Goal Setting for Equestrians: Become the Horse Rider You Aspire to Be

goal setting for equestrians, how to succeed at horse riding, how to be an accomplished rider, equestrian sport psychology, horse riding psychology

Updated:

January 8, 2026

By Annika McGivern, MSc, Sport and Exercise Psychology

“I’m not really a goal-setting type of person. I just want to ride and enjoy my horse. Goals make it stressful. There’s no point — so much is out of my control.”

Sound familiar? Many equestrians quietly sidestep real goal setting, telling themselves that goal setting doesn’t work for them. This avoidance often comes from unconscious thinking errors such as fear of failure, perfectionism, or not believing that you have any real control over your results. For many, the simple process of setting a goal can feel overwhelming and even deeply uncomfortable. However, the truth is that well-crafted goals don’t make riding more stressful; they make it clearer, more motivating, and more rewarding for both horse and rider. Goal setting can be an exciting process that supports confidence and skill development.

Let’s look at goal setting in equestrian sport, why riders often avoid it, and practical ways to start using goals to accelerate your progress without sacrificing fun along the way!

Common Reasons Why Riders Avoid Goal Setting

1. Fear of Failure: You’re scared of not achieving your goals.

Fear of failure and perfectionism are well-established barriers to goal setting in athletes. For many riders, the thought of setting a goal is quickly followed by the thought: But what if I can’t do it? There’s something very vulnerable about making goals “real” through a goal-setting process. Now other people know your goal and will know if you’ve failed or succeeded. Riders worry about letting down their families, coaches, and horses. They worry about the impact of feeling like they’ve failed. Will they stop believing in themselves? What does it mean to fail at something we have worked so hard to achieve? These thoughts can be overwhelming, and riders may conclude that it’s safer not to set a goal at all and to just “see how it goes” because this way, they can’t fail… right?

2. External Locus of Control: You don’t believe goals change anything.

The more external your locus of control is — in other words, the more you believe your outcomes are ultimately outside of your control — the less likely you are to set goals for yourself. This mindset makes you think that your success or failure is determined by factors such as the judge’s opinion, the arena footing, the weather, or your horse’s mood on the day… you get the idea. Thinking this way makes setting goals seem pointless.

3. Low Self-Efficacy and Self-Worth: You don’t believe in your ability to achieve your goals.

Research shows that people with low confidence in their ability to learn and achieve things (low self-efficacy) and/or a low assessment of their value as a person (low self-worth) are less likely to set challenging goals or to set any goals at all. Self-worth protection theory suggests that people avoid activities where they could be evaluated and fail, which may seemingly confirm their low self-worth and self-efficacy. I see this in equestrian sport when a rider who doubts their ability avoids goal setting to protect themselves from feeling incompetent if those goals don’t come to fruition. The frightening thought of being evaluated as a bad rider can influence riders to play small and not take on challenges.

Why is This a Problem?

At first glance, avoiding goal setting may appear to be a legitimate way to approach riding with less stress, less pressure, and more fun. In my experience, the problem is that many riders who avoid goal setting struggle with fear of failure, perfectionism, external locus of control, and low self-worth and self-efficacy regardless. What is especially interesting is that even riders who prefer not to state their goals out loud usually have some sort of standard or expectation they are aiming for or measuring themselves against. I find that riders who don’t formally set goals are more at risk of holding themselves to vague, unrealistic expectations and feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and not good enough when those expectations inevitably can’t be met.

Goals help us to be more structured, intentional, and mindful in our approach to growing our skills in the saddle, regardless of whether those goals include competition. Regularly setting goals will help you challenge and outgrow your fear of failure and perfectionism by forcing you to get good at managing mistakes. Goals help you focus on the things you have control over and build your self-efficacy and self-worth as you observe your progress and ability to learn. When we learn to stop fearing mistakes, understand what parts of the puzzle we can control or influence, and see our ability and worth as riders clearly, riding really does become less stressful and more fun. I believe that riders can achieve this faster when they use goal setting as a tool rather than avoiding it.

How to Overcome Barriers to Goal Setting

1. Change your mind about what goals represent.

The purpose of setting a goal is not simply to achieve it (yes, you read that correctly). If someone believes that goals are only meaningful if they are achieved, they are far less likely to set them. The real purpose of a goal is to direct and focus effort on moving us forward toward our full potential. The amazing thing about goals is that even if the specific goal you set is not achieved, you are better off for having set and strived for that goal than if the goal had never been set in the first place. This is true because doing so will have developed your skill, ability, knowledge, and confidence. The real benefit of goals is that they move us forward, guiding our growth and progression in a way that is intentional and aligned with what we truly want to improve.

2. Set process goals to support your outcome goals.

Outcome goals are the results you hope to achieve — such as a clear round, a certain percentage, or a championship title. These types of goals are useful for defining the challenges you are working toward. Process goals are focused on how you will go about achieving those outcome goals — such as committing to riding six days a week, working on your mental skills to stay calm after mistakes, developing your seat by riding without stirrups, and building your relationship with your horse. Process goals also capture the type of rider you want to be, regardless of whether those outcomes are achieved — such as making continual improvements at being calm, patient, positive, and focused in the saddle.

3. Create a process that works for you.

A quick online search will reveal many different goal-setting models, tips, and strategies, which can be overwhelming. Where is the best place to start?

Here are a few research-based tips to keep in mind when starting goal setting or refining an existing goal-setting process.

Be as clear and specific as possible: Vague goals are ineffective at directing our effort. The more you can add detail to what you are aiming for or working on, the more easily you will be able to progress. The clearer the goal, the deeper our understanding of what we are trying to achieve.

Start small: Instead of overwhelming yourself with a list of 25 goals, start with one outcome goal and one process goal. When you achieve the first process goal, add a couple more. Building this habit slowly will support confidence and help you feel a sense of achievement early in the process. Take time to notice and celebrate the micro-skills and improvements that happen along the way. Doing so increases motivation, confidence, and enjoyment.

Write down your goals and share them with a trusted partner: Both steps make your goals real, create opportunities for reflection and feedback, and increase accountability and follow-through.

Revisit and adjust regularly: Things can change over time, and you can flex and adjust your goals to change with them. When you review and adjust goals you practice flexibility and help yourself see the value of the goal-setting process instead of becoming overly fixated on the outcome.

Support your goals with mental tools: Use simple yet effective mental tools such as visualization before your ride, positive self-talk after mistakes, and breathing exercises to manage fear or frustration. Riders with well-developed and practiced mental tools tend to have more fun working toward their goals.

At the end of the day, there’s no avoiding the uncertainty and vulnerability that accompanies setting real, tangible goals and sharing them with the people whose opinions we value. But, if you are willing to accept some vulnerability and embrace the uncertainty, setting goals will help you progress toward the rider you aspire to be — and are fully capable of becoming. Along the way, goals will help you build confidence, resilience, and motivation. The clarity, energy, and feeling of growth and achievement that comes from goal setting is worth it.

More by Annika McGivern

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