Mind Before Movement: Why Confidence Starts in the Barn

You can teach rate. You can condition for speed. You can drill foot placement until the horses know exactly where they should be. But if the rider rides into the alley without belief — none of it will stick.

Confidence isn’t built in the alley. It’s built at the ranch every day.

Where Confidence Begins

It starts in the pen. In the way your daughter talks to her horse. In the tone you take when a pattern isn’t perfect. It’s not at the event. It’s in the slow moments.

If your kid hears "Don't mess up" more than "You've got this," the fear gets louder than the training.

3 Ways We Build Confident Riders at Home

1. Praise Effort Over Perfection

If you only celebrate clean runs, you're missing the good stuff. I’ll take "You worked your butt off for that one" over "You didn’t hit anything" any day.

2. Practice Pressure On Purpose

We simulate the nerves — timers at home, music playing, siblings watching. The point isn’t to stress them out. It’s to normalize intensity. So that on game day, the adrenaline feels familiar.

3. Model Calm in the Chaos

They watch us more than they listen to us. If I stay calm after a tough run, they learn to do the same. If I critique too soon, they shut down.

What to Say (and What Not To)

Instead of:

• "You need to ride harder." Try:

• "You made a smart correction at the second. That’s what matters."

Instead of:

• "Don’t be scared." Try:

• "I know you’re nervous. That means you care. Let’s use it."

Confidence doesn’t come from false praise. It comes from truth, love, and reps. A kid who believes in themself — even after a no-time — is already ahead.

Let’s keep building that kind of rider.

— Ann-Marie Fenner

Ranch Manager, Breeder, Rodeo Mom

RadRodeo.com