10/10/2026
Are you A, B, C or D? 👀🐴
We all have different ways of responding when the pressure goes on.
I like to think of this as your “stress style” the patterns your mind and body can fall into when you feel under pressure.
So, which sounds most like you?
A — FIGHT 🥊
You respond by trying to take control. You might get frustrated when your horse doesn’t respond how you expected, ride more strongly after a mistake, or feel like you need to fix it immediately.
“Come on, you KNOW how to do this.”
B — FLIGHT 🏃🏼♀️
You might delay entering a major class, find reasons why the timing isn’t right, avoid taking on a particular challenge , want to avoid the pressure or get away from it. You convince yourself you’re “not ready yet”.
C — FREEZE 🧊Your brain goes blank when the pressure hits. You can ride brilliantly at home, but suddenly forget your plan in the arena, struggle to make decisions on XC or feel like you can’t process instructions.
“I knew exactly what I wanted to do… and then I just couldn’t think.”
D — FAWN 🤍 You become really focused on other people’s expectations. You might worry about what your trainer, owners, selectors or other riders will think, change your plan based on everyone around you, or feel like you have to get the result because you don’t want to let anyone down.
“I just don’t want to disappoint anyone.”
And the interesting thing is, you might not be just one.
You could fight in one situation, freeze in another and avoid something completely different.
None of these responses mean you’re a bad rider or that something is wrong with you. They’re simply patterns that can show up when your brain perceives pressure or threat.
The first step is recognising your own pattern.
Because once you can spot what happens under pressure, you can start learning how to manage it, rather than letting it manage your performance. 🧠🐴
So… what’s your stress style? 👀
Comment below — I’m genuinely intrigued!
https://www.realignsportspsychology.co.uk
