77. Why Trying Harder Makes Riding Harder | Emotional Tension & Better Feel

What happens when trying harder actually makes riding harder?In this episode of The Thinking Horse & Rider, we’re digging into emotional tension—the pressure riders put on themselves to do everything correctly, remember every instruction, fix every mistake, and manage every part of the horse at once.That tension doesn’t just make riding feel harder. It can also make your cues less clear, your body less sensitive, and your horse less certain about what you’re actually asking.We’ll talk about:Why emotional tension often looks like overthinking instead of obvious fearHow too many simultaneous cues can confuse the horseWhy rewarding the right answer matters just as much as asking the questionHow pressure, release, repetition, and pauses affect learningWhy “more” is not always betterHow tension narrows attention and reduces your ability to feel subtle informationWhy curiosity is more useful than immediately labeling something right or wrongHow to stop correcting every little thing before your horse has a chance to respondYou’ll also get this week’s 10-Minute Experiment: a simple walking exercise where you count the horse’s footfalls, quiet the noise, and start developing better feel.The goal isn’t to ride perfectly.It’s to become quiet enough—physically, mentally, and emotionally—to actually hear what your horse is already telling you.Sometimes your horse isn’t ignoring you. Sometimes they just can’t find the question in all of your noise.Get the FREE Awareness workshop www.equusenlightened.comFind me on social media as @equusenlightened.  Join the Horse and Rider Lab on Skool. It’s free! https://www.skool.com/equus-enlightened-8966/aboutFind out more about Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart in the Skool ClassroomYou can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube under Come Ride with Me Riding Videos. My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@equusenlightenedRead blogs or find more links @ https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened Articles: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787807001359https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787810000626https://www.equitationscience.com/ises-training-principles?utm_source=chatgpt.com Walk to Partnership Meditationhttps://assets.cdn.filesafe.space/9ckgbm3alzfPQK2HDqho/media/6aac819d867721cb57117360.mp4 Email me at Anna@equusenlightened.comHappy Riding!