How to Mentally Ride Your Best Test

Dr. Samson on Preparation, Focus, and Performance

Dr. Samson emphasizes that riding your best test starts long before you enter the arena. Mental performance, like physical performance, is something that can be trained — and it begins with preparation.

Success, she explains, is roughly 85% preparation and 15% in-the-moment execution. Preparation includes studying the test, knowing your horse, planning logistics, and creating routines. These are all things within your control. The remaining 15% is about accepting and adjusting — managing what happens in real time when things don’t go exactly as planned.

Self-awareness is the cornerstone of strong mental performance. Riders should reflect on questions such as:

• What helps my performance?

• What stresses me out?

• How does competition stress affect me?

• On a scale of 1–10, where do I perform best in terms of energy and arousal?

Every rider has a Zone of Optimal Functioning, and that zone looks different for everyone. Understanding where you perform best allows you to regulate your emotions and energy more effectively on competition day.

Patterns and routines reduce stress. When riders know what to expect and follow familiar processes, the brain stays calmer. This includes physical preparation, mental rehearsal, and planning for each phase of the competition day.

Dr. Samson also encourages riders to create fire drills — clear responses to common problems. “When this happens, I will do this.” Having a plan reduces panic and keeps riders focused on solutions rather than mistakes.

Breathing is often the first indicator of stress or over-arousal. Intentional breath work can quickly regulate emotions and refocus attention. Riders should also pay close attention to their language, especially during post-ride evaluation. How you talk about your performance shapes how you process it. Accepting where you are is not the same as settling — growth comes from honest evaluation paired with intention.

Dr. Samson led members through various exercises that can be completed prior to, during, and after competition to garner success. She reminded members that, as riders, we have more control over our success if we have better preparation and more tools when the competition doesn’t go as planned.