# Horse show anxiety



## jumpingjitters (Jan 1, 2016)

Hey there.
I've been riding for 11 years and showing for about 6-7 of them. Every time I go,I have the absolute worst jitters known to man! I get super anxious and worried and when it is my turn to go into the ring, I stop thinking (maybe even breathing) and sit on the horse like a sack of potatoes throwing in the worst rounds of my life. My trainers are always disappointed and frankly, so am I. I hate wasting such valuable money and competing at expensive shows and what not. Regardless of the shows, as I get the same way for schooling shows and non-rated shows, I still get in this weird mode. It's like I'm frozen. I'm well aware I'm doing absolutely terrible while I'm riding but I can't seem to do anything about it. 

I've done so much to try to fix it. I breath in and out over and over, count backwards, don't watch other competitors, anything to try to help this weird overtaking anxiety. 

I really really do not want to quit and say I can not ride to show anymore. 
I love it soo much and watch videos of big competitions and everything all the time. It's truly my passion and I love riding in a very competitive nice barn with top trainers, but I hate wasting the money when I get to shows and disappointing myself and everyone since I do so well in lessons. 

I am already a very anxious person in life, and I just don't know how to get rid of this. I really don't want to give up showing.

Does anyone have any tips? Has anyone felt the same? What should I do?:confused_color:


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## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

I feel your pain...I'm an anxious person in general, and particularly so at shows, where I'm sure everyone's watching me (some are, some aren't) and judging me (some are, some aren't). I've had to work hard at my "eh, it's whatev" attitude. Could you go to shows and enter classes, but not be judged? I forget what that's called...but then you could just work on nerves and not worry about whether you'll place or how you stack up compared to anyone else.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

What do you get nervous about?

Scared of messing up?
Scared of not scoring well?
Scared of everyone watching?

If you can pinpoint what it is that triggers your nervousness, you can work towards ways with coping with it. 

Some nerves are okay. The adrenaline can make you perform better. But if it's to the point where it is hurting your performance, then it's too much. 

You can consider meeting with a therapist for the purpose of learning calming techniques that you can use in your show situation, if you are unable to come up with something yourself. 

I always visualize "a perfect ride" in my head before I go into the ring. I remind myself that how I place does not matter, as I am doing it for the enjoyment. 

It's all a mental game!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

You've gotten good suggestions so far. May I add that, if you can, volunteer at a few shows doing whatever needs to be done. A personal favourite for me is being the judge's assistant -- you're not only in the thick of the action but you'll likely get to learn something as well. Doing this is somewhat equivalent to desensitizing a horse to spooky objects thereby turning them into the ordinary and mundane no longer warranting a large negative emotion response (just what you want yourself to feel about heading into the ring).


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## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

Try visualizing yourself doing awesome, winning, being a crowd pleaser and being confident. 

A lot of people in performance sports have the same problem and this is the thing most of the gurus seem to agree on. 

Believe it or not a lot of top Pro Rodeo Cowboys visualize themselves with perfect technique a lot more than they actually practice. I've heard this from just about everyone who is a big name in any event for decades.

The saying is that the mind cannot tell the difference between a real event and a vividly imagined one. I think the gist is mentally visualizing yourself doing it perfectly with the same intensity that you would compete with.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

If you suffer from anxiety medication may help keep you thinking clearly


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## Lisabaltic (Dec 26, 2015)

I'm a hypnotherapist and hypnosis is great with getting to the route of what's causing your anxiety. It usually only takes 2 to 3 sessions. It will also help to give you techniques to use during the show to bring you calmness and focus. You can google it. Hypnosis is know worldwide to be amazing for sports permanence and anxiety.


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## jumpingjitters (Jan 1, 2016)

beau159 said:


> What do you get nervous about?
> 
> Scared of messing up?
> Scared of not scoring well?
> ...


I do the same. Think exactly how to ride it but as soon as I get in to the ring, there I go, lose all instinct and direction. And I guess scared of all the above! I will try a therapist but if I can try something else first without the need to spend money on an appointment, I'd be much happier. It's my last resort though


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

I was going to say the same thing about anxiety medicine. Maybe that would help you have a successful show and in turn cause less anxiety for next time. 

I am a runner and when I ran races, I used to get so nervous ahead of time. SO NERVOUS. Like I couldn't eat even the day before and I went to the bathroom a hundred times and I could barely breathe. We are talking local 5k's and 10k's here, not the Boston Marathon. I was so nervous that I'd do poorly. Anyhow, I know running is different but I wanted to say I totally get the anxiety before an event thing! In that situation, what helped me the most was to run lots and lots of races. I have gotten better at the nerves over the years. One year I ran a race almost every weekend...that helped me get over the bubble. I realized that no one cared how I did except me and that it really didn't matter at all. My life would be the same if I finished first or last. I got a grip, basically. I still have some anxiety when racing, but nothing like before. 

Haven't tried a show yet (since I was about 12 anyhow). We'll see if the anxiety resurfaces! 

Hugs to you! I know how tough anxiety is to deal with.


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## SeaBreezy (Jun 29, 2012)

I don't show currently, but when I first started showing I went through the same thing. My biggest fear was being watched and judged by everyone around me. I didn't even care if I took first place, I was just worried about making a fool of myself.

After years of struggling with this anxiety, I can tell you what I learned: it's all about changing the way you think. Meds can help the physical symptoms, but only you can overcome the mental aspect of it. 

I know it can be frustratingly hard, but practice on not anticipating the anxiety. Don't dwell on your class coming up. Best way I can describe it is to live in the moment. If you catch yourself thinking about your upcoming class while you're standing around waiting, then literally tell yourself "I'm not going to fret myself over it." Do something else to preoccupy yourself, go into the warm up ring and just practice your thang.

And when your time comes, focus on yourself. Block out the crowd. Think about everything your trainer told you and focus on your horse. The breathing exercises never helped me, because it reminded me that I was having anxiety and it would start the vicious cycle all over again.

This is what helped me anyway. It will take time and patience to change your way of thinking, but you can do it and you have to believe you can do it, or it won't work. Good luck with everything!


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I'd say your best bet is exposure. It may not be the answer you want to hear, but the best way to treat anxiety is to be exposed to the stressor.
Maybe, for a little while, stick to schooling/unrated shows, so you don't break the bank while you're still working through these problems?


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I must be an oddity. Totally relaxed when showing as my focus was on doing the best I could to help my mare. Everything was strange to her and she needed my calmness. That said, set me down at a piano and should someone else walk into the room, I turn into a wreck and can't remember the next notes and get shakey. One gal who was doing a demo on ground work, had a stiff shot of whiskey about 20 min. before going in the ring. Said it settled her right down.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Sometimes you have to redefine the adrenaline you feel as excitement rather than fear. It's hard to do, I usually kick my own butt like "HEY, GET A GRIP, YOU HAVE GOT THIS"

I don't show, but that's my method for facing potentially scary situations like public speaking, cantering in an open field, walking past shady characters, etc.

Anxiety is no fun, but being in charge of it helps.


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## Tazzie (Nov 8, 2011)

I used to get crazy nervous before heading into the show ring. Still do from time to time. I usually feel A LOT better when I get a nice, easy schooling in the night before the show. Day of if I feel I can't settle down, I take a few sips of a hard rootbeer, which calms me enough to go in. But that is usually only before the HUGE rated shows we go to that we spent a small fortune to go to. Our regular schooling shows I'm fine, even with a growing crowd to watch us (we were the newcomer on the scene in 2015, and took two year end championships and one reserve championship; yeah, we started garnering a crowd).

I believe someone else recommended auditing the class, which is also a very good option (where you ride the class but aren't judged)


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