Navigating opinions

As a rider, you’ve likely encountered all kinds of opinions about how you should train, ride or care for your horse. Sometimes, these opinions are really helpful and constructive, but at other times they can be intrusive, unkind and even damaging to your confidence.

There’s much we can learn from others and different viewpoints can expand our understanding by offering new ideas we might not have considered. However, we’re all individuals and not every suggestion or insight will be right for you or your horse. So, how can you filter the noise and continue enjoying your riding?

Underlying motives

Understanding the motivations behind other people’s opinions can help you take them less personally. Often, people offer their thoughts because they feel it’s their way of helping. However, sometimes, these opinions come from a place of insecurity, a need to feel knowledgeable or even a desire to compare themselves to others to bolster their own confidence.

Spot the difference

When you’re trying to build confidence, what others say can easily lift you up or knock you down, so it helps to know the difference between advice and opinions.

Advice is usually invited, thoughtful and based on an understanding of your situation.

Opinion can sound like advice but is often unsolicited and shaped by someone else’s fears, beliefs or limited perspective.

Top tip

You’re not obligated to act on someone’s opinion or advice. Filtering feedback is a skill – and an important one – when you’re working on your mindset.

Keep it in perspective

When someone shares an opinion, it can say more about them than it does about you. Their experiences, beliefs and limitations shape what they say, so their perspective may be incomplete, biased or simply unhelpful. Recognising this helps you manage your emotions and protect your confidence.

The same applies to passing comments from strangers or acquaintances, who don’t know your horse, your history or your challenges. Remember, people see what they expect to see, so it’s essential to recognise you’re making progress on your own terms and that others might not have awareness or understanding of your riding journey.

Read more about how to manage other’s opinions in July Horse&Rider – pick up your copy of the magazine today!