Hello and — thanks for looking me up!
Welcome to the Confidence Blog of Confident Horsemanship — where any and all questions, answers, thoughts and articles about Confidence for Horse And Human can and will be posted — let me know if you want me to write about anything in particular!
So, how did I get into this Confidence Coaching? Well the official story is that after 20 years of coaching leaders and high flyers in Fortune 500 companies, I decided to take advantage of the credit crunch to refocus my work life balance.
But of course there is more to it than that — I myself have had several run-ins with unconfidence, fear – and remember holding a horse’s lead rope crying my eyes out because I was too scared to ride!
I kept finding my confidence — then losing it again – as if it was an object I could lose and find – when all the time it was there inside me, waiting to be uncovered and developed. So I started my own journey to confidence, which led to others asking me to help them with their journeys — and now, from 2008 to March 2014 I have been a full time Confidence Coach. In March 2014 I returned to other work (consulting, writing, etc) to fund my own development and horsemanship progress, so am now coaching part time.
I use my background and training in coaching, along with my experience with natural and classical horsemanship, to create workshops and clinics aimed at developing your ability to measure and manage your own confidence: to become your own confidence coach.
I also do one to one coaching for horse related and life related issues: confidence, anxiety, fear, making changes — many things.
I am the author of the “Self Coaching for Confidence” talks, reproduced in 2013 in a five part series in Horsemanship Magazine (www.HorsemanshipMagazine.co.uk ) as the DIY Confidence Course
More recently, I have become involved in extending my confidence work and am currently setting up a collaborative project using horse-assisted coaching in behavioural change programmes for children and young offenders.
Oh, and I also coach people without horses too…..
And….I am the author of the new book COMPLETE CONFIDENCE: How to build the Confidence you need to enjoy your life — which has ALL the tools and stories I use in my coaching sessions and works for your time with horses, time at work and life in general!
Hope you enjoy the blog — please comment (so I know real people are reading it!) and feel free to email me on cathy.sirett@icloud.com if you want to share anything more privately!
Also,I am inviting anyone who has anything to say about confidence to write a “Guest Blog” for this site
If you can write something between 300 and 2000 words — and send a photo to go with it (otherwise I will pick a random photo from my collections) that is about confidence — then I will publish it Let me know how you want to be described (first name only, no name, full name and weblink or link to fb page)
If you have a story or idea and want help sharing it, drop me an email and I will work with you to produce an article.
The more success stories and insights we all have in our internal reference library, the more confident we can all become — and stay!
yours in confidence,
Cathy
Confidence Blog by Confident Horsemanship 
Why not come and post this fab blog at Haynet an Equine Social Blogging Network. Come and see us at hay-net.co.uk
hi have left you a message asking for a bit more info!
Cathy
I have a 13 year old daughter who lacks confidence even though she can do the things she cant do. Is there any confidence building things I can do with her on her pony to help her believe in herself. As when she has bad days the pony senses it and things go pear shaped.
Hi Vickie — there are definitely some things that will help her — have you read the posts on here? I recommend the first three about what is unconfidence, why just getting on with it doesn’t work and how to keep track of my confidence — these will give you some ideas and then I will put together a post about helping people with their confidence which I will probably post at the weekend!
Cathy
Hi Cathy
I have a horse who is terrified of cows. I have tried numerous ways to overcome this but nothing seems to work, it means we can’t ride anywhere that involves going past a field with cows in it! Yet the field she is turned out in is right next to a field full of cows. Any Tips?
Hi Marie — I have put this question on the list to work on over this week!!
Cathy
Very interesting blog. Confidence is one of the most critical things riding develops in a human. I am a relatively new blogger and I am looking to build a network with like-minded horse people / writers. My blog is “Ngugi’s Word: Teachings of a retired racehorse” and I explore the lessons (many being life lessons) I learn from my rather complicated mare. I hope you can check it out and we can become connected!
~Stefanie
Hi there – -thanks for sharing this — wil head over and look at yourblog – and you are always welcome to write a guest blog for this site, which will help too!
Cathy
here’s alink to the blog if anyone else wants to take a look :
http://ngugiottb.wordpress.com/
Cathy
Thanks for posting my link!
hi I hadn’t rode a horse in 25 yrs . and got given a horse for my 42 birthday . this was fab, a life time dream , but I was terrifed of him . I couldn’t go to see him alone for at least 17 weeks lol . anyway I am still unconfident ,and would love to hear about your courses to improve . I would maybe one day like to jump . but straight poles worry me . look forward to reading and learning along with many others nicky . me and fred have been together 1and a half years now .
I am thrilled to find this Blog. Confidence, or lack of it, has been my greatest hurdle. And those who suggest you “just get on with it” are absolutely not safe to be with, because they do not understand the internal dynamic, thereby undermining one’s confidence further! I applaud your work and look forward to interacting.