesn’t matter. But what about the ones that do matter? The...
Give up Your Goals
If there's one thing we learned in the first half of 2021 it is that things won't go back to normal as quickly as we hoped. In fact, I think we all gradually realised that the old normal does not exist anymore and will never come back. So, how do we deal with such...
Be Kind to Yourself
There’s a popular saying and it goes like this: “Would you talk to your friends like you talk to yourself? And, if the answer is no, why are you so hard on yourself?” I see so many riders who constantly beat themselves up. Today, I gave a lesson and the rider, who...
The Year That Changed us all
Towards the end of 2019 a lot of people seemed glad to see the end of what they described a tough year… Little did they know what ley ahead. First the devastating bushfires and then, well… COVID-19. But was 2020 really a terrible year? I like to think it wasn't. It...
Embracing The Unknown
I think that by now, we have all come to the realisation that we are in the middle of a pandemic and things are not going to go back to normal as quickly as we were hoping at the beginning. In fact, I think we are all gradually realising that the old normal does not...
How to be a Good Learner
How do we keep learning? In a previous article I spoke about the importance of trusting your ‘gut feeling’ - the intuition you have of whether the advice is good for you - before you receive that advice. This time, I want to discuss what to do when you don’t have a...
Taking Stock and Moving Forward
As we see the end of 2020 and the birth of a brand-new year, I thought I would reflect on the year that changed us all. Towards the end of 2019 a lot of people seemed glad to see the end of what they described a tough year… Little did they know what ley ahead. First...
It’s Time to Change the Culture
In this article, Tanja Mitton comments on a recent article in Eurodressage by Adriane Alvord, “The Pain that Lives Behind the Barn Door” referring to the tragic death of Teresa Butta in the US. We have lost three professional riders to suicide in the last three months...
Recovering Your Worth
How do you recover when someone questions your self-worth? I think we have all experienced moments when someone has made us feel unworthy. This sometimes takes the form of bullying, but other times it is very quiet and dismissive. Either way it hurts! Let’s be honest...
In Every Crisis There is Always Opportunity
Ok, so most of us have been spending much more time at home than we would normally do. That’s a good thing, right? Most people long to spend time at home, have a holiday, slow down, have more horse time and finally read that book that they have started months ago but...
It’s Time to Change the Culture
I want to comment on a recent article in Eurodressage by Adriane Alvord, “The Pain that Lives Behind the Barn Door” referring to the tragic death of Teresa Butta in the US. We have lost three professional riders to suicide in the last three months and there are many...
A New Year… A New You?
New Year Resolutions. Another year has finished and the new one has started already. Who’s been playing funny games with the clocks? We don’t get any younger but hopefully, we are getting a little bit wiser. For most of us, the new year comes with new plans, new goals...
A New Year… A new You?
Who has been playing funny games with the clocks? Another year has finished and the new one has started already. We don’t get any younger but hopefully, we are getting a little bit wiser. For most of us, the new year comes with new plans, new goals and another attempt...
Put a Spring in Your Step
Spring is all about embracing change and staying flexible, while still achieving the goals you have set. Now that the dark evenings have gone and the days are getting longer, it is time to sit down and make plans for what you want to do in the next riding season. You...
Giving Advice
Let’s talk about how to best help others. We all find ourselves in the position where we give advice to other horse owners or riders - either as a coach in a lesson situation as a volunteer when helping out in your own club, or simply as a friend. As parents and...
Taking Action – The Simple Guide
Ok, here it goes, I am saying the ‘P’ word... Procrastination! How often do we know we have to do something but we don’t do it? Or on the contrary, how often do we know that we SHOULDN’T do something but we still do it? One is procrastinating and the other is getting...
Three Steps to Developing Focus
Developing Focus: We can ride with focus or we can ride while being distracted. The difference will be enormous. The distractions can come from your mind as well as from your environment. Here's a three-step mindset strategy to help you developing focus. First step:...
Being Good Enough
Internal and external validation: Do you know when you are doing a good job or do you rely on others telling you that you are? In my experience, many riders don’t trust themselves and, therefore, keep looking and craving other people’s praise. This in itself is not a...
Leaving ‘Some Day’ Island
Stop Procrastinating, make it happen! Do you live on ‘some day island’ or do you live every day as if it is your last? Do you catch yourself procrastinating? Too many people are putting things off, waiting for the right time when they have what they think they need in...
Your Horse, Your Teacher
Is there something we can learn from our horses? Absolutely yes! Where do I begin? Horses teach us so much about ourselves that I constantly refer to them as our ‘personal development coaches’. Horses have the ability to teach us so much more than just ‘how to ride’,...
The Power of Change
The power of change. Human beings are creatures of habit. Rather than looking for change, we generally prefer things to stay the same. However, change is an important part of growing and, therefore, necessary. If you keep doing the same things you will get the same...
