An Evening with Charlie Unwin (Centre 10) on working with overthinking, perfectionism and self-criticism

Working with overthinking, perfectionism and self-criticism

A repeated rider concern is being “in my head”, overthinking, feeling judged, disappointing the trainer/parents, or mentally spiralling after mistakes.

This matters because overthinking is not just an emotional issue; it disrupts timing, feel, decision-making and the rider’s ability to stay present with the horse.

I believe strongly that, as coaches, we are here to develop a rider's ability to think not just ride. Mental management becomes an essential tool in mitigating the unhelpful self-talk that can occur in many riders - especially under pressure. But the key to success is not in learning to “cope" in the moment, rather, mental management has to be developed as a deliberate part of everyday training.

In this discussion forum we will explore giving corrective feedback without creating threat, helping riders reset after errors, reducing cognitive overload, and coaching riders who are perfectionistic or highly self-critical.

1 CPD point