Equestrian Sports Psychology
Stephanie Fernandez, Ph.D., LLC
Empower Your Ride
Struggling with anxiety/fear?
Riding is an inherently dangerous sport and some anxiety/fear is normal. However, when riders struggle with too much anxiety/fear, it can affect performance and their equine partnership. An anxious rider tends to give rise to an anxious horse and often, nervous riders tend to "over" ride or "under" ride their horse. ​
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Want more confidence and better focus?
Riders are often ambitious individuals who are excited to test their skills in competition. Riding effectively means making rapid, precise mental judgments (and corresponding physical adjustments), which becomes more difficult under pressure. Sports psychology techniques can help enhance performance by engaging the parts of your mind that are best equipped to enable clear decision-making.
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Common concerns include:​​
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Falls/accidents that lead to fear
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Anxiety that affects how you communicate with your horse
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Anxiety at shows/competitions
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Anxiety with changing horses or difficult horses
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Worries about moving up levels/heights/divisions
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Worries about expectations from trainers, parents, and fellow riders
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Wanting better self-confidence and self-esteem
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Perfectionism and high-pressure situations
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Desire to increase motivation
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Desire to improve attention and focus (including riders with ADHD)
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Wanting to perform better as a member of a team (especially for children and teens)
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Grief/sadness when an equine partner is lost or the relationship ends
The Approach:
Dr. Fernandez works with both adolescent and adult riders of all disciplines and ability levels. She uses cognitive and behavioral techniques to help clients ride effectively and with confidence, including:
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Goal setting
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Emotion regulation techniques to teach the rider how to relate differently to strong emotions
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Exposure-based techniques to reduce anxiety
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Body-based techniques to become more physiologically calm
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Identifying (and altering) behaviors that riders unwittingly engage in that make fears worse
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Cognitive strategies to enhance focus and attention
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Proactive mental preparation to give riders a competitive edge
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Coping skills when recovering from an injury
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About Dr. Fernandez
I am a clinical psychologist, neuroscientist, and avid equestrian. In working with equestrian athletes, I incorporate my expertise of over 20 years of studying cognitive factors that enhance performance with evidence-based techniques to reduce emotional roadblocks to success. My professional credentials include:
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Ph.D. in Psychology from Yale University
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Behavioral neuroscience research fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center
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Clinical internship and residency at the VA CT Healthcare System
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Published author in the field of learning/memory and attention
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Licensed Psychologist in CT and MA (and authorized to provide remote services in most US states)
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My specialization in equestrian sports psychology accompanies many years of clinical experience treating anxiety and stressor/trauma-related symptoms in high-performance populations including active duty military/Veterans, police officers, firefighters, and other first responders. I also concurrently work with individuals in high-profile, high-performance fields such as a medicine, law, business, and clinical psychology who need to maintain focus in the face of emotional setbacks. I deeply understand and work with the mind-body connection to teach individuals how to engage in effective behaviors, regardless of the challenges they face.
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I understand--and live!--the complexities that are associated with equestrian sports. A hunter/jumper rider since childhood, riding is an integral part of my daily schedule. I can relate to the triumphs and challenges as a horse owner (the handsome chestnut on the left!). I also have a competitive spirit: I ride with a highly regarded trainer, I have competed on the A circuit (most recently in the adult equitation), was a member of my undergraduate IHSA team, and played polo as an adult.
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I approach our work together with compassion and the aim of understanding who you are, what you wish to improve, and what you value as your goals. I look forward to helping you develop the mental skills that promote empowered riding and a successful equine partnership.
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Individual remote sessions
Compassionate, individualized approaches to enhance your performance and help you reach your goals. I offer sessions via Zoom, which is a HIPAA-compliant platform for virtual sessions. Frequency of sessions will vary based upon client need.
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To determine if we are a good fit and ascertain how I can be of help to you, I offer a 15-min phone conversation free of charge.
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Seminars
I offer virtual or in-person (depending on distance in/from CT) performance enhancement seminars for barns, riding organizations, IEA middle/high school teams and IHSA college teams. Seminars involve interactive lectures, Q&A, and materials that can be downloaded. Topics include:
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Coping with anxiety while riding
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Mental preparation for competition
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Strategies for good sportsmanship (especially for children and teens)
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Please call, email, or fill out the web form to request services
Equestrian Sports Psychology
Stephanie Fernandez, Ph.D., LLC
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