Tough Ride? Here’s What Olympic Champions Know That You Don’t... Yet.

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I’ve gotta ask… have you ever walked away from a ride feeling like you were completely off your game? Like, what just happened?! Your horse isn’t responding, your seat feels all wrong, and you’re left wondering if you’re even making any progress at all.

Yeah, me too.

And you know who else? All top athletes ever. 

Let me tell you about Olympic runner Alexi Pappas. She represented Greece at the 2016 Summer Olympics, setting the national record for 10k. (Yeah, I know we just had the 2024 Olympics, but this story from 2016 is still super relevant). 

Just before the 2016 Olympics, Alexi had one of the worst practices of her life. She was discouraged and doubting herself—right on the edge of giving up. (If you have a horse, I know you’ve had that moment yourself). 

But then her coach shared something that not only changed her outlook but propelled her to another round of incredible performances at the Games. I mean, she set a personal best at the Rio Games. 

Her coach told her after a particularly challenging workout where she didn’t hit her splits (time intervals in running) before going to the Rio Olympics, "that's ok-it’s the Rule of Thirds.” 

Wait, you mean right before a mega-huge-international competition where she didn’t appear to be peaking, her coach told her it was… fine… and she should… not worry?

Her coach-also an Olympian-elaborated that when you’re chasing a dream or doing anything hard you’re meant to feel good ⅓ of the time, okay ⅓ of the time, and crappy ⅓ of the time. As long as the ratio is roughly in that range, you’re doing fine. 

So today was just the crappy day along your dream chasing journey. No big deal. 

Just check in with yourself: If you’re feeling too good all the time, consider if you’re challenging yourself enough. If you’re feeling too bad all the time, are you pushing yourself too hard?

That was it. No magic solution. Just a simple truth: You’re not supposed to feel amazing every time.

Wait… What!?!

And here’s the part where this ties into you and your riding...

If you’re waiting for every ride to feel flawless, you’ll never experience the real growth that comes with those tough moments.

So those days when things aren’t clicking and you can’t sit a lead change and your horse forgot how to walk on four hooves, great-you still show up! You still saddle up and swing into the saddle. That’s just your crappy day. It doesn’t mean you quit your goal. It doesn’t mean you freak out. You show up and ride through that crappy ride. Ride through the “dip” because you are doing something hard. 

Here’s why this matters:

You’ve got two choices. You can keep letting the bad rides ruin your confidence, or you can see them for what they really are: necessary steps in your journey to becoming the rider you’re meant to be.

Picture this: You’re at your next competition, and instead of that little voice in your head telling you, “What if this goes wrong?”—you feel this calm, confident certainty that no matter what happens, you’ve got this. And not because every ride has been perfect, but because you’ve learned how to use those imperfect rides to your advantage.

That’s the secret no one tells you about mental mastery and riding like a champion. It’s not about perfection. It’s about progress.

Here’s What Happens When You Shift Your Mindset

• You start showing up to your rides feeling grounded, and stay that way even when things go sideways.

• You stop second-guessing yourself after a rough day in the saddle and actually learn from it.

• You connect more deeply with your horse, because instead of worrying, you’re present.

Here’s the thing: Confidence is built. You don’t wait for it to magically appear. You train for it—just like you train your horse.

What’s Next?

If you’re ready to stop feeling stuck after tough rides and start riding with the confidence of someone who knows they’re always making progress (even when things feel "meh"), I want to invite you to my FREE Confidence Masterclass.

In it, I’ll show you how to flip your mindset and turn every ride—good, bad, or meh—into a step forward.

Let’s get you back in the saddle, feeling more capable and confident than ever before. Click here to sign up, and let’s take your riding to the next level.

See you inside!
Nicole
Resilient Reiner