Why Your Brain Betrays You in the Dressage Ring

Forgot the next movement in the middle of your dressage test? If you’ve experienced this, you know how frustrating and embarrassing it feels. And if you haven’t experienced it yet but you’re terrified it will happen, that fear itself might actually be making it more likely to occur. Today we’re going to dig into the psychology and neuroscience of why memory fails under pressure, specifically in the context of dressage tests at shows. But more importantly, we’re going to talk about what actually works to prevent it, based on what research tells us about memory, stress, anxiety, and performance under pressure.I’m calling this episode “Why Your Brain Betrays You in the Show Ring,” and we’re going to spend the next hour really unpacking the mechanisms behind these memory lapses and the evidence-based strategies that can protect your memory even when the pressure is highest. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit esthernava.substack.com