How to Be Consistent and Get Results as a Rider (Even With a Full-Time Job)
9/10/24
I can’t be the only one who thought adulthood would somehow come with more time to ride.
Did anyone else think that becoming an adult meant you’d finally have all the time in the world?
Yeah… Me too.
Turns out adulthood is basically one giant juggling act.
Between running a business, raising a family, taking care of horses, and trying to remember to drink enough water, it can be hard to find time to ride your horse consistently.
But over the years, I’ve learned something important.
Consistency isn’t about having more time.
It’s about making the most of the time you have.
If you’re trying to balance horses with a full-time job, kids, or just life in general, here are the strategies that have made the biggest difference for me.
How to find time to ride your horse when life is busy
Tip #1: Plan Your Rides Before the Week Starts
Every Sunday, I spend a few minutes mapping out my week.
I decide what each horse needs based on our goals and upcoming events.
Maybe Monday is transitions.
Tuesday is a day off because life happens.
Wednesday is conditioning.
Saturday is spins and lateral work.
Having a plan means I don’t waste precious riding time standing in the arena wondering what to work on.
And remember…
You don’t have to school every maneuver every single ride.
Sometimes sticking to one or two priorities creates far more progress than trying to fix everything.
Tip #2: Stop Waiting for an Hour
This one completely changed my riding.
I grew up believing every ride had to be an hour long.
If I didn’t have an hour…
I simply didn’t ride.
Now?
I love a good 20-30 minute ride.
Seriously.
Not every ride needs to be an hour.
Actually…
Let me say that again for the people in the back.
Not every ride needs to be an hour.
Those short, focused rides often produce some of my best progress because neither my horse nor I end up mentally fried.
A quality 20-minute ride beats the hour-long ride you never had time to do.
Every single time.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned?
Short, consistent rides will always beat occasional marathon sessions.
Tip #3: Train Even When You Can’t Ride
Some days…
You simply can’t make it to the barn.
Life happens.
Weather happens.
Schedules happen.
That’s where mental rehearsal becomes one of the most powerful tools you can have.
On days I can’t ride, I’ll close my eyes and mentally walk through my ride.
From tacking up…
To warming up…
To riding exactly how I want to feel in the saddle.
Visualization isn’t pretending.
It’s training.
I’ve seen it with myself.
I’ve seen it with my clients.
Time after time, riders tell me they feel calmer, more prepared, and more confident the next time they swing a leg over because mentally…
They’ve already been there.
It’s like giving yourself an extra ride without ever leaving your house.
Consistency Beats Perfection
Balancing horses with the rest of life isn’t always easy.
Some weeks you’ll ride five days.
Some weeks you’ll only squeeze in two.
That’s okay.
The goal is not to magically find time to ride your horse every day. The goal is to keep showing up in the ways your real life allows.
Whether that’s a short ride…
A few minutes of visualization…
Or simply sticking to the plan you made for yourself.
Every small step builds momentum.
And momentum creates results.
Want to build confidence for when you do find time to ride your horse?
One of the biggest reasons riders struggle with consistency is not always lack of time.
Sometimes it is overthinking. Second-guessing. Feeling like if you can’t do everything perfectly, you shouldn’t do anything at all.
If that sounds familiar, 5 Days to Confident Competitor is a simple place to start.
Inside this five-day audio training, you’ll learn how to settle your nerves, stop spiraling, and build confidence even when life is busy and your riding schedule is imperfect.
→ Join 5 Days to Confident Competitor
Because confidence is not built by riding seven days a week. It is built by making the most of the opportunities you have.
Happy Trails,
Nicole
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If pressure, overthinking, or show nerves have been getting in the way of your best rides, 5 Days to Confident Competitor is a simple place to start.
This five-day training helps you understand what happens in your brain and body when the pressure rises, so you can begin building tools to steady yourself, communicate more clearly with your horse, and ride with more confidence.
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Your horse feels what you bring into the saddle.
When pressure hits, your body, timing, focus, and confidence all affect the ride your horse gets.
Nicole Burnett is a mental performance coach for western riders who want their mindset to match their skill, their horse, and their goals.
Through practical mindset coaching and nervous system training, Nicole helps riders stay steady, communicate more clearly, and ride more effectively — whether they’re rebuilding confidence at home, sharpening their show-pen mindset, or preparing to compete on the national stage.
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