Articles by Tonya Johnston
Mental Skills Training Articles
Mistakes, Embarassing Moments and Brain Bloopers: How to Let Go
By Tonya Johnston, MA Appeared in The Plaid Horse, May 2009 Chipped so hard to the first jump it made the earth move? Rode around the warm-up ring for 20 minutes with a mane comb stuck in your horse's tail? Forgot the halt after the trot jump in the work-off...
Conquering the Warm-Up Ring
By Tonya Johnston, MA Appeared in Eventing USA, January/February 2009 If I had a dollar for every time one of my clients told me how much they hate the warm-up ring, I would be writing this article while floating in my infinity pool that overlooks the ocean on my...
Perfecting the Lines of Communication: Part I
by Tonya Johnston Appeared in Eventing USA March/April 2009 Have you ever felt wildly misunderstood by your ______ (horse, trainer, or friend)? Have you ever been too hard on yourself? Have you ever reflected on your communication skills and wished you could do...
‘Competitive Fire’: Keep it Under Control
by Tonya Johnston, MA Appeared in Showbiz January/February 2009 Riders of all ages and abilities share something that helps them strive for excellence in the ring: good old fashioned competitive fire. Passion to succeed will vary widely by person, but the...
Why Do You Compete? Uncovering Your Philosophy and Motivation
by Tonya Johnston Appeared in Eventing USA May/June 2008 "Why do you ride and compete?" Ask two people that question and you are sure to get different answers. However, what is most important is for you to understand your own reasons for eventing. Therefore, in this...
Coping With Show Nerves
by Tonya Johnston Appeared in Equine Wellness May/June 2008 In order to handle your show nerves successfully, it is helpful have some strategies in place before you even get there. Use the following five performance tools to reduce your nervous energy and channel the...
Smart Practice: Solve Lesson Challenges and Prepare Your Competition Mindset
by Tonya Johnston Appeared in The Plaid Horse, April 2008 It is not unusual for riders to approach a lesson differently than a class at a horse show. Unfortunately, this discrepancy does little to help them make the most of their skills in the show ring, when it...
Embracing Your Mistakes
by Tonya Johnston Appeared in Eventing USA Magazine, March/April 2008 In riding, perfection can appear on the horizon as a tempting mirage, but using that term can distract us and damage our confidence. Even our best rides contain small flaws that can be found with...
Goal Setting: Celebrate Achievement and Target Success
by Tonya Johnston Appeared in Eventing USA Magazine, January/February 2008 The USEA Annual Conference in Colorado Springs was terrific and I was happy to have been invited there to present. A beautiful setting, thought provoking sessions, and an overwhelming...
Visualization: From Fundamentals to Fine-Tuning
by Tonya Johnston Appeared in Eventing USA Magazine, September/October 2007 Riders frequently tell me that they use imagery to enhance their performance. However these same folks often (and unknowingly) leave out some of the most important facets of the skill having...
Preparing Your Mind for Medal Finals
by Tonya Johnston Appeared in Hunter Jumper Magazine, September 2007 If we treat the medal final as an ‘exam’ of sorts, we will need to ‘study’ the physical side (lessons, cross-training, etc.) and the mental side of the sport (focus, a positive attitude, etc.)....
Optimal Thinking: Track Your Progress and Improve Your Rides Between Lessons
by Tonya Johnston Appeared in Eventing USA Magazine, July/August 2007 The goal for this issue's column is to help you use sport psychology to track your progress and build the quality of your schools between lessons and clinics. To set the stage, let's focus on one...
Inside Your Ride
