A Change in Conversation: Equestrian Performance Coaching and How I Got Here.

The Art of Being Pro-Active

‘’I know of no more encouraging fact that the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavour. ‘’ I recently talked at a Marketing event in Dublin and was surprised by the level of engagement with my talk. In our fast past corporate environments, self management and self reflection seem more relevant than ever. I aimed to inspire an understanding of how the resource of self can be the solution. SECTION 1: Its time to start thinking about what you are actually doing and where you are actually going. We spend a lot of time running on the corporate treadmill and sometimes we are running so fast that personally we have no idea where we are trying to end up. Its important to occasionally step off the machine and reassess if 1) you are going in a direction you actually want to go and 2) if you are feeling in control of your progress. The Social Paradigm - Understanding the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, our ch...

Performance Coaching in Equestrian Sport- What is it?

When McLain Ward left the arena after winning the World Cup Final of Showjumping and exclaimed that learning to conquer his mind through mental coaching was key to his performance, it hit the head lines. The world of sports is changing, competitions are becoming more technical and pressures are becoming greater. The taboo of ‘mental coaching’ has slowly started to dwindle and athletes, including equestrians are starting to reap the rewards of mastering their minds. So where does mental coaching fit with equestrian sport and what is it? Mental Performance Coaching is recognized as an effective method of increasing human performance and optimizing personal effectiveness. Coaching psychology, as opposed to a sports Coaching, is based in scientifically valid theory. The concept was started by a famous tennis player, Tim Gallwey who began to revolutionize the term ‘Coaching’ by coming to realize that for many athletes, it was not that they didn’t...

Professional Riders. Asking for Help.

Asking for help Firstly, it is important to recognise that ‘asking for help’ is not a negative concept. In fact many famous athletes or coaches would tell you that asking for help is the single most useful thing you can do in your career. It is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of intelligence, with the ability to recognise areas that could support you better. The Reality of being Successful Believe it or not, being a successful professional in any sphere can be a solitary place. You are expected to perform well, to handle the pressure and to remain cool while doing so. Life as a professional equestrian is no different. You may be surround by a great team and have a brilliant network of friends but it’s very rare we actually share the solitary inner workings of our minds with any body else. The doubts, the question of ability, the frustration, the emotional rollercoaster, the tiredness or the niggling negatives. It’s easy to be positive and likeable when thin...

Poppy Blandford

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