Time to break free

It’s easy to stick with what you know, especially when riding. It feels safe and secure, but there are so many adventures and experiences just waiting for you if you’re ready to challenge the limits of your comfort zone. Over time, and step by step, you’ll find more trust in yourself and your horse, achieving a real, tangible boost in your riding confidence.

The new year symbolises a fresh start, a time for setting goals and embracing change. But in 2024, why not explore the other side of your comfort zone? You just never know where it might take you.

In the zone

The comfort zone is a behavioural space in which your activities and routines fit a pattern that minimises stress and risk. There’s a feeling of being in control and in a safe space. When you’re in your comfort zone, you’re likely to feel happier and more confident. It’s familiar and easy to manage and it’s where habits are formed and the sense of safety is reinforced.

Unfortunately, it can also lead to the unconscious creation of limiting beliefs about yourself and your horse, which then impact where, when and how you ride. When you don’t venture beyond what’s familiar and under your control, you might miss out on opportunities to learn and improve. It can also lead to the development of a fixed mindset, when you begin to believe that your abilities are set in stone and you create ever more detailed rules about what you can or can’t do.

With these limiting beliefs, we can become less inclined to challenge ourselves, so our comfort zones begin to shrink even further.

Redefining boundaries

Our self-created and self-imposed boundaries and limits appear in different guises, in the language we use, the actions we take or the emotions we express.

Once you begin to explore your own comfort zones, you can better define your boundaries and whether they are where you would like them to be or whether you want to adjust them.

You don’t even need to actively step outside your comfort zone, as progressively stretching its edges is more effective and confidence building, slowly expanding it from the inside out. This involves nudging the boundaries gently and progressively with activities and adjustments that are just a little more challenging than you’re used to, taking small steps that incrementally build your abilities and confidence.

This approach ensures that you’re always in a state of learning and growing, but without the pressure of taking on too much too soon.

Step outside your comfort zone with the help of Alison Buttery in February Horse&Rider – pick up a copy today!