Lizzie Burcher is a sports psychologist who has worked with athletes around the world in a variety of different sports. During her work as a sports psychologist to U21 riders from Ireland, France, Germany and the UK, the medal tally has reached 22 gold, 24 silver and 38 bronze. Lizzie now works with 12 senior nations cup riders from four countries and five olympians.

THE moral of this piece is that anxious or nervous riders pass on feelings of tension to the horse. There is no doubt that, if it is transferred to the animal, it is most likely to cause a negative response.

When I was asked to write this article, past memories of clients with issues surrounding tension, flooded to the forefront of my mind.

The work I do is strictly confidential and I pride myself on this. However, roughly 70% of people I see are suffering from generalised anxiety disorders.

The symptoms are varied but a few common ones include excessive sweating, physical body tension, nausea or abdominal distress, raised heart rate, jaw clenching, fist clenching, selective mutism, trembling and shaking, feeling dizzy or light headed, feelings of choking, being easily fatigued, irritability and the feeling of being on edge.

These symptoms are associated with feelings of nervousness or tension, in response to a diverse number of situations. Usually it is a frequent worry about the negative effects, either from past unpleasant experiences or from negative visualisation of what could happen.

For the person suffering with anxiety, try to remember that however you are feeling there is someone who is feeling somewhat the same.

The above can be said for all sports. However, we as horsemen and women are in a specialised realm that is completely unique. Put simply, a motorbike doesn’t have a brain, a horse does and its response to the rider’s reactions are immense.

I can get a rugby player or a boxer really focused, their adrenaline pumping and their performance usually improves. If I were to do this with a rider and they get on their horse feeling the same way, the horse will most likely not appreciate the rider’s attitude. The horse will react in a tense and negative way and therefore not have a good performance. Horses are sensitive to threats and, due to this, their reactions are usually erratic.

In relation to the wonderful world of which we are all engrossed in daily, the glorious sport of the horse, anxiety raises its head in all levels of competitor. I work with riders on European, Olympic and Nations cup teams and I see riders who are trying to overcome the same issues as those who are riding for leisure.

What I am trying to point out is that the level of rider is irrelevant, and the cause of the hypertension is irrelevant. The physical and emotional responses to that anxiety are what cause problems with most horses. It is the reaction to the perceived threatening situation that I, as a sports psychologist, work to change.

I empower the client to be in control of the anxiety, rather than the anxiety be in control of them. Learning to be in charge of the emotional response to the threat is key.

There are varied techniques people can use to relieve anxiety. I have found, through working with clients, that if we can identify the cause of the tension then together we can work out a programme to remedy the situation. Programmes usually involve personalised disarming techniques, specialised breathing, exposure therapy, the use of imagery, confidence building, distraction control and many more.

In summary the way a rider feels is picked up by the horse. As horses are so sensitive to threats, their reactions are usually erratic and this can effect performance.

Lizzie Burcher Sports Psychologist

Telephone: 086 8045737