Keep forgetting your pattern at horse shows? Learn a simple way to memorize it cold so you can ride with more focus and confidence.
The easiest, no-fail way to memorize your pattern cold so you stop forgetting your pattern in the arena
Let’s talk about something that makes even the most competent pattern riders feel personally attacked…
Memorizing the pattern. 😅
Or should I say, forgetting your pattern?
Calling all ranch riders, reiners, trail, horsemanship, and showmanship riders…
If you’ve ever walked out of the show office with a pattern sheet and thought,
“Cool cool cool… I’ll just absorb this through osmosis…”
Or, you thought you had it memorized and then you totally blanked in the showpen…
…this one’s for you.
Because here’s how it usually goes.
You grab the pattern.
You look at it a couple of times.
Maybe you trot through it once.
Then you head into the pen hoping muscle memory will magically take care of the rest.
And then…
The gate opens.
Your adrenaline spikes.
And suddenly your brain goes,
“Wait… what’s next?”
Here’s the thing:
You were never taught HOW to memorize a pattern.
You were only told that you should.
And those are two very different things.
The blackout pattern memorization method so you stop forgetting your pattern at horse shows
This is one of my favorite science-backed memory tricks because it’s ridiculously simple.
Here’s how it works.
Step 1: Grab two copies of your pattern.
Take two from the show office—or draw it yourself if you need to.
You need one clean copy and one working copy.
Step 2: Read the pattern out loud.
Yes…
Out loud.
No, you don’t get to skip this step. 😂
Read it like you’re reading a script.
“Jog in…”
“Stop at marker A…”
“Lope left…”
Whatever your pattern says—say it out loud.
Step 3: Start blacking things out.
On your working copy, cover one maneuver.
One marker.
One lead departure.
Anything.
Now read the pattern again and force your brain to fill in the missing piece.
If you miss it?
Take a quick peek at your clean copy…
…and try again.
Then black out another section.
And another.
And another.
Eventually you’ll be staring at a completely blacked-out page…
…and reciting the entire pattern from memory.
Why this works so you finally stop forgetting your pattern
Most riders think memorizing comes from reading something over and over.
It doesn’t.
Your brain learns through retrieval.
Every time you force yourself to remember instead of simply rereading, you’re strengthening the exact pathway you’ll need when the pressure hits.
Even the longest trail pattern only lasts a few minutes.
Which means this entire exercise only takes a few minutes too.
Grab a Sharpie.
Go to town.
Why should you care about forgetting your pattern? Here’s the real goal
This isn’t about proving you know the pattern.
It’s about freeing up your brain.
Because you can’t ride the moment…
…if your brain is still trying to remember what comes next.
The goal isn’t:
“I memorized the pattern.”
The goal is:
My brain is free to ride my horse.
Know your pattern.
Then you can ride.
Then you can feel.
Then you can have fun.
Go try it.
I think you’ll amaze yourself.
Want More Mental Tools Like This?
Here’s something I’ve learned after coaching riders:
Forgetting the pattern usually isn’t a memory problem.
It’s a pressure problem.
You knew the pattern outside the pen.
You knew it during warm-up.
Then the gate opened…
…your adrenaline hit…
…and suddenly your brain started buffering like bad Wi-Fi.
Sound familiar?
That’s exactly why I created 5 Days to Confident Competitor.
Inside, I’ll teach you how to:
✅ Stay calm when the pressure is on.
✅ Stop overthinking before your run.
✅ Recover quickly after mistakes.
✅ Build confidence that doesn’t disappear the second something goes sideways.
Because confidence isn’t just believing in yourself.
It’s having systems that still work when your nerves show up.
And trust me…
Show nerves love showing up.
If you’re ready to stop hoping your brain cooperates and start training it to perform under pressure…
Train Your Mind → Ride With Confidence
Now go memorize that pattern…
…and show everyone what you and your horse can do.
Nicole
Read Next
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.
Start Building Show-Pen Confidence
I'm ready to stop show nerves →
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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