Back in the Saddle: Confidence Reset with Lucy Townsley Confidence Coaching

This is coaching for what happens inside you when fear, pressure, hesitation, or overthinking starts affecting your riding.

Who This Is For

It may be suitable if you struggle with:

• Fear after a fall
• Fear of cantering
• Fear of jumping
• Fear of galloping
• Fear of the first fence
• Nerves before competing
• Freezing in the saddle
• Overthinking every mistake
• Comparing yourself to other riders
• Losing confidence even though you know you can ride
• Riding well at home but struggling at shows
• feeling your nerves take over your body

Sessions can be done online or in person.

Why Riding Confidence Can Disappear

Nervous rider confidence coaching for fear after a fall and competition nerves

Riding confidence can change very quickly.

A fall, a horse taking off, a bad jump, a mistake in the ring, a difficult show, or even a long break from riding can leave your nervous system on high alert.

You may still love horses.
You may still want to ride.
You may know logically that you are capable.

But your body reacts before your logical mind can talk you out of it.

That is why simply telling yourself to “be more confident” often does not work.

Confidence is not just a thought. It is also a bodily response.

When your nervous system has learned to protect you, you may freeze, tense up, overthink, hold back, or avoid situations you used to enjoy.

That is where this work comes in.

Using NLP-informed coaching, mindset strategies, and practical nervous system support, I help you understand the pattern and begin changing your response.

The aim is to help you feel clearer, calmer, more focused, and more confident about riding again.

Back in the Saddle Confidence Reset

The Back in the Saddle Confidence Reset is a 6-session riding confidence coaching programme delivered over 12 weeks.

This gives you time to work on the fear, practice between sessions, and build confidence gradually without feeling overwhelmed.

Because nerves often show up most strongly close to competition time, I also offer WhatsApp voice message support around key riding or competition moments.

Sometimes you do not need a full session. You just need a reminder of what we worked on, what to focus on, and how to bring yourself back into the right state before you ride.

This support is designed to help you use the tools from the sessions in real riding situations.

What We Cover Over the 12 Weekshttps://tidycal.com/lucyt71/15-minute-ride-with-confidence-call

Each rider is different, so the sessions are adapted to what you need. But the general structure looks like this:

Session 1 — Understanding Your Fear Pattern

We start by looking at where the fear began, when it felt worst, and how it is showing up now.

This may include:

The first time the fear appeared
The worst riding experience is connected to the fear
The most recent time it affected you
A fall
A horse taking off
A difficult competition
A moment where confidence dropped
A pattern that has slowly built over time

The aim is to help you understand the fear pattern, instead of feeling controlled by it.

When you can see the pattern clearly, it becomes easier to work with.

Session 2 — Calming the Body Response

Fear is not just in your head. It shows up in the body.

You may notice:

• Racing heart
• Tightness
• Freezing
• Shallow breathing
• Tension
• Anticipation before riding
• Feeling blocked before you even get on

In this session, we work on practical ways to regulate the body and use the nerves differently.

Instead of seeing nerves as something that stops you, we begin by working with the idea that nervous energy can become useful power when properly directed.

If sessions are in person, acupuncture may also be included where appropriate.

Session 3 — Confidence, Identity, and Inner Voice

Many riders are not only dealing with fear. They are also dealing with the voice in their head.

That voice might say:

• “I’m not good enough.”
• “What if I mess it up?”
• “Everyone is watching me.”
• “I used to be better than this.”
• “If it happened before, it will happen again.”
• “Other riders are better than me.”

In this session, we work on self-doubt, comparison, fear of judgment, and the inner critic.

The aim is to help you ride from capability, not fear.

Session 4 — Your Practical Riding Confidence Plan

This is where we bridge the coaching work back into the saddle.

We build a gradual, practical plan that suits you and your horse.

That might include:

• Grooming only
• Mounting only
• Walking
• Trotting
• Cantering on the lunge
• Riding in a smaller arena
• Building up to jumping
• Controlled galloping
• Preparing for a lesson
• Preparing for a show or competition

The aim is to build confidence without overwhelming your system.

We do not flood the fear.
We build the steps.

Session 5 — Performance Pressure and Competition Nerves

This session focuses on riding under pressure.

We may work on:

• Ring nerves
• Perfectionism
• Mistake recovery
• Pressure from parents, trainers, owners, or other riders
• Comparison
• Freezing after a mistake
• Losing focus before a fence, test, race, or round
• Trying to make everything too perfect

We build simple tools you can use before and during riding, so that one mistake does not take over the whole session, round, test, or race.

The aim is to help you recover faster, refocus, and ride the next moment.

Session 6 — Your Confidence Blueprint

The final session is about making the work practical and lasting.

We create your personal confidence plan, including:

• What triggers you
• What helps you reset
• What to do before riding
• What to do before competing
• What to do if fear comes back
• What reminders help you most
• What support do you need going forward
• How to keep building confidence after the programme

You leave with a clearer understanding of yourself as a rider and a practical plan you can keep using.

This programme is not about forcing you through fear.

It is about understanding how your mind and body respond, building practical tools, and helping you return to riding with more confidence, clarity, and control.

Who I Work With

I work with:

• Nervous everyday riders
• Leisure riders
• Riding club riders
• Show jumpers
• Dressage riders
• Event riders
• Horse racing riders
• Competitive riders
• Teenage riders
• Adults returning after a break
• Riders rebuilding confidence after a fall

This work can be useful whether you ride for pleasure or compete seriously.

You do not need to be based in Galway. Sessions can be done online.

Why Work With Me?

Lucy Townsley Champion, Lady Jockey in Ireland, and riding confidence coach

I bring real riding experience to this work.

I was Champion Lady Jockey in Ireland, a leading lady point-to-point rider, and I won my first race at 16.

Before racing, I also show-jumped from a young age, including competing as an individual at European level. I held a record at Guernsey Horse of the Year Show on my 12.2hh pony, jumping 3’9″ / approximately 1.15m.

So when a rider tells me they freeze, overthink, lose confidence, panic before a fence, or feel their nerves take over, I understand it from the inside.

I know what it is like to come back from falls.
I know what it is like when things do not go right in competition.
I know what it is like to need your mind in the game.
And I know what it feels like when nerves completely take over.

A serious fall broke my back and changed the direction of my life. That experience taught me how quickly confidence can be shaken, and how important it is to rebuild trust in your body, your mind, and your decisions.

Now I help riders work through fear, hesitation, pressure, and confidence blocks so they can get back to enjoying their riding again.

What Makes This Different?

This is not generic confidence advice.

I combine:

• Real riding and racing experience
• NLP-informed coaching
• Practical nervous system support
• Mindset strategies
• Performance experience
• Understanding of fear after falls
• Understanding of riding pressure and competition nerves

This means we are not just talking about the problem.

We are working with the way your mind and body respond when you ride.

Teen Riders

I work with teenage riders as well as adults.

For riders under 18, parent or guardian consent is required before coaching begins.

A parent or guardian may also be involved in the booking process so everyone is clear about the purpose of the coaching and the support being offered.

Online or In Person

You can work with me online or in person.

Online sessions can be useful if you are not based near Galway, if you are travelling, or if you prefer to work from home.

In-person sessions are also available by arrangement.

You do not need to bring your horse, because this is coaching, not a riding lesson.

Book a free riding confidence coaching call with Lucy Townsley

If you are struggling with fear, hesitation, performance nerves, or loss of confidence, you can book a free 15-minute call with me.

We can talk through what is happening, what you want to change, and whether the Back in the Saddle Confidence Reset may be suitable for you.

Book your free 15-minute Riding Confidence Call here:

Important Note

Riding Confidence Coaching does not replace safe riding instruction, suitable horse training, medical advice, or professional mental health support where needed. If your fear is linked to serious trauma, injury, or ongoing distress, please make sure you have the right professional support around you. This work focuses on confidence, mindset, nervous system patterns, and helping you build a better internal response when you ride.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this for nervous everyday riders or competitive riders?

Both.

I work with leisure riders, riding club riders, show jumpers, dressage riders, event riders, horse racing riders, and competitive riders.

The common thread is not the level you ride at. It is the fear, hesitation, nerves, or confidence block affecting you.

Can this help after a bad fall?

It may support riders who have lost confidence after a fall, accident, or frightening experience.

We work with the fear pattern, the body response, and the way the memory of the event may still be affecting your riding.

Do I need to be based in Galway?

No.

Sessions can be done online or in person.

Online coaching means you can work with me even if you are not based near Galway.

How many sessions will I need?

I usually recommend the 6-session Back in the Saddle Confidence Reset, delivered over 12 weeks.

This gives enough time to work on the issue and practise between sessions without overwhelming you.

Do I need to bring my horse?

No.

This is not a riding lesson.

You do not need your horse with you. The coaching focuses on your confidence, mindset, nervous system response, and riding-related fear patterns.

Do you work with teenagers?

Yes.

I work with teenage riders and adults.

For riders under 18, parent or guardian consent is required.

Can this help with fear of cantering, jumping, galloping, or competing?

Yes, those are common issues I work with.

Riders may come for fear of cantering, fear of jumping, fear of galloping, fear of the first fence, fear after a fall, or nerves before competing.

What makes you qualified to help riders?

I bring lived riding experience as well as coaching experience.

I was Champion Lady Jockey in Ireland, a leading lady point-to-point rider, competed in show jumping from a young age, and understand the pressure, fear, falls, and confidence issues that riders face.

I also use NLP-informed coaching and practical nervous system support.

Do you offer support before competitions?

Yes, where appropriate, I offer WhatsApp voice message support around key riding or competition moments.

This can help you reconnect with what we worked on in session, remind you what to focus on, and support you in getting into a better state before you ride.