🔮Tap Into The Magic of Mantras🔮

Has your trainer ever told you, “You got this!” or “Just go ride your horse!” While it may not help you fine tune your spins, these are examples of using a mantra to focus and motivate riders, and help block out other distractions. It’s a great example of one way to support riders to drop the perfectionism and doubt and just ride the way you know you can!

These things you tell yourself while riding — your riding mantras—can help you ride steadier, and perform better.

You might have pumped yourself up with an “I’ve got this” before you enter the arena. Or you might have told yourself “another one just like that” before finishing out your pattern.

What is a mantra? And how and why would we use it in our riding? A mantra is any repeated word or phrase. Mantras can be used in meditation as well as riding to help riders focus, energize, and bring themselves fully present and engaged to their ride.

We’re going to use mantra to mean a meaningful phrase that has significance to you as the rider. This can be emotional, mental, or energetic significance. Our mantras set a powerful intention for our performance.

A mantra is like a shortcut for our brain. By using a mantra that has specific meaning to the individual, it focuses our attention and narrows our focus, and sparks our emotional state to productively focus our energy.

In other words, if you’re trying to shave a ½ second off of your next barrel run, or up your reining score ½ a point, using mantras (along with physical training) can be the ticket to a new personal record.

What makes an effective mantra for riding? We’ll cover that. Then I’ll share some of the best riding mantras to use the next time you want to saddle up, dig a little deeper, & enter the show pen a little more confidently.

How to create a mantra for riding that works

Your riding mantra can be as simple as a single word.

Or it can be a string of words that you repeat to help you accomplish something in your riding—whether that’s nailing your sliding stop, roping that steer, or simply riding without fear, and encouraging yourself when you doubt your ability. Repeated mantras help us reduce stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, as well as improving attention and positive mood.

Here are some examples from my work.

A reiner I work with repeats the phrase, “get ‘r done” when she’s feeling nervous before a run. To her, that phrase encompasses that gritty, western, rodeo feeling of just being present and just doing it. To not be nit-picky, perfectionist or timid. But to be bold, deliberate, and forward in her riding, and that it’s more important to do it and be effective and correct than to be “pretty.” Reminding herself to just “git ‘r done” calms her down and focuses her so she can productively ride her horse.

“Do it scared,” is one of my own personal mantras. It’s what I say when I’m terrified and I start to feel like I haven’t actually been riding and my horse knows nothing and everyone will laugh at me. (None of which has to be true to have those big scary feelings). When I start to get nervous and small, it also helps to hype me up and get me into the mental and emotional state I need to compete.

You can use some of the popular riding mantras I’ll share in a moment. But if you want to create your own, I’ve got a couple of tips to help you do so.

Try this out: Let’s say that you’re watching yourself ride, and you see yourself facing a tough spot. What would be the most reassuring thing you could say to yourself?

Keep your running mantra short but energetic with action words

My second tip would be to keep it short. The easiest mantras to remember and use are ones that consist of only a few words. But to make your mantras even more memorable, try mixing in some strong action words, such as ‘fast’, ‘effortless’, or ‘smooth’.

So give a thought as to what would benefit you most as you ride and create your own mantra. Or, grab one from the best riding mantras list below.

Keep The best riding mantras when you have a NEED for SPEED!

If you’re looking for more speed as a reiner, roper, a barrel racer, or more, consider one of these mantras.

1. “Light, fast, strong.”

2. “Go faster. Push harder.”

3. “Swift and smooth.”

4. “Relax and roll.”

5. “Fly fast.”

6. “Light it up.”

7. “Now’s the time to go for it.”

8. “You can handle this.”

9. “You’ve trained for this.”

10. “You’ve got the speed.”

The best riding mantras for anxiety+fear

Our minds and egos want to keep us safe and small. That’s why our minds offer up fear and anxiety. If you find your mind running roughshod over you, practice one of these mantras.

1. “I am in my body.”

2. “I am anchored like the roots of a tree.”

3. “My horse listens well to me.”

4. “My horse and I are a great team.”

5. “My horse is responsive and willing.”

6. “Be fearless.”

7. “Get it done.”

8. “Stay loose.”

9. “You’re a natural.”

10. “You can trust your horse.”

The best running mantras for when you want to quit

Sometimes, we all feel overshadowed by doubt and want to crawl into our horse trailers and cry and quit. Here are some mantras to repeat when you want to give up.

1. “Be brave.”

2. “You can.”

3. “One step at a time.”

4. “You will make it.”

5. “Dig deep.”

6. “Keep showing up.”

7. “You can do hard things.”

8. “Forward is forward.”

9. “Unstoppable.”

The best running mantras for competition day

And finally the big day comes. We’re at the showgrounds, and feeling a little weak at the knees. Here are mantras to help you feel centered, alert, and mindful on competition day.

1. “Breathe in strength. Breathe out weakness.”

2. “Ride each step.”

3. “Beast mode on.”

4. “Finish strong.”

5. “Stay measured and controlled.“

6. “This is why you’re here.”

7. “Perform the preparation.”

8. “You’re focused and prepared.”

9. “You are ready.”

10. “You got this.”

The things you tell yourself while riding—your riding mantras—can help you the next time you want to fly fast, slide long, rope that doggie, or nail your transitions. Repeat whatever mantra resonates with you and use it to focus your attention and adjust your emotional state before a ride, and during your ride. Don’t be afraid to say, “Ride every stride” to yourself throughout your ride.

I hope the tips in this newsletter can help you create and find a riding mantra that resonates with you.

And remember, the best running mantras don’t have to be clever, groundbreaking, or original. It just needs to work for you.

Until next time!

Happy Trails,

Nicole