Ever wondered why your riders stop listening when they’re stressed?

We’ve all been there. You’re giving technically perfect instructions - "Keep the rhythm," "Watch your outside rein" but your rider looks like they are staring right through you. You might think they are being difficult, but science suggests they may physically be unable to process your words.

Performance psychology and the research of Dr. Albert Mehrabian (the 7-38-55 rule) reveal that in high-stakes or high-stress moments, spoken words account for only about 7% of the perceived message. When a rider is under pressure, their brain’s amygdala (the "threat detector") takes over, prioritising non-verbal data over logical language.

Research shows that horses are similarly sensitive; they can discriminate between cheerful and angry human vocaliazations, often reacting with "vigilant behaviours" like freezing or holding their ears forward, when they perceive a harsh tone. As a coach, if your voice is high-pitched or fast, you are unintentionally signalling "danger" to both the rider and the horse. This creates a feedback loop of stress where instructions are lost in the noise of a perceived threat.

The Strategy

 The "Mirror" Effect: Your rider’s nervous system will often "mirror" yours. To lower their heart rate, you must first lower your own.

Vocal Grounding: Shift to a lower, slower pitch. This mimics "soothing" tones that research indicates horses prefer and that help human brains feel safe enough to resume logical processing.

If you want to master the art of what happens in the "silence" between instructions, read our blog on The Listening Shift to bridge the gap between your coaching and their results.