Brain Training for Riders: Unlock Your Riding Potential with StressLess Techniques for Conquering Fear, Improving Performance, and Finding Focused Calm

I am an older rider who has had several accidents with horses that involved broken bones. I really struggled to get my courage back up. It has taken ten years of research on gaining confidence to get back to about 90% of my previous confidence level. Wish I had found this book first! Yesterday for the first time in many years, I wasn't thinking about coming off my horse but instead was relaxed a thoroughly enjoying my ride. I am listening to the audio book for the second time. The author is a delightful narrator. I've also purchased the paperback so I can bookmark, highlight and do the exercises a little easier. The author's experience in counseling, riding and training gives her a great perspective. I highly recommend this book!

I have ridden horses competitively for over 40 years but, when I stopped competing, I rode less frequently and with less discipline. I began to lose my confidence, which was always a little flimsy anyway. But I didn't want to give up! I read many books and articles. Most helped for only short periods of time. The horse I own now is so much fun to ride but he is also one to mildly test his rider. A friend suggested "Brain Training for Riders..." and I bought it out of respect for her suggestions, but thinking it would be just another horse self help book. Not so! This book has helped me tremendously! Not only does Ms Waldo make meaningful suggestions for how to deal with fear issues, but she provides exercises to reinforce those concepts. I kept a journal and it really helped. I sometimes still go to that dark place of fear but when I do, I read excerpts from the book and I go out and do what my brain tells me is difficult to do. Wow! I am 73 and hadn't cantered my horse for over 5 years. Now, I'm cantering and I enjoy riding and working to overcome my fears. Who knows - maybe I'll take him over fences some day!

So happy to have had my coach refer this book to me! I have been riding for over five decades now and have found myself becoming more and more fearful of the very things that used to come so easy to me. As an accomplished horseman, and the host of the YouTube series, The Backyard Horse Enthusiast, you would assume that this would never happen to someone like me! Think again! This book gives you a new understanding of how the brain works regarding fear and provides concrete exercises to overcome that fear! Outstanding book!

I had a nasty riding accident that landed me in the hospital for a while that had given me a case of PTSD. I am normally so skeptical about books and things like this as they normally just recommend "breathe and think happy thoughts, etc" This book is not like that. The author speaks to you in a conversational way and helps breakdown where the fear comes from and helps you find coping strategies that genuinely can help reprogram your brain. I am not even finished with reading it and it has given me skills that have seriously helped me in my quest to overcome some of the trauma. Before this book, I wanted so badly to just "be better" and to try my best to repress the feelings of PTSD. They aren't gone of course as that will take time but I am so much happier in the saddle and I swear to you after just reading part 1 of the book, I had the best barn day that I have had in a long time. If you are seriously struggling with PTSD, any sort of riding anxiety, or just serious show nerves, I can assure you that you will find at least one useful tool to help you overcome it. I promise you, I am an anxious person that has been this way even before the trauma of what I went through and I wish I had read this book sooner. It has changed my world and I am not even done reading it.

Amazing book. Returning to riding as a mature adult, my riding fears have grown exponentially over the last 19 years as I've bought horse after horse, trying to find that magic one that can make me feel comfortable, confident and safe again. None of my horses were bad, but my fears became their fears and we were nervous, unhappy and frustrated. I did finally have a horse that I looked forward to riding and enjoyed riding, but old age has caught up to him and he is no longer sound enough to ride. So on to a new horse (again) and the resurrection of the fear demons in my brain. My brain is filled with fears and fearful thoughts that bounce around in my head and fill it up, even before I get on the horse.I've tried hypnotherapy and EFT over the years; Ms. Waldo's book is one of many that I've bought in the attempt to tame my demons. Her book, however, is the one that has helped me the most. Come to find out, I'm not just stupidly (and insanely) terrified, I'm actually pretty normal but my Lizard Brain is over-active/reactive and it completely takes over my rational thoughts as it tries to protect me. That was one of the first things I learned from her book. The second (and maybe the best) thing I've learned is to tell my Lizard Brain (LB) to go sit in the tack room while I ride. We are still working on that, as sometimes LB has a voice that can be heard across the property. I have found, though, that more and more LB just sits and sulks because I'm able to ignore her. And, the very best of all, I'm enjoying riding my new horse more often than ever before.Thank you, Ms. Waldo, for your wonderful book. Thank you for sharing your riding fears and how you overcame them, thank you for helping me to overcome mine.

Having read The Chimp Paradox by Steve Peters, The inner game of Tennis by Timothy Galloway and Wendy Jago's Score more for dressage, I was interested to see what additional insights this book might have to help me to help myself and my clients. Whilst the basic psychology is the same, and the lizard brain equates to Peters' Chimp I found this book easier to read and digest and of course directly applicable to the sport of equestrianism. Written by a rider for riders, I whole heartedly recommend this book. The reading of it was easy...putting into practice is, as always, the hard part.

This is an excellent book. It has helped me overcome my fear of ‘what if’ and I now ride more in the moment. The author’s way of explaining how our brain works was really helpful. Enjoyed the case studies and could really relate. Would highly recommend this easy to read book for all riders who have got nervous as they have got older. Read the book in three sitt8ngs. Put lots of reference notes on post-it’s for reminders. A must have book for all riders, nervous or otherwise.

Really useful bits in this book and not airy fairy easy to read and you can relate to the author

A great book for anybody who is struggling with nerves. The author is sympathetic and as a horsewoman herself understands all too well what can happen when a rider gets to breaking point. The book is easy to read and the exercises are simple but effective. I can highly recommend this book.

hopefully this is perfect for my neice came in good time and had no issues thanks