HOW TO IMPROVE RIDER MINDSET (Remove Fear!) Subscriber rides our FEI horse!!! 

As much as my big learnings have really improved since finding this channel, my biggest find here was learning how to ENJOY riding again. Alicia really makes it easy with her bubbly attitude

Two really important points u emphasized which really helps keep me going is : if he /she resists a movement it’s because she( in my case) is not supple enough- not just being belligerent- and take a small win and go with it! These two points are so important because sometimes I just want to give up. Plus yes, I struggle with fear all the time, worry she will spook and run off with me, because she has, so I’m afraid to even canter because I’m afraid I will loose control! U said to post this in your lesson with Sigita, so I’m doing it now!

Wow! Sigita was SO BRAVE to let us watch, and it was so great to watch her blossom! I felt her triumph with her! I love how Alicia breaks it down into such tiny details that make all the difference. Something as simple as balancing the reins. Why do other trainers not talk to us like this! We are expected to figure it out ourselves, and we don’t know what we don’t know!!! Thank you Sigita for allowing us to watch you shine! Great job!!!

I’d give anything to be in Europe to train with you! You’re an amazing teacher and I love your positivity! My biggest takeaway was rein contact and train tracks analogy. That never clicked for me. I attend to be loose with my reins overall and the analogy helped me understand the importance of rein contact. Thank you! All the best to Sigita for starting as an adult and working so hard to progress.

Oh my goodness the joy in Sigita's voice as she was expressing how she felt and the way such smaller movements created such an enormous effect was just infectious. It just made you want to smile. Tell you what Alucia that session really explained the train tracks beautifully, I don't think anyone could be in doubt about what you mean when talking about the train tracks. Epic and I'm so pleased for Sigita and her new found confidence.💜💛💚♥️

Such an amazing episode!!! I’ve been riding for almost 2 years now and have cantered very little. I fell off twice at the very start and haven’t really been able to canter since. I started leasing a beautiful Friesian horse for the past month and have yet to canter with him but this video is really inspiring to me because truthfully I dreammm of cantering.. I really want to do it!! I also love the bit where you say the reins are train tracks and how important it is to keep them closer to the neck and not far apart. Im looking forward to applying this in my ride tomorrow morning :)

Amazing to watch in real time how much the horse’s trot improved when his frame came up. My main takeaway with this lesson is “think up” “upward feeling”.

That was great! Well done Sigita! When she was riding the collected canter and Alicia said go, I noticed Sigita tried to use her legs a lot to get Gee going forward which I think would have probably been my first instinct as well. However I now realise all that was needed there was letting the horse go forward in the reins, not kick him on, just stop blocking him in the reins. Also thinking about riding to the ceiling is definitely something I’m going to try. It reminds me of that other video where Alicia said to ride like you’re going through the wall. That took my riding to a whole other level. Great way to keep going and getting out of your head - incredibly simple. It’s true we tend to over complicate things sometimes. You don’t have to do anything extra, you just have to stop doing too much. Thank you YRS, I really enjoyed this video xx

I love the way you talk with common sense. It is great to hear you make it all sound so easy.

Learning in DMA is a great learning space but getting to ride a horse like Gee with the knowledge of DMA has got to be amazing and getting work it all out and having fun in the process. Well done and congratulation Sigtia you are an amazing Dressage Superstar!💗💗💗💥💥💥🍾🍾🍷🍷🍌🍌🍌🍌

I love this! I over think everything. Explaining what needs to happen in simple clear language makes soooo much sense and sooo much difference! Love your approach to teaching Alicia 😍

Biggest learning from this was to ride to the ceiling! I always find myself tipping forwards/looking down. Will definitely take this to my next ride.

Amazing episode 👏 I was taught to push forward when I rise rather than up. Your channel has given me so much confidence and guidance, I have literally started from scratch with my learning and its working 😁 I was even out jumping in the XC the other week, fell off but jumped straight back on and not been phased one bit 😍😍

I stayed up Melbourne time to watch this!! So beautiful & educationally transformative!! I feel like a bit of a sycophant, a bit obsessive, with my admiration! I don't believe in celebrity, have never followed anyone, any brand, perse!! But Alicia, you have a very clever mind, you're a great educator! Your descriptions & analogies are perfect! Biggest takeaway- Brilliant demonstration of Grand Prix hands & riding the train tracks! The way you cut through to the "feeling" for the rider & of the horse, is extremely effective! Educating is part of my role in work, & I have learned so much from you about how to best communicate to a student, & to provide a sense of empowerment! You're a natural orator / educator & I just love that!! " Loved the: "Just have fun with it: do whatever you like" to Sigita - joyful & heart-warming!! Gorgeous to see you Sigita, riding the waves with Gee. I too was crippled with fear after a fall, & did Tash's workshop on Rider Mindset /c Fearless Riders Unite, then through your passion & teachings Alicia, have not looked back!! You changed my riding life!! And Alicia, I'm still "looking at . [you] for the guidance, for the spirit of fun.!! 😂 ie That was a great strategy - the "keep looking at me" during the tempo control!! *** Great riding Sigita! What a gift Alicia! Beautiful Gee, to give himself so fully!! Thankyou all, so much for sharing! ❤❤❤🐎🙏 PS greatest love to Wessel 💖

My biggest takeaways were. Don't overthink, ride to the ceiling, hands forward and to the ears. Can't wait to give it a go tomorrow! Thanks so much!

I love the psychology part of this. Mindset and thought process is so important and being aware of your feelings and of your body is integral to riding. Being really conscious about that has really helped me this year!

I think this was the most transformative lesson so far - for me! Tried riding up to the ceiling last night, keeping my reins on the side of the neck (great demo) and playing with the reins with my fingers as needed, and had the most amazing ride - the OTTB I ride firmly brought her back up under me, puffed her neck up and felt fantastic, which makes me happy because I felt like my riding was actually doing her some good. Will be watching this one again and again. Thanks Alicia and Sigita!

Thank you so much Alicia!! My instructor sent me one of your videos a few months ago and I have been hooked ever since! I have learned so much and my riding has improved astronomically! This video in particular struck home. I suffered a bad fall a couple of years ago which knocked my confidence more than I'd have thought it could. Sigita, you are a beautiful rider and watching your confidence grow throughout the video was inspiring!

This is crazy! The ability for her to adjust his cantering speed just with the hands. I’ve had glimpses of that feeling. Sigita did such an amazing job and I love watching her realization and the lightbulbs go off. I understand the don’t complicate things but that is so hard especially when I constantly wonder if I’m giving the right message or keeping the correct balance in my seat. Goals to strive for!

Just watched this video again and got so much more out of it- Saturday at 2:45. I have overcome the fear as I changed barns and none of them are “off to the races!” The lifting my hands towards the ears has changed everything and helped me get the horse’s forehand up no matter what lesson horse I’m on. Thanks you Alicia! As a fairly new subscriber these videos have helped more than 40 years of lessons and showing. They are a true gift and blessing in my life!

Alicia, I really liked this session with Sigita! The energy here this time was very powerful! It's so comforting to see someone else break through what veil was holding them back riding again. ❤️ I was definitely smiling the WHOLE time watching her figure out how to control tempo. My god, I'm so proud of Sigita and I've never met her! Haha! My biggest take away this time personally was the train wheel analogy. You swoop in again with another one of your completely understandable and relatable analogies and save me again! This analogy produced a whole new mindset for me when I'm riding already because I can know now how to remember to prop them up into their tracks and not de-rail them. I'm going to try this at five o'clock today in a lesson ❤️ I'm so excited to see what I can try to do now with a different way of thinking at my disposal. Sigita, I raise my glass to you woman..that was some down right superb riding. To Alicia and Toby and all of the YRS team and members paying making things possible.... My upmost respect and love....ok and a glass for you guys too. Libations for all hahaha! 😜😆🥂🥰

This combo of explaining the feelings etc first, then showing the lesson was so, so insightful.. I don't know that I would have "seen" what was going on without the first part. But this made is so easy to follow what and and the immediate response.. I've enjoyed this lesson more than any other so far!

"So talented, but not progressing because of fear" woah. that's me! I have had NOTHING bad happen to me, but I have still made this nasty picture in my head, filled with "what if's". I have been riding over 20 years and competing dressage for at least 10 years. Whenever there is a issue, I find myself not trusting in myself that I can actually handle the situation. My lovely trainer keeps telling me that I have everything I need to handle horses in every situation, but when the situation comes, my confidence runs down my boots. This video was amazing! I am going to try this mindset in my ride TODAY!

This is just brilliant! I started riding as a 40 Yr old just 18 months ago and can confess I've become obsessed. BUT I had a nasty fall in Jan and since have really struggled with the fear factor. Am getting over it but slowly and its so frustrating. Its amazing to see how with really great guidance and tweaks someone with relatively little experience can get over it and come out the other side. Love Alicia and Sigritta and Gee!

Ride to the ceiling - and hands! You are amazing

Words can be confusing. Keeping it clear and simple makes perfect sense.

I watched the episode on fearless ridding and since then I sit on any horse and I start with a whole different mind set.

My biggest takeaway this video was definitly how to ride with grand prix hand and ride twards the ceiling. I really love your videos they are so helpful.🐴

My mind is SO blown!! I learned a lot more about my hands. I really have gotten SO much better with my hands since watching your videos. (My sister and I have been watchers even since Tash was here!) Life has been so great now that we have found you!!! x

Fear, lack of confidence, overthinking; I also struggle with those things. Thank you for sharing this video! Love this channel, so many educational information for me.

This session was truly amazing! Your simple yet effective explanation of lifting the reins to his ears blew my mind!💥My greatest wish in the world is to be able to ride a horse at this level. Since I don’t have a horse of my own ~ I am stuck on lesson horses with issues.

Really goes to show that letting your fear get the better of you only holds you back. Everyone is capable, it’s just believing in yourself. I have a tendency to overthink during my lessons and I’m constantly thinking ‘I can’t do it’ and it often leads to me actually not being able to do it (eg trot canter transition). My riding instructor has learnt not to give me too much time to think about things and almost spring it upon me, shouting to “believe it’s going to happen”, and then amazingly it does! I know I mentioned it a few videos back but the analogy with the reins and train tracks is so helpful to me. I really need to stop opening my reins and keep them on the neck! You really showed me the importance in this video 🙌🏻 thank you and well done to Sigita 👏🏻

The biggest takeaway I had from this video was just learning to enjoy riding and have fun. Your videos remind me of why I ride in the first place and that things don’t have to be perfect to be wonderful. I’ve learnt that it’s ok to make mistakes. I love your AMAZING personality too!!! I’ve had many accidents over the time i’ve been riding and this has helped my confidence grow, thank you so much!

I have watched the study sessions with Sigita on her horse.Then watching this lesson the difference in her mindset was a complete transformation. That is what I love about YRS. They change you mindset and change your life to ride with effective and clear instructions of the how to and ultimately changes your riding success and happiness. Thank you for sharing this lesson it resonates so well with me. X🐎❤️

This is great. I've searched hundreds of videos trying to find one that would actually explain what aids you use to " make him softer" or " get him rounder". So good to get some of the how's answered.

So many great things. Ride to the ceiling. Don't annoy him with my legs. But mostly the whole focus on overcoming fear.

my biggest takeaway from this video was to not be afraid and hold the horse back. i am really scared to canter because i think im going to fall off or the horse will bolt, and seeing the difference in sigitas riding when she puts her trust in the horse really inspired me. i am excited to try it out in my next lesson! :)

My biggest takeaways in the past few months have been “ride to the ceiling” and also everything from the gp hands videos! Wow what a difference in my riding with just a few mindset changes

Exactly!!! Use words that means something,not vague!! Brilliant. “ Through”, “soft”, etc can mean different things to coach and different to rider.

Every time I am more amazed by your explanations! A actually started taking notes during your videos to remember all the great tips for my next ride 🤯😍

That was amazing I struggle with the fear of not being good enough for my horse. Will try changing my hand position as he leans on the bit alot. That was a fantastic lesson.

I listen to these lessons every time I ride for your tips and encouragement. My trainer died from Covid a year ago and ur lessons keep me going! I tried to enroll in ur program but the computer wouldn’t cooperate on the time 27:46 zones so I couldn’t, but ur utube lessons keep me going! Love from California ❤

That was a joy to watch, Sigita having so much fun, we need to remember we do it because we love it, so it has to be fun. Great lesson

Biggest learning is to relax my mind and not try and reinvent the wheel! I make things so much harder then they should be by complicating things! Such a different physiological view point you have spoken about, makes all the difference!

Fear has impeded my fearless energetic love of learning to be (ride) with my horse. I started to ride at age47 am now 72 .I love so much about dressage but need to know more simple ways to be with her. Not try sooo hard. I want to ride till I can,t get up on my girl I want to ENJOY it more. Early on I was DMA member. Life happened, I learned much . Now you have enhanced a great program. Bring me to England. For the simple fun of it. Thank you TGT

The reins with the train track was really a helpful visualization

I have fear to ride outside an arena, I think this is mostly caused by not trusting my own abilities that I can cope with it and regain control when something happens?? 🤷‍♀️ You were so awesome Sigita 💗💗 , thank you for showing this Alicia and Gee 💗💗

Hands close together (even closer than you think)! Inside rain on the neck, less space between rein and shoulder. Such wonderfully simple explanations which make the takeaways easy to remember and attempt on your own. Thanks!!

All those grey meaningless words - I couldn't agree more! Thank you Alicia for this fantastic lesson & coaching session & thank you Sigita letting us watch. I was actually lifting my hands & riding to the roof with you, ha!

My fear is losing control, I also have a bad habit of leaning forward when trotting. This was a good lesson and it explains alot

I don't get the chance to go out to lessons all to often because I am only young but I really love watching your videos it like having a lesson. The big thing I learnt in this videos was not over thinking and making everything complicated.

Thankyou so much Sigita! It's amazing watching how easy it should be instead of my brain taking over and completely over thinking a movement 💥 Just love this channel (Alicia's teaching I understand) Hope Wessel is doing well 🥰❤

This looks like just what I need to concentrate on. I know I need to sit back a bit at canter.

Magical video full of effective, simple tricks. The best takeaway for me was the one that instructed Sigita (and us) to ride up to the roof (or ceiling). Wow, so simple. Thank you a grazillion times! x Linda.

Loved this lesson! The rein technique about heaviness blew my mind .... I am so guilty of this and you made it so easy to understand. My mare has a huge step into canter as well. Seeing her overcome this gave me so much hope I can overcome that same fear soon. Thank you for always making it less complicated

I love the analogy of the train tracks and where to place your hands and reins!

AMAZING!!! Go Sig and Gee 🥳 was so great to watch this and see just how much small changes in the rein can affect the horses way of going. Gosh i hope one day i can get my horse to canter that small. Alicia you make riding lessons look like so much fun!!

I really loved the point of not making things complicated and throwing around kind of ambiguous words. Because that's what my trainer does and I never really know what to do to actually fix the problem. I'm actually coming back to this after trying out some of the advice because one thing I struggle with is having good "train tracks" they are always too loose. But I tried envisioning one long rein that connects and it worked!! I felt that connection and it was amazing!! I still need a lot of practice......... but I did it! Thank you Alicia and Sigita! You guys are amazing 😁

Thank you Sigita, you were great.

This is why I love horse riding. When you are so afraid, and you don't trust yourself or your horse, and it's so hard, and then you make a change and you FEEL it, and suddenly, YOU'RE RIDING THAT THING you couldn't before... It's unmatched.

Epic session guys!! Slowly getting the concept of the shoulders! I loved the change in Sigita's face from fear/concentration to pure joy ❤

Fantastic! That's such a great help! Loved the hand work, up to the ceiling, hand to the neck! I'm so excited to have a play with this! Sigita thanks for showing us this, you will always remember it!

Wow! What a lesson! I have a fear of cantering because I come out of my seat and lose balance and I have a fear of hacking on the roads due to having 2 accidents where I came off and hit the road. I was doing Alicia's how to canter programme before my boy had colic. Its a long road to recovery but watching these video's gives me lots I can do when I do get on my horse again.

Well done sigita! Gee looked like he was having fun too!

GO SIGITA GO!!!!! I have also super struggled with fear, and it kept me from doing much with my horse to being completely out of the saddle for AGES! love love love this and DMA has helped me SO much. thx alicia!

Super fun to watch. Well done, Sigita. Ride to the ceiling. No "glass ceiling" for you!!😉 Extra learning on keeping hands together and the horse being on the rail of the train track, not just on the train track.

I love these videos and can’t wait to try these ideas on my horse. I have had three years on not going forward, not being on the bit and in contact, and not balanced. I bought a four year old horse three years ago and was instantly afraid of him. With these videos and my fantastic trainer i am now riding him without fear.

Well done Sigita and G. You guys look amazing. You are a big superstar Sigita don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Thank you again for another amazing video

That was amazing. I cannot wait to start riding after 11 years off. I’m trying to learn as much as I can before I start. Thanks for the lesson and great coaching and riding. Ofcourse well done to your beautiful horse. He is super ❤️

Hi Alicia, thank you so much for your amazing videos. Firstly I was involved in a near fatal house fire 4 years ago and I had suffered many injuries both physical and mental. I have had around 100 surgeries so far and counting. During the fire I was blown from a top floor window sustaining a major back and hip injury as well as having 48% of my body having full thickness burns including the reconstruction of my face. I had less than 10% chance of survival due to the extent of my injuries both internally as well as out, I was in a coma for nearly 4 months and I had to learn to move every single part of my body, even having to learn to sit up, stand up ti help me walk again, I even could not talk due to the burn inhalation, so its been tough for all who loved me. I have always had horses and owned 3 the time of the fire and they had not been ridden from that day.. There is a so much in this story but I pushed through however I am left with somewhat effected movements due to the contractures of some muscles tendons around my neck, elbows and hands, but the damage of my spine has left me with a bilateral scoliosis making my right hip higher than the left, so my the injury is so apparent 'S' shape just by looking at me from the front and behind, I have many damaged disks causing protrusions into the nerve roots and leaving me with terrible pain. But and I mean a big BUT I cant let my dreams go, I need to be back in the saddle and to make my dressage dream real. I tragically lost my beautiful home bred mare 22 years old Super Star just a couple of weeks ago due to a freak accident in her field and broke her leg and I am devastated and my heart broke so bad I did not want to get up from the field floor as I laid with her when the vet came as we put her to sleep, leaving me with her mum Chero who is 29 and has been retired and my 16 years old SHGB mare who will re-remounting as not been ridden these for years. But I had just purchased a horse to help heal my heart and give me my life back and my dreams a reality. So here enters the last horse I will ever buy my beautiful gelding Alan, he is 5 nearly 6 next week 16hh Dressage Horse AES registered Warmblood , he has already done a few BD shows with a score of 66%. I am terrified of ruining him, it's only recently I have been able to walk unaided, but I limp, I was 7 stone the night of the fire and I weigh 12 1/2 stones now, I look at photos and videos and I do not recognise who is in them. But I have to keep on fighting and live my dream, but the ONLY way that is to become reality is by your advice. I am literally in tears right now as I am sat here pouring my heart out and I am scared to even mount my darling Alan who is a absolute angel and I think my Star sent him to me. Sorry for the essay but I knew I needed some sound advice to move past my fears and be the best rider I can possibly be for Alan and also my Fern. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Also thank you for all your content, you already are helping me in my fight back to my life with my dream a possibility. Nessa & Alan the horse xoxo (Cumbria UK) xoxoxoxo

Such good tips. Especially about the space between the reins and shoulders. Never ever had a trainer told this. But it makes soooooo much sense that when there is space that the horse will fill up the space and become crooked. Really gonna be paying attention to this in my next ride. Sigita has changed so much from the first to this ride. Wauw really great progress. Fear is something that isn't talked about enough is the equestrian sport. It is normal to have fear. so it is so nice to hear it on this channel (Also Tash really talked about it during a lot of her videos back in the days). Thank you guys for another great video

oh this is so good teaching, love how you do that and the look at me (kath and kim much lol) and I have to acknowledge you for being able to train your horse so beautiful he responds when a less experienced rider jumps on board !

Wow! You’re amazing! This video shows how a ride should be… so much fun!!! I’m also struggling with my own mindset and this makes me so sense… it’s really a pleasure to see sigita riding so well and being able to enjoy! Thank you so much for this 😍

My biggest take away from this is to “be brave and don’t be afraid to make a mistake”. It made me sit back and think. I’m the one holding me and my horse back because I’M the one who is afraid to fail, to make my horse and I look ‘silly’ but actually he couldn’t give a toss if he made a mistake…he’s just doing what he thought he was told. I’m consciously going to try and start putting a positive spin on my mistakes, rather than getting in a flap and ignoring them I’m going to try to address them let us learn from them!

I just found you and I've signed up for the FEAR Mastery 2.0 class. I have 2 beautiful PRE X Lipp and I'm afraid to ride them -- I'm afraid to ride. I want to ride multiple horses like I used to ride 10 years ago. I'm so glad I found this channel and I can't wait to start start my class.

I had a big fear meltdown about a year ago (couldn’t ride without literally holding onto the pommel with both hands!). The constant anxiety made me lean forward, but leaning forward made me unbalanced and more fearful. I switched to a western saddle for a few weeks and had the same breakthrough Sigita had here, where I just needed to feel being upright to believe it. I love seeing her success and joy! I also loved the concept of riding to the ceiling-instant visible results!

You have so much get up and go I love watching theses You-Tube clips not only do you learn but it's fun to watch. Thank You for all your hard work and getting theses clips on here....

Another fantastic video, making everything fun, and finally someone breaking down all those silly words that don't mean anything . Love this

I love getting to hear when/how things work from the students point of view! Especially the giving on the heavy rein. I can't wait until I am back in the saddle to play with that on my lease horse!

Sigita....I too have those beautiful top boots!!! I love them!

Great job Sigita!😄 I'm so happy to see you enjoying the riding! I didn't know how important it was to hold the hands close! Thanks for this amazing video!💖

🤯 It’s in the details! Even my horse likes me better now when I learn from you guys.

This was brilliant! Thank you.

How did I miss this video before?!?!?! My horse always feels crazy heavy on the right rein and I've noticed when I ride to the right I bring the rein away from his neck and want to pull, but this is so simple!!! Going to do this tonight!

Awesome. Thank you Sigita to share the video of you with us. I finally understood how to collect canter. Your simple images are great to help us understand what we should do as riders, Alicia. I leanr so much from you, thank you.

My friend just broke her wrists and she is scared to get back on so i did a lesson with her and she has found her passion again!! I can’t wait to share this with her this is really going to help! 😁

Lesson - if she can get over her fear, I can too 😁

I rode each stride with her but I got tighter and tighter in my body as I watched. This is the same feeling I get in the saddle with a trot carrying over into the canter. One word that helps me is fluff with the legs and relax. A great feeling along with Alicia’s using UP to the ceiling. Great lesson.

Great job sometimes all anyone needs is just that little push in the right direction to realize it’s ok 😊

Loved this video!!! I love the way you teach and the way you explain things, today my biggest takeaway was the 'up and release'!

I loved watching this one today. It was delightful. I completely love your comments about it being simple and all these complicated words overcomplicating things. My best rides are always when I am not overthinking things...and I need to remember that all the time! I really like the bit about the rein as a solid loop and release the heavier rein forward instead of trying to fiddle with the opposite rein. I do that...and I know I shouldn't so now I have something else to try next ride! Thanks!

Amazing experience. Thank you. 🤩

Phenomenal video thank you so much

This is amazing Alicia and Sigita!!!

Thank you for sharing this! Way to go Sigita! So many good tips in this video. I can’t wait to try the ‘ride to the ceiling’ and ‘up and let go’ on my next ride. Thank you for all you do!

Fantastic!

That’s was great! Thank you!

Thank you so much for these great videos!! Can't wait to see more like this!!!

Great job Sigita.

Amazing work Sigita, well done, love this video 🤩🐴