Ride With Your Mind, Not Just Your Body

If you're reading this, chances are you've felt it too. That little knot in your stomach before mounting a horse. That whisper of a doubt: "Can I handle this one? Will they listen to me? What if something goes wrong?"

Let me tell you right now: you're not alone. And more importantly, you're not broken. You're just human. And being human around horses is both a gift and a challenge. Because the secret most people don’t tell you is that horses don’t respond to perfect hands or textbook technique alone. They respond to energy, intention, and emotion.

I want you to imagine, for a moment, that you are out on a quiet trail. There’s no arena, no instructor, no mirrors. Just you, your horse, and the rhythm of hooves pressing softly into the earth. The wind is gentle, the air smells of pine, and everything feels a little slower. This is where your riding begins.

Now let’s talk about what happens in your mind. Because while your body may know the basics—heels down, back straight, soft hands—your mind can be a noisy place. "Was that the correct lead? Should I be posting bigger? Is my rein too tight?" Sound familiar?

But here's something I've learned over decades of working with horses and riders: horses don't care about your technical checklist. They care about your presence.

Horses Read Us Better Than We Read Ourselves

A study out of Sussex in 2017 showed that horses can read human facial expressions. They recognize anger, softness, joy, anxiety from a distance. They're not just observing us; they are feeling us. Your horse knows when you're faking confidence. They feel that tightness in your breath, that hesitation in your hand, even the flicker of doubt in your thoughts. And it affects them deeply.

You see, horses don’t follow you because of your physical strength or your riding technique. They follow you because they trust you. And trust doesn’t come from riding with perfection; it comes from riding with clarity, intention, and emotional honesty.

Let Your Body Flow, Quiet Your Mind

When riding in nature, try to stop analyzing every movement. Instead, let your body follow the horse’s rhythm. Don’t fight the motion. Allow yourself to melt into the stride. It’s not about being floppy, but about being fluid.

Think less about controlling, and more about connecting. Breathe with your horse. Exhale when they exhale. Smile, even if no one sees it. Especially if no one sees it.

The horse feels that.

onfidence Isn’t Loud

Confidence in the saddle doesn’t mean being bossy or forceful. It means having a plan. Horses feel safest with a rider who seems to "know where they’re going" mentally. Even if the plan is simple: walk to the next tree. Stop. Breathe. Continue.

If you're constantly doubting yourself, your horse senses that uncertainty and may begin to question you too. Not because they're testing you in some malicious way, but because they are wired to seek safety. If the herd leader is unsure, they start to worry. You are the herd leader in that moment.

So here’s a trick I use with nervous riders: Before you mount, pause. Visualize your ride. Not the perfect ride, but a clear, calm ride. Set a simple intention: "I will stay soft and present." Let that be your anchor.

Your Energy is Your Communication

Before we speak, before we cue, we are already speaking volumes with our bodies. Our tension. Our posture. Even our breathing. Horses are prey animals. They survive by reading every micro-movement around them. So when you shift your weight nervously, they notice. When you hold your breath, they notice. When you doubt yourself—they don’t just notice, they respond.

This is why some horses are "different" with different people. They’re not being stubborn. They’re reacting to energy. To tone. To intention.

Connection Before Correction

Before you try to fix anything in your riding, build a connection. Talk to your horse with your hands, your breath, your energy. Let them know you see them. That you're not here to dominate, but to partner.

Some of the most powerful rides I’ve ever witnessed didn’t involve a single collected trot or flying change. They happened on a loose rein, in an open field, when a rider finally let go of perfection and just was with their horse.

Wisdom from the Ancients: The Huns

As a trail guide and a lifelong admirer of history, I often think of the Huns and the Magyars—horsemen who carved out empires not with brute force, but with extraordinary communication, precision, and understanding between horse and rider.

They didn’t ride with gadgets. They didn’t obsess over diagonals. They rode with intent. They looked at the horizon and their horses followed. The horse beneath them became a mirror to the clarity in their mind. That’s not myth. That’s focus.

Today, we can still learn from that. When you approach an obstacle, like a fence your horse always stops at, notice where your focus is. Are you staring at the horse’s ears, waiting for them to react? Or are you already beyond the fence in your mind, looking forward with purpose?

I’ve seen it time and time again—rider A comes to the same fence and the horse balks. Rider B, calm and forward-thinking, walks right through it, reins loose. The difference isn’t strength. It’s clarity. The second rider doesn’t ask the horse, “Can we do this?” They simply invite them with certainty: “We are doing this.”

Plan with Precision, Execute with Softness

Before you ask anything from your horse—a circle, a halt, a lateral step—see it in your mind. Visualize the path. Know where it starts and where it ends. Then ride it with breath and feeling, not force. Your horse doesn’t need loud cues. They need a rider who sees the way.

For every exercise, from the simplest halt to the most refined pirouette, ask yourself: “Do I have a clear plan in my mind? Can I ride this path in my head before I ask it with my body?”

Because when your horse feels that you’re ahead of the moment, they trust you to lead.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to be fearless. You just need to be honest. Bring your full, feeling self into the saddle. Speak less with your mouth and more with your body. Be soft, be clear, be kind.

And remember: the horse isn’t waiting for you to ride perfectly.

They’re just waiting for you to show up as yourself.

Ride with love, Equestrian Nomad Adventures