Q: My horse picks up on my nerves and gets tense. How do I stay calm for his sake?

A: Horses absolutely sense rider tension and often mirror it. Your elevated heart rate, rapid breathing, and tight muscles communicate to your horse that something is wrong. They respond by becoming more alert and reactive themselves, exactly what you don’t need when already nervous.

The good news is that deliberately calming your physical state helps both you and your horse. Focus on what you can control:

Breathing: Slow, deep breathing calms you physiologically and gives your horse a calmer rider to respond to. Before mounting, during the warm-up, and between exercises, breathe deliberately. Long exhales particularly activate relaxation responses.

Soft eyes: Anxiety creates tunnel vision with a hard, staring focus. Deliberately soften your gaze, allowing your peripheral vision to expand. This physiologically shifts you toward a more relaxed state and gives better awareness of your environment.

Elastic contact: Nervous riders tend to grip the reins. Check your hands repeatedly – are you allowing following contact or are you holding fixed? Elastic, following hands communicate calm; rigid hands communicate tension.

Rhythm riding: Focus obsessively on maintaining a steady rhythm. Count strides, hum quietly, or think in rhythm with your horse’s footfalls. Rhythm requires regular breathing and reduces tension. It also gives your mind something productive to focus on.

Trust your horse: Sometimes our anxiety stems from not trusting our horse to handle the situation. Remind yourself of all the times they’ve come through for you. Give them credit for their experience and capability. Your confidence in them helps them feel confident.

Interestingly, some horses actually become more sensible when they sense their rider needs support. Not all tension transfer is negative – some horses rise to the occasion and take care of nervous riders. Know your horse’s tendencies and work with them.