Nerves before a qualifier

First of all, how lovely that you are giving this a real go!

Nerves are completely natural and a good thing at heart. You are nervous because this matters to you and you want it to go well. A small dose of nerves can actually help you perform better and feel sharper, but when the surge gets too big, many people find it starts to get in the way. You might then feel dizzy or sick, or notice tension in the body. This reaction happens because the brain still works the way it did thousands of years ago and reads nerves as a threat to life, drawing blood away from the brain and into the larger muscles so that you can flee. That is when muscle tension, stomach trouble, and forgetting your course or test become common.

It often helps to show the brain that this is not a dangerous situation. You can do that with breathing exercises, with active relaxation (tensing and then releasing different muscles), and by doing whatever usually relaxes you at home. That might be chatting with friends, mucking out, even watching something funny on YouTube. Many people believe they have to "go into their bubble to psych themselves up", but the truth is that for a lot of riders this is not the most effective approach when they are already too nervous. It can add to the tension, which we then pass on to our horses. Think about how you ride at your best at home. What do you do before and after the session? How does your body feel when you ride then? Everything from your jaw and shoulders and how you breathe, to how you hold the reins and how much weight you carry in the stirrups. Try to find that same feeling in the competition setting too.

Good luck with the qualifier! You can do it!