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If riding in groups provokes feelings of fear and inadequacy, here’s how to turn that to your advantage

Riding in groups, whether it’s in clinics, warm-ups or team training sessions, can make us feel more nervous than we might expect. Experts give their tips on how to cope when we feel fearful about group dynamics and distract ourselves with some confidence-building tools, in this exclusive article for H&H subscribers
Becky Murray Becky Murray

    • Riding in groups isn’t always the joyful camaraderie we want it to be. On the one hand, training alongside others can provide a boost to our enjoyment of the sport as we share the highs and lows of horsey life, compare experiences and tips, and support each other.

    Conversely, it can become a hotbed of unhelpful comparisons, a feeling of failure to live up to the group dynamic and a fear of performing in front of our peers. We can worry that our partnership with our horse is not progressing as fast as it should, looking at friends who are flying up the levels. Perhaps you’re panicking that your horse might misbehave, or will be tricky and need extra time at a certain fence.

    Nerves come into it, too, hampering our ability to ride as well as we should, diverting our focus into simple fight-or flight rather than being receptive to learning and making progress.

    4 tips for making the most of riding in groups

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    Becky Murray
    Becky Murray

    H&H senior news writer
    Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
    Becky Murray

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