Horse Riders Are Athletes

At its core equestrian sport is a partnership between horse and human. This relationship is unique and it affects both the culture of the sport and our identity as athletes. Today we are going to look closely at our equestrian athlete identity.
After years of riding competitively and coaching I believe that the human athletes in our sport do not generally think of themselves as athletes. We are riders horse people equestrians but rarely athletes. Most horse people consider their horse to be the real athlete and the majority of their nurturing is directed at their horse. Yet in theory many would also acknowledge that to be successful we must nurture both sides of the partnership equally.

If as most definitions suggest an athlete is anyone trained in a sport that requires agility strength and stamina then there is no question that riders are athletes regardless of whether they compete. If you have the goal of improving your skill as a rider you are an athlete. Accepting the athlete identity shifts our perspective. It does not make our horses any less important or lesser athletes themselves instead it allows us to consider ourselves as equally important in ways that significantly impact our wellbeing our success as riders and our horses experience when working with us.
we do not think of ourselves as athletes we wont treat ourselves like athletes. If we dont see ourselves as an important element of the partnership we wont invest in ourselves by looking after our bodies and our minds with the same care and attention we give our horses. Because of this equestrians often end up mentally and emotionally exhausted by their sport which directly impacts performance ability. This exhaustion can also have a negative impact on daytoday efforts to improve ourselves and our horses. At the end of the day if we are mentally emotionally and physically burnedout we cannot be the rider and partner our horse deserves to have. We cannot be the most successful highperforming version of ourselves.
As the decisionmaking side of the partnership our state of mind is critical to the partnerships success. If we are not clearheaded grounded and fully in the present moment the risk of making bad decisions skyrockets with obvious negative consequences for our performance. Decisionmaking aside consider the impact our emotions have on our horses. Our equine partners are emotional sponges soaking up whatever feelings are influencing us and