Practice Emotional Resilience for a Better Horse Ride

it puts an uncomfortable amount of responsibility squarely on our shoulders.
The problem is if we continue to see emotions in this way as an experience that happens to us instead of an experience we choose we will never learn how to better manage them. Unmanaged emotions run riot over our experience as riders negatively impacting our performance and wellbeing in the saddle. To manage our emotions we must first take responsibility for them. 
Sometimes we are responsible for something not because we are to blame but because we are the only ones who can change it explains Lisa Feldman Barrett Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University and a director of the Interdisciplinary Affective Science Laboratory. As Barrett shares in her viral TedTalk You arent at the mercy of your emotions emotions are a guess that our brain makes about what the appropriate response to our current situation is. It makes this guess based your current physiological symptoms and the way you are interpreting what is happening to you. For equestrians understanding this is a game changer because it means we have far more control over the emotional rollercoaster of equestrian sport than we realize. Its not our fault if we feel anxious sad or guilty but we are the only ones who can shift that emotional experience to something more helpful. No one else can do it for us.
Scenario 1 You see this as an opportunity to have fun and challenge yourself and your horse your personal interpretation of whats happening. Likely outcome Your brain will label your feelings as excitement and anticipation. 
Scenario 2 You see this as an opportunity to fail and embarrass yourself in front of your peers and coach personal interpretation of whats happening. Likely outcome Your brain will label your feelings as worry and anxiety.
Research shows that nervousness and excitement produce the exact same physiological experience. The way we interpret our situation in the present moment is what makes the difference. Our brains guess shapes our experience as negative or positive. With practice we can guess differently choose differently. 
Practicing Emotional Resilience
How could you practice emotional resilience in the imagined clinicatanew barn scenario? Your goal is not to become flooded with embarrassment and panic rather to choose the thoughts feelings and actions that allow you to stay calm and focused on producing a great ride despite the present challenge of a very tense horse.
Step 1 Notice your internal state. As riders we are used to focusing all our awareness on our horse. Its important to develop the habit of checking in with yourself because we need to be aware of how we are feeling before we can begin to change. 
Step 2 Pause and take some deep breaths. Sometimes we need to slow down to accelerate. In other words it helps to just pause and take a moment to regulate your thinking and emotions so that you can then proceed in the right direction with the right focus. No matter what is happening there is