Week Two: Mindful Presence

Week 2: Mindful Presence

I always laugh when people talk about “grounding before you go to the barn,” because, well—I live here. If I’m not grounded by now, I might be a lost cause.

But in all seriousness, it’s a real topic, and I have two people in my own barn who immediately come to mind when I think about pre-ride or in the ride grounding.

Take Molly and her horse Boston. Boston is an imported Warmblood with a serious résumé: a 1.35m Jumper career and time spent as a National Derby Show Horse. What he didn’t sign up for?

Bucks bedded down on the fence line. Deer leaping out of the treeline. Random surprises on a quiet hack around the paddocks.

While every polished show horse may not be your brave, ears-forward trail companion, those “oh boy” moments are golden opportunities—for exposure, confidence-building, and real problem solving.

For Molly, it always comes back to one simple thing: her breathing.

Before Boston  (or Molly) decides the birds overhead arent actually death omens, she pauses, checks in with herself, and gets her breath under control. That single shift—her choosing to stay soft, focused, and rhythmic—gives Boston something to follow. It keeps him thinking. It keeps him moving forward. And it teaches him that fear doesn’t have to shut the world down.

What’s more interesting? These quiet hacks have made Molly better at horse shows.

Suddenly tents flapping near the in-gate aren’t such a big deal. Kids rolling down a hill mid-course become background noise. Asking for a lead change next to chaos feels doable. Because she’s practiced managing her own energy long before stepping into the show ring.

Breathing sounds simple… but here’s the thing:

Sometimes we’re not even breathing at all.

Try this with me:

Hold your breath.

10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

Still holding…

Okay—exhale.

Did you feel how much tension you just packed into your body in ten seconds? That’s what many of us ride with without realizing it. Shoulders tight. Hands clenched. Legs stiff. Minds racing. Breath nowhere to be found.

Your horse feels all of it.

Which brings us to the actual point: a quick, intentional routine before stepping into the barn can change your whole ride—not because it fixes the horse, but because it steadies you.

The second person who comes to mind is Chrissy O. Chrissy has two horses with us, and it doesn’t matter which one she’s riding that day—her routine never changes. And honestly, I love her for it.

At first, I didn’t realize how meaningful her ritual was. I just noticed the consistency, the focus, the care. But as I got to know her better, it all clicked.

Chrissy is a scientist—a real one, tackling serious problems in the world. Her days are full: long hours in the city, heavy mental work, the train ride home, the drive from the station. And yet the moment she steps out of her car at the barn, you can almost see her shed the entire day.

She settles down.

She settles in.

And she becomes present.

You can feel the energy shift around her. The barn softens a little. Her horses seem to breathe with her too.

And let me tell you something else: Chrissy’s horses and her tack look show-ring ready every single ride. One of her horses is a big grey—so that alone tells you the level of intention and care she brings.

I don’t know every detail of her exact routine—and honestly, I don’t need to. What matters is what it creates. By the time she swings a leg over, she’s ready. Really ready. Clear-minded, soft, open to learning, patient, understanding, fully connected.

She’s proof of something we all forget: it takes what it takes.

Whatever headspace you need to find before your ride—even if it’s ten minutes in your car, a quiet grooming session, a breathing exercise, or simply standing still with your horse—take it. Your ride starts long before you pick up the reins.

Breathing as Grounding

And then there’s me.

I have this habit—one I’m fully aware of—of getting too relaxed in my coursework. On the flat, it’s great. But when I walk into the ring, I almost have to hype myself up just enough to sharpen my focus… without tipping over into sending the wrong energy to the horse.

Years ago, when I was training in Holland with Stal Nanning, Dan said something to me that I didn’t fully understand at the time.

He told me,

“Priscilla, you need to just jump like your flatwork. Your flatwork is very good. Don’t change it—just change how you’re seeing it in your mind.”

I heard him.

I sort of understood him.

But I didn’t own that lesson yet.

Fast forward a few years: I’m in a big class, first fence down. And my husband Jay looks at me afterward and says,

“It’s almost like you’re too quiet out there.”

Again—I heard him.

But still no golden ticket moment.

The funny thing is the breakthrough didn’t come during a lesson for me. I was in the ring while someone else was being taught, and I overheard the phrase that changed everything:

“Count to infinity.” -the one and only Jimmy Wofford

Now, if you ride with me, you’ve heard me say this dozens of times. It’s become one of my go-to mental resets.

For me, it works because:

• Counting “1-2, 1-2” like a rhythm complicates things when you’re actually in a line.
• If I’m on “1-2, 1-2,” and then suddenly the line is eight strides or thirteen strides or something in between… well… now my brain is juggling two patterns and both fall apart.
• Counting high—10, 11, 12, 13, 14—keeps me breathing, keeps me forward-thinking, and keeps me from over-riding the moment.

Time classes and modern courses demand so many long lines, bending lines, forward lines, steady lines—counting to a bigger number just fits the system better for me. It locks me into a rhythm without locking me into confusion.

And just like that, something clicked.

A small, simple adjustment put me in the exact energy I needed: not too quiet, not hyped, but present. Focused. Forward. In the ride.

Optional breathing techniques:

• Box Breathing: Inhale 4 counts → Hold 4 → Exhale 4 → Hold 4. Repeat for 5–10 cycles.
• Horse-Connected Breathing: As you exhale, imagine sending calm through your arms to your horse’s back.
• Mindful Counting: Like I do—count each inhale and exhale until your mind quiets.

Your turn: Find a rhythm that works for you, whether it’s counting, music, or a whispered mantra. The key is to arrive in the present moment, calm and centered.

Grooming as Meditation

I have to admit: I’m terrible at this. I buz through grooming, and I’m lucky my horses forgive me. But every time I slow down—spending an extra 10 minutes tidying manes, doing tails (carefully!), and just feeling their coats—it changes everything.

Optional grooming routines to wind down:

• Full Body Scan: Slowly run your hands over the horse’s neck, shoulders, back, and legs, noticing temperature, texture, and tension.

Another piece of my own grounding—and something I use with every new horse who comes into the program—is The Masterson Method. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s an incredible bodywork approach that helps release tension, unlock brace patterns, and bring a horse back into a soft, willing state.

You don’t have to dive into a whole seminar right away, either. There are tons of quick videos on Instagram and YouTube that give you an immediate sense of how powerful the technique is. I’ll often scroll a few before a session just to remind myself of the feel and intention behind the work.

Anytime I get a new horse, I always start here.

It gives me a baseline.

It shows me what the horse is holding onto.

And honestly, it’s a great “check-in” tool for older horses too—especially when I’m feeling a tension pattern in the ride that doesn’t quite add up under saddle.

This summer, we even hosted a two-day Masterson Method Certification, and it was amazing. The kind of experience that deepens your feel, sharpens your eye, and makes you walk into the barn seeing every horse differently.

If you ever see one pop up in your area, I can’t recommend it enough.

Optional: Mindful Ride

Last week I talked about my ride with The Black—getting on with no intentions. This idea came from Warwick Schiller, who asked:

“Can you walk, trot, canter on a loose rein?”

I may have taken it a little further than most—but if you know me, that’s normal.

Ideas for a mindful ride:

• Loose Rein Exploration: Walk, trot, or canter on a loose rein, following your horse’s natural rhythm.

In this exercise if he doesn’t want to go in the scary corner don’t go. Try connecting in a way that says I see the moment you’re nervous and stop before you push forward or just see what time it takes before he’s curious enough to check it out on his own. When your horse starts recognizing that you are also aware they can start to recognize you as apart of their herd dynamic. 

• Breath & Movement Sync: Coordinate your breathing with your horse’s gait—inhale as they lift, exhale as they settle.

This is also a really fun exercise on the ground too! Try walking with your horse with the same steps, match their walk - you’d be surprised how quickly your breathing changes with theirs.

• Observation Pause: Stop occasionally and notice the environment, your horse’s reactions, and your own thoughts.

Have you ever noticed a plastic bag rolls into a field and the horses all run, we gasp, but then one by one they slowly creep towards the bag to check it out? Funny how they will do it on their own more but then we get involved convincing them they have once again seen the scary monster in the corner. 

• Silent Ride: Ride without speaking or music, noticing subtle cues and connection.

The thing my family hates to hear most from me is:

“I have an idea.”

They don’t even pause anymore. They just keep doing whatever they’re doing, half-listening, giving me that look that says, “Here we go… this idea will probably change twelve times before sunset.”

And honestly? They’re not wrong.

My ideas are an evolution. A moving target. A whole process.

And—surprise, surprise—that’s exactly how my rides can be too.

My brain is like a little hamster on a wheel:

thoughts… more thoughts… then a new thought… then an old one comes back… then a whole different one joins the party.

It can be hard to filter out what’s happening in my head from what’s happening right under me.

(Just like writing this—half of it was already pre-written while I was in the saddle, spinning around in that little bean of mine.)

But here’s the part that matters:

Every time my mind gets busy, my horse reminds me to go quiet.

To reconnect.

To be present.

To make the moment simple again.

Because the horse doesn’t need all my ideas.

They don’t need my spirals or my mental gymnastics.

They need me—here.

Soft, clear, listening, honoring the conversation they’re offering.

It’s the best reminder I get over and over again:

When I quiet my mind, I make space for the horse to speak.

And that’s where the real connection happens.

Your challenge: Try one or more of these techniques next time you ride. Focus less on “doing” and more on noticing—the horse, the environment, yourself.

Read on mindful horsemanship:

My mindful horseman for this week is Martin Black. A true legend. Think you’ll enjoy this article or give this Dear Horse World Podcast a listen (and part 2) 

  xx- P

#minfulnesshorsemanshipjourney #seethebeautyaroundyou #gratitudeforthejourney

Bonus: 

Podcast: Mindfulness and Mental Health - Tim Boughton

YouTube: The Science of Feel - Chris Irwin

Reading/Audible: Brain Training For Riders Andrea Monsarrat Waldo

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Our journey in December of gratitude and grounding 

A month of slowing down, appreciating the partnership, and grounding yourself before the new year.