Kicking Off 2026: Mindset, Momentum and the Power of Your Words

On Sunday, we officially kicked off our first training day back for the year at HARA Equine, and what a way to start 2026.

The atmosphere was incredible. Riders arrived excited, motivated and genuinely pumped for the year ahead. There was such a positive buzz around the grounds, and one of my favourite parts of the day was getting to chat with so many of you about your goals for the season to come. Whether it was stepping up a height, building confidence, bringing along a young horse, or simply riding more consistently, it was clear that everyone had big intentions for the year ahead.

But there was one theme that kept coming up in conversations that really stuck with me, and it’s something I think is worth sharing more widely.

The Stories We Tell Ourselves Matter

More than once, I heard riders say things like:

“I suck at this.”“I’m so bad at riding spooky lines.”“I always mess up combinations.”

And every time, I gently tried to reframe it.

Because here’s the thing: somewhere in your subconscious, your brain is always trying to make you right.

In simple terms, when you say something out loud about yourself, your brain looks for evidence to support that belief. If you tell yourself you’re bad at something, your mind will quietly start collecting proof that confirms it. Miss a distance? See, you were right. Have a rail at the double? Of course you did, you always struggle there.

This isn’t just motivational fluff. It’s grounded in well-established psychological research.

What the Research Says

In cognitive psychology, this idea is closely linked to something called confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is our brain’s tendency to seek out and interpret information in a way that confirms what we already believe. Once you form a belief about your ability, your brain filters your experiences to support it.

There’s also a large body of research around self-talk and neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to rewire itself based on repeated thoughts, behaviours and experiences. In other words, the more often you think or say something, the stronger that mental pathway becomes.

Sports psychology studies have repeatedly shown that athletes who use positive, constructive self-talk perform better, show greater resilience under pressure, and recover more quickly from mistakes. Even subtle changes in language, like shifting from “I can’t do this” to “I’m learning how to do this,” can have measurable impacts on confidence and performance.

Mel Robbins has spoken about this concept extensively in her work and podcasts, referencing both neuroscience research and conversations she’s had with leading psychologists and performance coaches. One of her core messages is that your brain takes your words seriously. It doesn’t know the difference between a joke, a throwaway comment, or a deeply held belief. It just hears the message and goes to work proving it true.

Why This Matters for Riders

Riding is one of the most mentally demanding sports out there.

You’re managing a living, breathing partner. You’re processing distances, lines, rhythm, balance, nerves, and strategy all at once. And then on top of that, you’re often your own harshest critic.

When a rider says, “I’m hopeless at oxers,” what they usually mean is, “I had a few bad experiences and now I feel nervous.” But their brain doesn’t hear that nuance. It hears: I am hopeless at oxers. So it tightens the body, shortens the reins, overreacts to a distance, and suddenly the rider has created the very mistake they were trying to avoid.

It becomes a self-fulfilling loop.

But the good news is, this works both ways.

When you consciously shift your language, you start to retrain your brain.

Instead of:

• “I suck at this.”Try: “I’m still learning this.”

Instead of:

• “I always mess this up.”Try: “I’m getting more consistent every time.”

Instead of:

• “I’m terrible under pressure.”Try: “I’m learning how to ride calmly under pressure.”

These aren’t empty affirmations. They are accurate, constructive statements that give your brain a different instruction set.

A Small Shift That Makes a Big Difference

One of the things I loved most about Sunday’s training day was watching riders actively try this in real time.

After a rail or a messy line, instead of spiralling into negative self-talk, riders paused, reset, and reframed. And you could see the difference immediately. Shoulders dropped. Breathing slowed. Focus came back.

That mental reset often mattered just as much as any technical adjustment we made to their riding.

If you’re setting goals for 2026, I want to challenge you to include this as part of your plan:

Be intentional about how you speak about your riding.

Catch yourself when you default to harsh or absolute language. You don’t have to pretend everything is perfect. You just have to speak to yourself the way you would speak to a friend or a young rider you’re coaching.

Because the version of you that shows up to a round believing “I’m learning and improving” will ride very differently to the version of you that shows up believing “I always stuff this up.”

Looking Ahead

We are so excited to build on the energy from Sunday and carry it into our first competition for 2026, which will be held on Saturday, 7 February.

If the vibe from our first training day is anything to go by, this is going to be a huge year for our riders and our community. There’s so much growth, ambition and positivity already in the air, and we can’t wait to see what everyone achieves.

Let’s make 2026 the year we not only ride better, but speak to ourselves better too.

See you in the ring soon,

Rhianna

HARA Equine