Heather Wallace's Blog, page 11
March 4, 2019
Motivation from Top Equestrian Athletes
It may come as no surprise that equestrian superstars such as Charlotte Dujardin and others struggle with confidence from time to time, after all, they are only human. With great power comes great responsibility after all. The more they win, the more their fans and even trainers expect them to win. The pressure is on and comes not just from inside but relentless outside forces as well. And yet, we often put them on a pedestal thinking they are better than us in every way. In fact, quite the...
February 25, 2019
Equestrienne: Jamie Baldanza
There is no such thing as a coincidence. I believe everything happens for a reason, and life brings us together in mysterious ways. Last fall I attended the 2018 Equus Film Festival in New York City to represent my bestselling book, Confessions of a Timid Rider which was up for an award. On Saturday morning, I participated in the panel on adventure rides, which was incredibly fun. Not only did I learn about rides other than The Gobi Desert Cup, which I represented, but also get to talk about...
February 22, 2019
Ready for a Blizzard with the Ovation Dafna Boot
Winter riding can be fun and fulfilling with the perfect equipment. Finding the right gear can mean the difference between life or death, or in my case- warm toes. My feet get notoriously cold, which then brings down the temperature throughout my body. I used to be an avid skier but the tight boots and resulting blue toes quickly prevent my enjoying myself. I’ve tried a few types of boots but they either are uncomfortable or don’t work very well in extreme temperatures. While it is on...
February 18, 2019
How to Choose the Perfect Horse for a Nervous Rider
Choosing the perfect horse for a nervous rider is not always easy, but it is possible to find a balance between safe and challenging. A nervous rider is you, your trainer, or your child. Everyone has periodic self-doubt or fear, which varies from mild to panic depending on each person and situation. Nerves happen to the best of riders from top-level athletes to those just starting out. After all, we are astride 1200-pound animals with minds and hearts of their own. We literally put our live...
February 15, 2019
Positive Affirmations with Kick-On Cards
I write my blog to share my personal feelings and struggles about being a returning adult equestrian with confidence issues. Through writing these posts I learn a lot about myself. I never considered myself a person with anxiety until I read some of the words that came out of me. I am not diagnosed. I am not on medication. Horses are both therapy and a cause of nerves for me at the same time. That in itself is an internal struggle. Finding balance is incredibly hard for anyone. I realize ho...
February 9, 2019
It’s Not My Horse, It’s Me (A Long Way to Go Part 2)
There has been a lot of feedback from my post describing my realization my confidence needs work after a recent trail ride. Some of the feedback has been supportive, but a lot of equestrians have been surprisingly negative saying that I shouldn’t be riding a horse I don’t trust or that my friends shouldn’t push me to do things that I am not comfortable with. These are all fair points and I absolutely agree with them. However, that is not the case in my situation. My story in A Long...
February 8, 2019
A Long Way to Go (Part 1)
Confession: Today was interesting. I realized just how far I need to go to work on my confidence. I think I underestimate myself constantly. I spoke with my husband today and was ridiculously self-righteous talking about how I have been dealing with my stress levels in a positive way. What a big load of horse manure. I’ve been fooling myself thinking that my anxiety is well-managed but the brutal honesty is that I hide it well. Really well. By the time anyone else sees it, my nerves are...
February 6, 2019
Sticks N Pones Talks Confidence
Hi, I’m Katie and as I’m doing a guest blog I thought I’d do a really quick introduction before I give you my three tips to being a more confident rider. I started my blog Sticks_N_Pones to document my passion for showjumping and my struggle with nerves. Like so many riders I had suffered a number of bad falls that had not only taken my confidence but had stolen my love for the sport. I wanted to write about developing real techniques and strategies that helped me. I didn’t want to be stuck...
January 23, 2019
Gain Confidence to Do Anything with Three Steps
Confidence is a tricky thing for all people, not just equestrians. Too much confidence and you may make mistakes. However, if you have too little determination, you stop trying and miss out on amazing things. While your faith in yourself may change over time when you lose that faith or find it halting you in your tracks, what can you do to move forward? These three steps will help you gain confidence in or out of the saddle. 1. Be Honest It would be best if you were honest with yourself ab...
January 11, 2019
Top Ten Posts of 2018
2018 was a banner year for me in many ways. While my blog Bridle & Bone was nominated for Best Beyond Paws Pet Blog, shortly after I needed to rebrand due to the closing of my partnership of a similar name. While it was extremely stressful and upsetting at the time, it made me step back and ask myself what I really wanted to focus on with the blog and what message I wanted to send. And so, The Timid Rider was born. One of my blog’s most engaging and popular blog categories was Confessio...
