Howdy!
I'm Nicole
I teach western riders the mental skills no one ever taught them, so they can ride with feel, confidence and connection when it counts.
You’re the kind of rider who gets things done.
You show up for your horse, your people, and your life.
But the minute things feel “big” – a judge with a clipboard, a clinic, a crowded warm-up, a first ride after a wreck – your body tenses, your thoughts scatter, and you don’t ride like yourself anymore.
Letter to the Rider Who Rides Better at Home Than Under Pressure
- “I know I can ride better than that.”
- “Why can’t I just ride more confident?”
- “If this is how it’s going to feel every time… is it even worth it?”
You have a mental skills gap—and no one taught you this part.
You’ve worked harder.
You’ve tried different tack and programs.
You’ve told yourself to “be confident” and “toughen up.”'
And when that didn’t fix the gap between home and under pressure, you turned on yourself.
My work is about helping serious western riders train their mind the way they train their horse—step-by-step, with simple skills and real-world reps—so they can ride like the rider they know they are, at home and when it counts.
I’m not here to tell you you’re fine when you don’t feel fine.
- There’s a reason your brain does what it does under pressure.
- There are skills you can learn to change that.
- You don’t have to keep doing this the hard way, alone, wondering what’s wrong with you
“Here’s what your nervous system does when you care a lot.”
“Here’s what to do with your thoughts when your heart’s pounding.”
“Here’s how to build a mental plan for show day, the way you build a pattern plan.
You don’t lack grit.
You’re not “just not cut out for showing.”
You don’t need a new brain or a different horse.
You need the mental skills no one ever taught you, delivered in plain language you actually understand.
That’s what I’m here for.
I'm Nicole. Western rider. Mom. Mental Performance Coach. Host of the Resilient Reiner Podcast.
When I'm not in the arena, or coaching riders, I love to grab an iced coffee & hit the trails, curl up with a good book, and have dance-battles with my kids and college sweetheart with the Backstreet Boys greatest hits.
Helping riders finally ride in a way that feels as good as they've always known it could? That's the part that fills my heart from the inside out.
I'm glad you're here.
