From Intimidation to Inspiration Part 1
Timmie Pollock, PHD
If “just do it” doesn’t work for you, here is expert advice on overcoming your anxiety. You’ve decided that this is the year you’re going to get serious about showing, and today is the day.
You arrive at the show grounds and unload your horse. As you look around, you are suddenly gripped with the thought: “What am I doing here? Everyone else looks so good, they all seem to know what they’re doing.”
You gulp and decide to stick it out. You check in at the show office, only to learn that several well-known professionals will be showing their young horses in your class. A wave of fear rushes over you. “I’m going to look really bad riding against all those great riders.” You begin to dream up creative reasons to scratch and go home. What will you do if your horse is spooky or just has a bad day?
These are just some of the ways riders talk themselves into being too intimidated to show, or ride in a clinic with a famous trainer. I recently overheard a group of students talking with their trainer about plans for the upcoming show season. They were deciding who would be going to the various shows, which level each would show at and who would ride each horse.
As the riders discussed their plans, one woman remained rather quiet. When her trainer asked what she would like to do this year, she replied, “I’m a fat, middle-aged beginner. What would I be doing at a horse show?” (By the way, she was not fat and definitely more then a beginner!)
Many riders talk themselves out of potentially positive experiences, not because they don’t want to do them, but because they feel intimidated. Many decide not to show because they think they are not good enough, experienced enough, thin enough or have nice horses. These same feelings limit them in other ways as well. They may miss opportunities to ride in clinics with master trainers or to take lessons from highly qualified instructors.
Intimidation Explained
Intimidation is a form of performance anxiety. There are two types of fear. The first is a fear of physical injury. The second type is a fear of emotional injury. Assuming you are not afraid of your horse, intimidation is directly related to the fear of emotional injury. Specifically, it is about looking bad and not measuring up. Emotional injury can cause riders to feel embarrassed and more open to criticism from others.
Such fears can be triggered by a variety of situations: compete in a more prestigious show then you are accustomed to, moving up a level in competition, riding in front of a well known judge, showing a new horse for the first time or competing against more experienced riders. Intimidation often stops a person from even trying a new situation. But where would Guenter Seidel be if he’d been afraid to ride against Hilda Gurney?
It is important to understand any time you try something new, you are expanding your comfort zone. When you do so, it is completely normal for you to feel uncomfortable in some way. For some people, the feeling of stretching one’s limits or “pushing the envelope” is exciting. For others, it can be terrifying. Most of us fall somewhere in between. However, one thing is for certain, systematically challenging your fears is always worthwhile and will result in increased self confidence. Most people think that they must already possess courage in order to act courageously. In fact, the opposite is true: When we act courageously, we develop courage.
