What To Do If Your Confidence Drops Mid Pattern?

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I was loping over the logs. Everything had been going fine.

Not perfect, but fine.

And then my horse knocked a pole.

I cringed. Physically. 

It wasn’t even that big of a deal—but in that instant?

I spiraled.

“Was my cue late?”
“Did I set her up wrong?”
“Did I just blow it?”

I felt like the run was already hot-trash garbage. Like I was out of the running and out of control. And my brain, ever helpful, chimed in:

“That probably cost us.”
“You’re doing it again…”
“Why can’t you just stay focused?”

And just like that… I wasn’t riding anymore. I was stuck in my head. 

DAGNABBIT!!!!!

The pattern went on. But I was no longer in it.

I finished the ride. I smiled. I nodded. I made it out of the arena without melting down.
But inside? I felt like a total loser. 

And here’s what hurt the most:

I knew what to do. I knew how to ride.
But in that moment, I didn’t trust myself.
And the confidence I thought I had? Gone.

I share this because I get asked all the time:

“What do I do if I lose my confidence mid-pattern?”

So let’s talk about it.

First of all—this is normal. It doesn’t mean you’re not ready. It doesn’t mean you’re not a great rider.

It means your nervous system is doing its job: looking for threats, trying to keep you safe, trying to solve problems in real-time.

Here’s a major mindset shift most folks miss (resist) but you have to have: 

You don’t need to be confident every second.

I said what I said. 

Even as the Confidence Queen, I’d never expect you to ride around at Confidence Level 100 every moment of every ride. You’re human. Life happens. Your horse blinks and it throws you off.

So if it’s not about being confident every second, what IS it about?

You need to know how to recover.

So what do you do in the actual moment when your confidence drops and your brain starts to spiral?

Here’s what to do—on the spot, in the run:

🧰 Here’s your 3-step confidence reset:

🛠 Step 1: Interrupt the spiral

Use a short phrase or cue to cut through the noise.
I call it a Confidence Cue—something like:

• “I’m here now.”

• “Ride the moment.”

• “One thing at a time.”

• Or even just: “Breathe.”

You want something that brings your brain out of panic and into presence.

🛠 Step 2: Use your breath as an anchor

Take one full exhale. (Yes—even while riding.)
Drop your shoulders.
Feel your seat bones in the saddle.
The breath tells your brain:

“Hey—we’re okay. We’re still in this.”

You’ll be amazed what one intentional breath can do.

🛠 Step 3: Refocus on your next cue

Not what just happened. Not how it looked.

Ask: “What’s my job right now?”

Set up the next maneuver. Soften your hand. Think forward.

Confidence isn’t about perfection—it’s about direction.

🧠 Final Thought:

Confidence isn’t a permanent state.
It’s a skill. One you build, moment by moment—especially when it starts to slip.

The most elite riders aren’t the ones who never wobble.
They’re the ones who know how to recover fast—and keep riding like they mean it.

And now, so do you.

That’s why I created 5 Days to Confident Competitor—because you deserve to know what to do in the moment when the doubt creeps in.

You deserve tools that help you come back to yourself quickly, gently, and without shame.

This is the kind of real-time work I teach inside 5 Days to Confident Competitor. If this made you feel seen, and you're ready to finally ride with steady, grounded confidence—go grab it now. This is your step-by-step system to stop spiraling and stay focused, especially when it counts most.

Inside this 5-day audio experience, I’ll guide you through:

✨ The exact process I use to stop a mental spiral in its tracks
✨ Breathing + mindset resets that actually work under pressure
✨ How to re-anchor your focus mid-ride
✨ And how to finish like a rider who still believes in herself—no matter what happened at the beginning

🎧 This is a paid experience. It’s priced at $33 to be accessible to all riders. No fluff. Just real tools, and real relief.

→ Click here to join 5 Days to Confident Competitor

You don’t need to be flawless to be powerful.
You just need to know how to come back to your power—again and again.

And I can teach you that.

Let’s ride.

Nicole