Hosre Riding Confidence as You Get Older – Self-Hypnosis MP3

The programme contains two audio tracks:

Track 1 – Introduction 6 minutes
Sharon talks about why riding confidence can change as we get older and why becoming more aware of risk doesn't necessarily mean becoming less capable. She also explains the important difference between sensible judgement and anxiety that has begun making decisions for you.

Track 2 – Self-Hypnosis Session 36 minutes
A deeply relaxing hypnosis session that helps you reconnect with your existing riding ability, reduce unnecessary anticipatory worry and build a quieter, more mature kind of confidence based on experience and trust in yourself.

During the session you'll mentally rehearse realistic riding situations, including getting on when you're feeling slightly nervous, calmly handling an unexpected reaction from your horse and deciding for yourself whether to take part when other riders suggest doing something that takes you outside your comfort zone.

The aim isn't to imagine that nothing unexpected will ever happen. It's to help you develop greater confidence in your ability to respond calmly and use the experience you already have.

Why You'll Hear the Word “DRIFT”

Throughout the hypnosis session, Sharon uses the word DRIFT as a simple mental cue.

It's introduced while you're deeply relaxed and then associated with letting unnecessary thoughts pass rather than following them.

When riding anxiety begins, one worried thought can quickly lead to another: What if my horse spooks? What if I fall? What if I can't cope?

The word DRIFT is designed to help interrupt that pattern.

With repeated listening, you can begin to associate the word with allowing unnecessary what if thoughts to drift away, bringing your attention back to your breathing, your horse and what is actually happening in the present moment.

You can then use DRIFT quietly to yourself whenever you notice your mind beginning to race ahead.

This programme may be particularly helpful if you:

• Have ridden confidently for many years but have become more cautious as you've got older
• Find yourself thinking more about falling or injury than you once did
• Feel frustrated because your confidence doesn't reflect your riding experience
• Compare yourself with the rider you were years ago
• Sometimes become tense before mounting or during a ride
• Avoid situations you would actually like to enjoy because of unnecessary worry
• Want to distinguish genuine good judgement from anxiety
• Would simply like to relax and enjoy riding again without feeling you have anything to prove

You don't need to become fearless. The aim is to help you feel calmer, more comfortable and able to trust your own experience and judgement.

Listen to Track 1 before using the hypnosis session for the first time. You don't need to listen to the introduction every time.

For best results, listen to Track 2 regularly, somewhere quiet and comfortable where you can relax without interruption.

Repeated listening helps reinforce the ideas and mental associations within the session, including the use of DRIFT as your cue to let unnecessary anxious thoughts pass.

There is no need to concentrate on every word. Simply make yourself comfortable, close your eyes and listen.

Only listen to the hypnosis session when you are somewhere safe and able to relax completely.

Do not listen while driving, riding a horse, operating machinery or doing anything that requires your full attention.

The recording is intended to support confidence and relaxation and should never be used as a substitute for appropriate riding instruction, professional medical advice or sensible decisions about your own safety, your horse or the conditions in which you ride.

Always ride within your current ability and choose a suitable horse, environment and level of activity for you.