Tammy Rigsby Equine Mindset Coach

04/26/2024

Photo credit Carrie Dodt
Pictured Taylor D’Agastino with her speed team. First ride back at a show after a riding accident that left her paralyzed from the chest down.

04/22/2024

Never let success get to your head or failure get to your heart.

I love this phrase and it is so important to remember.

I have literally spent my entire life in the horse show world. Our family has been teaching and training people to show horses since before I was born. We have been at shows where we are the underdog and we have been at horse shows where we feel like rock stars, so I am well aware of what it’s like to be on both ends of the spectrum.

I have watched many people learning to ride decide they would like to start competing, because they felt the need to give themselves a goal. They start winning some prizes get excited then realize that they could qualify for national shows, world shows, etc.… That is when I have seen things start going backwards for them. You see, when they started showing, they had absolutely no expectations, they just wanted to give themselves a challenge and a push to improve their riding skills. They are usually, really enjoying showing. Then when they realize that there are opportunities for them to go onto big titles, they start putting tons of pressure on themselves. That pressure starts to mess with their head. Their focus switches from how they kept improving at each show to whether or not they earned the points or the awards that they needed to qualify for the big show or award they wanted.

The focus shouldn’t be the prize but the steps to get there. Positive feelings are so good for your energy and your motivation. The feelings that come with focusing on the prizes are stressful and stress drains our energy and makes us feel defeated.

The question is: how do we find the balance? Having goals to qualify for the national or world horse show, winning the big prize, is important to drive us forward. The most important prize to keep your eye on is, have you improved?

When you are competing, to stay grounded ask yourself:
1. How did you feel about your ride?
2. Did you get the results you had expected?
3. Were there circumstances that got in the way of your ride beyond your control?
4. What changes do you need to make for your next ride?

I have had success get to my head but let me tell you, I was humbled real quick! I had a season of competing at some very tough breed shows. We are talking 30 plus of tough competitors in every class every weekend. A world show where I had earned quite a few titles including some world and reserve world buckles. We were at our local county fair, which let me say we do have some amazing riders that competed there and they had some decent payback so it drew competition. I was going into horsemanship and I literally thought “I’ve got this in the bag, I have been rocking this all year!” I did my pattern, get to the other end of the arena and my mom asks me, “Why did you reverse the leads?” The dumbest mistake EVER! I was so overly confident that I never spent the time repeatedly going over the pattern in my mind like I ALWAYS did. Talk about being served a piece of humble pie! I let the entire county think I didn’t know my leads and I made my living training horses and teaching people how to ride and tell their leads! I let success get to my head.

Remember the greatest prize there is in competing with horses is that you are ALWAYS improving on your skill and learning from your mistakes.

01/22/2024

I wish I could be as cool as these cowgirls! How amazing! In 2006 100 horses found themselves trapped on an island after a major flooding in the Netherlands. 6 cowgirls came to the rescue and rode out to the island and guided the horses back to the mainland. Just awesome! Proof cowgirls have a never give up attitude!!

God bless those who save the horses, names at last. The video answers why we are with horses - they make us better, stronger, bigger then ourselves could be...

07/29/2023

Great advise from Joel Osteen!

07/24/2023

Great advise!

You are responsible for your success—or lack there of.

If you panic in a run and can’t think, then make a change.

Learn how to control your breathing and your emotion.

Learn how to think through the situation.

Obviously, practice will help.

Improved cardio fitness will also help. If you can breathe when you are stressed, you can think.

Take control of yourself.

It’s difficult to self sabotage when you are breathing and talking yourself through the run.

You are in control. Now go take what’s yours!

www.betweenthereins.us



📸: Bee Silva

07/08/2023

Moral of the story, no matter how bad things appear, keep pushing, you can still win!

One of the most talked about moments in Wrangler National Finals Rodeo history happened in 1985 when Charmayne James lost her bridle while...

07/05/2023

Cowgirl Boss has another great one!!

Morning motivation
Happy Saturday! ❤️

07/04/2023

Perfectly said!!

Some horses are naturally talented athletes and they tend to make training a little easier and quicker.

Some horses need to be developed.

Some need to be taught how to carry themselves and how to use themselves in order to be efficient.

Some can be trained in a few months and some take years.

Some of the horses just need age and maturity to be physically or mentally ready to compete.

In other words, horses are just like people—

Some have anxiety.
Some are never consistent.
Some are always goofing off.
Some horses are all business and have a lot of try and some just can’t handle pressure.

But in the end—
Great horses make great trainers giving great trainers the ability to make good horses into great ones.

www.betweenthereins.us

07/02/2023

Pictured, Melissa Hoopis on Lincoln. Someone who always demonstrates these qualities!

06/29/2023

06/29/2023

I’m very excited to show what has been in the works! Thank you so much to Carrie Dodt for helping me with this, or should I say, putting it all together. 😜 please take a look and give me your feedback! It is still a work in progress… Thank you for all of your support as I start this new, exciting journey!