Performance in equestrian sport is often measured in placings and results, but Deena Cooper believes true performance is shaped long before a rider enters the arena.

As an equestrian performance psychologist, Deena works with riders who are technically capable, well prepared and deeply committed, yet find themselves constrained by pressure, expectation and the mental demands of competition.

“In the simplest terms it’s really about creating the best performance,” Deena explains. “Whether you’re a recreational rider or an elite professional rider, it’s about getting the most out of the experience.”

She is clear that performance is multi‑layered. “Of course, we need excellent coaching and training on the technical side, we need a good horse and we need to look after our horse, and we need to be physically fit as well,” she says. “But the other component that can be missed is our mental state and managing our emotions, our internal experiences and our mindset.”

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“For performance to really come together, your mental state, your mindset, your emotions and your physiology all need to be working to your best advantage.”

Deena’s understanding of pressure and performance is grounded in her own riding experience. Originally trained as a psychologist, she grew up riding through Pony Club, eventing and hacking, before later becoming involved in rodeo and cutting.

Like many riders, her confidence was altered by a fall that came without warning. “It was a horse I’d had for years. He was quirky, but I trusted him,” she says. “Because of that, the fall came as a big shock.”

Although she recovered physically, the impact on her riding was gradual but significant. “My riding world got small,” Deena recalls. “I was less willing to get on certain horses. I didn’t want to ride outside the arena. All these different things started to creep in.”

By that stage, she was already a fully trained psychologist and sought professional support, including clinical and sports psychology. What she found was that many traditional approaches failed to fully address the demands of equestrian performance. “We are not just managing our own nervous system,” she says. “We are managing the nervous system of a massive prey animal that relies completely on us, and that changes everything.”

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One of the most common performance issues Deena sees is largely invisible. “This is a very common experience where people look fine on the outside, but inside they’re miserable or overly anxious, or they’re preoccupied with what other people think,” she explains. “They can look really together on the outside, but inside it’s a huge struggle. Their energy is being drained into places that aren’t helpful, and that directly affects performance.”

The in‑gate, Deena says, is where performance pressure often peaks. “Our brain is either in the future, thinking about how this round is going to go, or it’s in the past, replaying what happened last week,” she says.

“Another very common thing is worrying about what other people think of us. That’s a normal human experience, but it becomes a problem when it takes our focus away from what we need to be doing.”

For effective performance, riders must be fully present.

“When we’re at the gate, what we need is one hundred percent focus on right here, right now,” Deena says. “Not three jumps ahead, but in this moment with your horse.”

She describes this as the mental state that allows peak performance to occur.

“You’re fully present, responding to the feedback from your horse, feeling whether you’re balanced, whether you’re connected, whether everything is aligned.”

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Performance pressure is not something riders carry alone. “Horses pick up on our physiology,” Deena explains. “They know the difference between fear‑based stress and excitement. They can smell it on us, and it affects their behaviour.”

“If we’re anxious, the horse often knows before we do, which is why it’s so important to be aware of our own state.”

Deena challenges the belief that anxiety must be eliminated for performance to improve. “Anxiety has a bad reputation, but we actually need some of it,” she says. “If we go into a run with no anxiety at all, that’s not ideal. We need that energy to sharpen focus.”

The problem arises when riders try to suppress it. “When anxiety shows up and we decide it’s bad and needs to go away, we add another layer of stress,” she explains.

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Falls can also have a lasting effect on performance, particularly when they are unexpected. “Unpredictability is one of the biggest factors in whether something becomes psychologically sticky,” Deena explains. “When something comes out of nowhere, it shakes our sense of safety.” She cautions against returning to competition too quickly, “I see riders get back on before they’re mentally ready,” she says. “That can lead to defensive riding, tension and further negative experiences.Our horses are incredibly sensitive. Even subtle tension changes how they respond to us.”

High‑performing riders can also generate significant pressure internally.“We’re driven, we’re perfectionistic and we care deeply about doing well,” Deena says.“That can be a strength, but it can also become exhausting if we rely too heavily on self‑judgment and criticism to motivate ourselves.”

One small shift can change that dynamic. “If you notice a lot of ‘shoulds’ in your thinking, try changing them to ‘could’. It reduces pressure without lowering standards.” After setbacks, many riders retreat into safety. “They stop doing the things that challenge them,” Deena says. “Their riding world gets smaller.”

Performance improves when riders work deliberately in the stretch zone. “It’s about finding challenges that are manageable, not overwhelming,” she explains. “Overwhelm puts you into survival mode, not performance mode.”

While results matter, Deena warns against becoming fixated on them. “Outcome goals can become a trap if we focus on them too much,” she says. Instead, she encourages riders to focus on process goals. “They’re the things we can control, like preparation, habits, focus and execution.” She also asks riders to examine what results represent to them. “What is it about that ribbon that really matters to you?”

Deena regularly sees riders unlock performance without any physical change. “People often get in their own way, particularly very talented riders,” she says. “When they learn how to manage pressure and perspective, not only do they perform better, they feel better.”

At the heart of it all, she believes, is connection. “It’s the connection. That communication between horse and rider,” Deena says. “That’s what makes this worth it.”

The full interview with Deena can be found on the ‘All Clear’ podcast, available now on :

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