Calm in the Saddle: five tools for your next ride

A short guide for riders whose nerves have turned up. Read it on your phone and try one tool today.

Got to the yard and then found a reason not to ride?

The wind. The time. The "what-if" thoughts. The jobs that suddenly need doing first.

It's not just you. I hear this a lot.

Here is the good news: you haven't forgotten how to ride. That inner voice has just grabbed a megaphone, and we can turn it down together.

I've put my favourite tools into one short guide. They're the same ones I teach in my workshops, written so you can pick one up and use it before your next ride.

The five tools

1. The pre-ride routine. Five steps to do before you get on: breathe, stand tall, say it, picture it and count your wins.

2. Say what you want. Why "don't be nervous" backfires (hello, pink elephant), and what to tell your brain instead.

3. The reframe drill. Six steps to change the story you're telling yourself, with real examples from the saddle.

4. Your riding anchor. A calm, confident feeling you can call up with one small action.

5. The Self-Soother. A quick reset for everyday nerves, and for the nights when your mind won't switch off.

Also inside

A one-page pre-ride card to save to your phone or print for the tack room door.

A simple week plan: one tool a day, little and often.

My story, and why I started helping riders find their nerve again.

How it works

It's a 26-page PDF made for reading on a phone or tablet. There's nothing to print and nothing to fill in. You download it straight after you buy, and it's yours to keep.

Pick one tool. Score how you feel out of 10 before and after. Notice what changes.

What riders say

"Today Woody and I did a hacking route we haven't done for ages! I put into practice my inhales and exhaling, and thinking of my happy/confident place! And yesterday I did a hack that has given me slight anxiety before! Buzzing!"

Lucy, after my Stop Anxiety, Enjoy Riding workshop

A word of honesty

This guide is for everyday nerves. If yours comes from a fall or something bigger, a guide isn't the place to start. Please talk to a professional, or come and talk to me 1:1. I offer a free 20-minute discovery call on my website.

Who's behind it

I'm Jan. I've been riding since I was six, and I've spent over 20 years working professionally in the horse industry. I'm a BHS Accredited Professional Coach, a Master NLP Practitioner and a Master Hypnotherapist.

My own nerves turned up out of nowhere, on a lovely, sensible cob called Pearly. NLP saved my riding, and now I help other riders enjoy theirs again.

Premium members of The Confident Rider community get this guide free.

Get Calm in the Saddle for £12