Samantha helped my daughter when her confidence was at an all time low.

She’d always be a very confident rider, braver than her skill allowed, but after a nasty fall resulting in a concussion with amnesia she just couldn’t move past it on her own and I decided to enlist Sam’s help.

I was a little sceptical as my daughter was only 13, and the sessions were online.

I needn’t have been….from the word go I started to see a shift in how she felt in general, as well as when on her pony.

We always knew she would come up against challenges again because that’s just ponies, but she now has a skill set that helps her manage it, and if she ever gets rocked she logs back in and listens to one of Sam’s meditations and it just helps her reset.

Can’t recommend Sam enough if you have a child whose resilience has taken a bashing.

Money incredibly well spent!

Thank you. 

Hey sam, I just wanted to let you know that for the first time ever I’ve felt completely calm going to a show and jumping my first round!

When I first started working with Sam I had completely lost my confidence riding, playing polo and in my horses.

I had fallen out of love with the sport, had a panic attack in a game (something I have never experienced before) and had almost decided to give up and sell all my polo ponies.  

A combination of factors had triggered this including loosing a number of older school master ponies who I had huge trust in, riding younger and slightly less predictable horses as well as a fall last year. 

My stress response had become so high, I struggled to think of certain horses without feeling anxious, let alone get on them. My friends and family couldn’t understand what was happening and the horses were feeding off my anxiety which was making a terrible spiral. 

From our first meeting, I have found Sam to be incredibly friendly, kind, understanding and supportive.  I made progress from my first few sessions and quickly was able to see improvements. Learning to control my thoughts and rationalise them has helped me return to the sport I love.

I have been able to get back playing the ponies I had become fearful of. I now instead aim to lead them with calm clear leadership and rebuild our partnerships. The audio recordings for visualisations have been particularly helpful in my case and I now focus on positive visualisations. 

Sam is incredibly responsive, if I’ve messaged needing support or an update, I’ve always been amazed at the rapid and helpful responses. Throughout the process it has felt like having a great friend on your side to support you.

The more you put in to the sessions and work, the more you get out and the changes made through this course, I will be using for many years to come. 

I can’t thank Sam enough as now I am greatly looking forward to next polo season and building up my trust and confidence with my horses (young and old) and getting back to the more relaxed happy polo rider I was before. Two particular younger polo ponies, I now can’t wait to see how we can progress and grow together as we find trust and confidence in each other. 

I would recommend Sam to anyone of any equine discipline who has had a confidence knock and I would not hesitate to use her again for support in the future if I need it.

I went to Sam for help, as quite a few of my friends in the same team that I ride with had also gone to Sam and had some really good results. 

I’m a confident rider. I think I’m fairly OK, but we just weren’t clicking in the dressage arena and things just weren’t going as I would have liked to. I was going quite good at home, but just in the competition, things kind of fell apart a little bit, and I think we just weren’t getting the scores that we needed. 

So I thought, “Let’s try Sam and then see how we get on from there.”

Sam has helped massively, I would say both in the dressage arena, but also outside of the dressage arena as well. 

We’ve worked out that I kind of froze a bit when the bell went and her guided visualisations really helped me overcome that. And I went out to do a test almost a week later, after having used her techniques and the bell went and you know what? It’s the best results I ever got for my dressage test. 

But not only that, I had some phone calls regarding my father, who is also ill, and the phone calls that I got didn’t break my stride. I was able to kind of contextualise them, understand them, put them to one side and then ride my horse, which is something that I’d really struggled with previously. So thank you very much for that, Sam

I honestly would recommend anybody to work with Sam, definitely to have a go. I know not every scheme suits everybody. It’s a bit like instructors for riding, but Sam has really helped me. 

She’s benefited me both in the saddle and out of the saddle. She’s allowed me to kind of retrain my brain brain in a way, the way that it kind of thinks the way that assesses things, things that kind of stressed me out to understand that and put it back down into a context and then to move forward from it. 

So I would say, If you’re thinking about doing it, do it! Absolutely do it. You’ll be really surprised and it be well worth it as well. So good luck, go for it.

Jill and Floris-son 🤩🏇🏻🎉

Sam has truly helped me in all aspects of life!

I was absolutely terrified about giving birth the thought sent my mind in a spin and I wanted nothing more than this little bundle to arrive via Amazon prime!

Sam has helped me with my mindset when competing my horses and when I asked if she would be able to help me get my head round giving birth she never hesitated.

I genuinely can’t thank Sam enough for the life skills she has given me I find myself using them on a daily basis.

We worked through lots of different processes to help me get my head round the birth which I practiced for many months & also breathing techniques that I used though out the labor.

Highly Recommend!!

I’m so happy!

I didn’t think I’d have achieved this in 5 weeks!

In fact, I didn’t think I’d be doing things like going on the gallops for years!

I rode Herbie this morning and he spooked in. the school and shot off bucking, but I stayed completely calm and it didn’t bother me at all.

A few weeks ago that would have been me crying and getting off the pony immediately.

Thank you 😊

Amelia and her new pony Tyson 🤩🏇🏻🎉

I decided to give working with Sam a go last year after struggling to manage my nerves at shows and always doubting my abilities.

I was very skeptical about these kind of things but went with an open mind and if I didn’t get anything from it I had tried.

After just one session with Sam I couldn’t believe how much of an impact the session had on me just the next day when riding at home.

After completing 3 sessions I took lots away and started to use all the advice and help I’d been given everyday but especially when at shows, I found I was entering the arena with a clear thinking and calm attitude meaning I was able to enjoy my rounds and not come out just relieved I had got round.

Through the last year I have found I don’t always need to go over things in my head to keep the nerves at bay as it is now how I naturally feel, calm and relaxed.

When I have felt extra nerves (going in the ring on a young horse and jumping my first 1.25m last month) I have reminded myself of the phrase we made in session 3 (I think) that is positive and calming and reminds me not to not overthink what I shouldn’t do but to go in enjoy my horses, relax and let my natural ability work.

I couldn’t recommend Sam enough for anything you feel you may need help with.

I had never even considered this kind of program before I had the opportunity to work with Sam, being new to the world of mindset training I was slightly on the fence whether if would be for me.

However, I honestly believe that everyone has something to gain from working with Sam, she makes you see a different way of thinking and living that I never even considered to be an option.

Having started to improve myself through Sam’s training, I have started to see this now transferring into my riding and my horses altitude as well as my day to day life.

How Sam works is fantastic, she makes everything simplified and helps you understand everything by explaining both the science behind it and why it works.

Her level of support is unlike anything I have experienced before and would recommend her highly. 

I came to Sam initially because I was suffering with anxiety with my horse riding, and not wanting to get on my horse and ride, particularly at home alone.

But quite quickly, I realised that my anxiety probably went a little bit deeper than that.

Working with Sam has allowed me to realise how my body reacts to situations, particularly stresses, and has helped me understand how I need to get myself in an overall better position, so that when something stressful does come up, that I’m in a much better position to deal with it.

That obviously has helped my horse riding, because in general where I was probably already on high alert and my body was in that kind of red zone, as it gets described, I’m already below that now and it takes an awful lot more before I get stressed. So I can take that into my horse riding, already in a calmer state.

If I do get a bit more anxious, I have tips to help combat that. The biggest thing I’ve probably taken away from. it is like I said, my overall day to day management of myself, self-care.

Sam very kindly probably pointed out a few things that I had realised, but it helped having someone else identify that, and made me make a few changes in my life. Which has ultimately helped me get to my goal of being much more happy to ride my horse and enjoy the whole experience.

I’ve learned how to not worry about things that aren’t there, and deal with those things as they come up and how to get those thoughts out of my head if they do come up, which they don’t as often, which is brilliant!

But overall, just really made me a much more chilled out, happier person and one that enjoys getting on their horse and is not worried anymore.

So I would say if you are thinking about working with Sam, I’d highly recommend it.

What I’ve taken away is the toolkit that Sam’s given me. All those things that I have slightly adapted to my lifestyle. But I took on board what Sam said and worked with that and adapted it.

Definitely give it a go!

I am not the kind of person that ever thought that I’d suffer with being scared or worried about riding my horse.

I have a quite high pressured job where I’m expected to deal with quite a lot of stressful situations, which I do.

But I found that now, in my own life, I can manage, and I’ve got back to enjoying my horse and not only enjoying my horse and riding and thinking very differently and being that person that looks at other people when they’re starting to get worried about something or overthink something can be like “Oh! No! Why are you thinking like that?”

So definitely do it, it’s definitely worth it and it will make you think differently about lots of things and hopefully improve the aspects you’re looking for.

Sam is truly amazing at what she does!  She gave me the gift of bringing back the joy to riding rather than always thinking the worst. 

I highly recommend her program to any rider or any athlete who is having any trouble remembering they actually can “DO THIS” and do it well!

Hi Sam,

I am so happy to provide a testimonial of the amazing progress that my daughter has made on your course. The difference from the first session that she had with you, to the present day after 4 sessions has been astonishing.

Her nervousness around the horses has almost completely gone, she is once again able to enjoy riding and being around them, and she is also far less anxious in general.

I have absolutely no doubt that the tools that you have given her will benefit her in so many ways, and I’m so pleased that she has had this opportunity to really understand herself at such a young age.

Being in on the sessions has also benefitted me too in so many ways, and having access to the sessions after the course is invaluable to be able to carry on progressing on our journey.

I’m just so pleased that we found you on Facebook, as I’m not sure where we would be now if we hadn’t.

To anyone who is hesitating booking sessions with Sam I would say this. Her work is focused, her knowledge and ability to help are superb, and you will find your thinking and ability to deal with situations transformed.

Sam really cares about her clients, and the back up you receive from her is invaluable.

Don’t put it off!

If you really want to change and understand your own mind so that you can work through and resolve problems you may be having…whatever they are…you need to work with Sam. I cannot recommend her highly enough.

I first contacted Sam to help me with my partnership with my horse. We were having problems moving forward with our relationship as my negative mindset was holding us both back.

With Sams mentoring I found I was able to change my way of thinking and create a more positive out look to life.  The sessions were enlightening and fun and the weekly catch up calls very helpful.

I found not only did these sessions help me with the relationship with my horse but also other aspects of my life. I found I was able to sleep better and also have more confidence in my ability to drive.

As an older adult rider coming back to the sport after a 30+ year break, my internal dialogue was not pretty.

Basically every time something happened it just confirmed to me that “I am terrible”.

As for mental skills coaching, I believed that I am smarter than this stuff and while I can say the words, they don’t really mean anything.

But Sam showed me how to change that dialogue and now I am a believer that how you think, what you tell yourself can be changed and when it’s changed — so are you!

I would recommend that EVERYONE try it!

Thanks again Sam!

Elizabeth and Malvern Hill 🏇🏻🎉 Check out her show record here usef.org 🤩

In three sessions, I cannot believe the difference Sam has made to me and how I feel in myself.

Before having the sessions with Sam I was finding everyday tasks which I would normally fly through very challenging and difficult.

Due to going through the Menopause, I couldn’t sleep, I would be awake from about 1 am, I couldn’t go back off to sleep as my mind would feel like it was being fried with so many thoughts constantly being played in my head, that would then cause me to become anxious the following day, which would make me feel very tearful and difficult to cope.

With the three sessions I had, the transformation is incredible, I am sleeping, I am less anxious and more relaxed so I can focus clearly on my daily tasks.

It has been truly life-changing.

Also, Sam makes you feel so at ease during her sessions, she is a true professional and also very caring and listens to everything you say.

Last year, I could barely speak because I was so nervous, this year, however, as I was about to begin my round, I spotted Sam, waved and said ‘hey Sam’!

Some might have thought I wasn’t concentrating but actually, I felt so relaxed.

I was completely aware of my surroundings, the job I was job doing and had the capacity to thank the lady that helped get me to this wonderful head space. 12/10 recommend Sam and her Prepare to Win Program, from this Navy Rider

Sarah and Red Hot Chilli Pyper 🤩🏇🏻🎉

Firstly I want to say a huge thank you to Samantha for my Rider Confidence sessions, the results that I have achieved have been beyond my expectations.

A little bit of background, I found riding in my 30’s and loved it from my first lesson,  wishing that I had started it years ago. The reason for this is that whilst I enjoyed riding and really, really wanted to progress, fear was holding me back. What if I fall off? What if I can’t control my horse? What if I really injure myself? Played over and over in my mind and started to take some (a lot really) of the enjoyment away. 

I am so glad that I came across Prepare to Win on Facebook. I thought that if Samantha can train Team GB members and Royal Navy personnel, I should be a doddle, but it does not actually work like that.  The performance coaching programme that Samantha has designed is uniquely tailored to each individual and it does not matter if you’re top of your game or wanting to work on confidence in canter transitions – which was one of my goals. 

After the first session I could not believe the difference. I was not expecting so see any results so soon and believe that it’s the blend of science, understanding the physical and mental response to situations and the coaching, understanding how to change this was the key to my success. 

At the end of my performance coaching I not only achieved my goals of having increased confidence and less fear. I wanted to go further and push myself out of my comfort zone which was a completely new feeling for a overthinking worrier like myself.

An unexpected benefit was that I was able to apply Samantha’s methodology to other areas of my life  (not just horse riding) and achieved weight loss and got back into an exercise routine after months of putting it off and making excuses, overall I feel much better in myself.

I can not recommend Samantha enough. Samantha is genuinely caring, compassionate and very generous with her time to ensure that you achieve your goals.  It’s a comfort really to know if I have any more bumps along the road in my horse riding journey I now have these tools in my toolbox and can call on Samantha for advise and support as needed. 

I contacted Sam initially after my former BD UKCC Coach had worked with her for competition
/anxiety issues.

Although I wasn’t competing at the same level I was also experiencing confidence /anxiety issues
when going to competitions, and actually in many other ways in general.

Not feeling entirely convinced that Sam would be able to help me I still decided to go ahead with
the course. I felt I had nothing to lose and possibly everything to gain.

I can honestly say the last few weeks since committing to this course has been enlightening,
beneficial and life changing.

Sam has shown me how to train my mind.

This new found mental freedom means I am a more focused, calmer and confident individual with
my horse and generally in daily life.

I now know how to live for the moment instead of worrying about what’s happened and what might
be.

It’s so hard to explain the change I feel inside.

If anyone reading this is suffering from any similar rider confidence/anxiety issues. Don’t put off
giving Sam a call. I can definitely recommend her.

First class performance coaching for any and every level. 

The investment is worthwhile as you are made accountable for applying the principles during the course and, after it has finished, you have a toolkit that is not only applicable to riding but to any stressful life situation. 

Thoroughly recommend!

I contacted Sam for help when my riding confidence was at an all time low. I honestly was wondering if I’d ever be able to truly enjoy riding again as I was a bag of nerves every time I got on.

Sam took the time to get to know me and understand what I wanted to achieve – in the first instance this was to be able to ride around the school for half an hour on my own, and to enjoy it! I was marginally sceptical but also excited. From the first session I got results. I was more focused and I was breathing properly!

This only got better, and it wasn’t long before I was hacking out on the roads and loving riding again. I highly recommend Sam for any riders who have lost confidence or simply have a goal they want to work on.

Sam totally transformed my relationship with my horse thanks to her deep understanding of human psychology and horsemanship.

I got in touch with Sam after an accident on my youngster which, while not the horse’s fault, knocked our confidence. I saw significant improvements after the first session. Within weeks, I went from being afraid to get on to hacking out and riding alone in the arena and outside.

Before Sam, I had read about 5 books on the topic of rider confidence, but the one-on-one sessions with Sam and individual advice was life-changing.

Sam is also a really lovely person and great to talk to, so I looked forward to our sessions on a personal level too. She strikes a great balance between being a friend and holding you accountable. Highly recommended for anyone who would like to be more confident and give their horse more confidence.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have really enjoyed the four week foundation course online.

It was easy to access and with Sam guiding  me through visualisations and doing them at home it has really helped calm me and allow me to regain my confidence.

She has useful suggestions that can be applied to all areas of my life and help be rational and calm when dealing with them.

Really good for anxiety and stress.

I worked with Sam throughout last summer. Having recently had a hysterectomy and mental hang ups caused by the menopause I’d lost my confidence and self belief. 

Sam worked with me to rationalise these fears and rework my mindset to become the person and rider that I wanted to be.

I didn’t ever believe I could be one to meditate but with Sam’s guidance I’m hooked.

I have a mantra that I tell myself when I’m in need of a boost which is really helpful in stressful situations.

I would thoroughly recommend anyone that is struggling with their inner strength to contact Sam.

Sam is easy to talk to, proactive in her approach and always available with guidance.

I feel I’ve made a friend in the process of getting back in the saddle.

Thanks Sam xx

When I first met Sam at Prepare to Win, I was struggling with anxiety and had no idea how to manage negative thoughts. But from day one, Sam has been a very calming and reassuring presence. She’s taught me how to re-evaluate and then reshape negative thoughts. She’s given me a whole host of tools I can use daily to improve my mood and keep me calm. And I always come out of each session with Sam feeling more positive – and also thoroughly entertained as she has a story or funny anecdote about everything!

Even when we’re between sessions, Sam checks in on me to make sure I’m ok and continuing with the tools she’s given me.

Sam said to me on day one that nothing happens overnight. To make the changes I wanted to see in my life would take commitment and determination. And she was right. But if you do commit to her suggestions and advice, it can transform your life.

Delayed update for Belli from the Winter Nationals & the show at the weekend..! 🦄☺️🎊

I’d like to stress the importance of mindset, early March I started working with Samantha Shanks-Husbands at Prepare to Win since working with Sam I’ve had a much better focus & mindset towards big shows..

At the Nationals I really had to draw on everything I’d learnt with Sam as things for Belli didn’t go to plan in the warm up.. 😅

Belli had been pretty chilled all week, his class was the last day.. came to the day of competition & we didn’t quite manage to get out of walk without spinning & rearing 🙈 my 45min warm up resulted in swopping the bridle back to the snaffle and convincing him it was a good idea to go round the warm up arena – of which I wasn’t having much success 🙈

Any rider in this moment starts to worry if they are even going to make it into the arena.. 🙈😬

I used all the skills I’d learnt with Sam to keep my heart rate down which helped keep a clear focus & not to panic.. 😅 we went down to the 10min box before going in & managed a basic canter on both reins and went in to ride an Advanced Medium Freestyle!! 😅🤯

Having done all the focus work with Sam to stop negative thoughts or what ifs.. We went in & all I thought was well he can do everything.. 😅🤞🏼

Belli only went in and produced a clean 68.33% test showing the PSG half passes, tricky shoulder in lines etc! 😅 & much to everyone’s surprise even now I look back and wonder how we managed it..

The help that I have received from Sam to keep focus has been incredible… He wasn’t the horse I expected to be using my new skills for.. but on that day I needed everything I’d learnt! 🙌🏼

In total honestly I was pleased with him in the arena he never looked at a thing almost like he couldn’t wait to get in there but the warm up was something else..! 😅

We went to Vale View on Sunday and he was a super star winning both..! 🌟 68.68% in the Advanced Medium & 67.21% in the PSG – he was his usual cool dude self to warm up just making a mistake in the 4x changes due to loosing his attention but over all lots of promise, new skills put to good use & new goals set! 🙌🏼🦄

Victoria and Belli at Hartpury Winter National Championships in the Advanced Medium Freestyle 🤩🏇🏻🎉

I really enjoyed my course with Samantha, she made me feel really comfortable and there were practical tools I could use from the start and I am still using them!

Sam has helped me to see the world through a different lens. My self-esteem and confidence has reach a new level and the results have enabled me to enjoy my life to the full.

I wanted to work with Sam for 2 main reasons – weight loss and to reduce knee pain from 2 arthritic knees. Sam was welcoming, friendly, warm and professional and listened to my concerns and expectations. I thought it would be sessions to help me with these issues, but I got so much more than that.

Sam planned every session we had, she guided me through exercises to show how my automatic thoughts, often including fear and perfectionism, were influencing me without my conscious knowledge and making life much more difficult as they were in conflict with what I wanted. This required honesty from me, some aspects were uncomfortable for me to admit. Sam was assured and professional and I never felt I was being judged or what I said invalid or wrong.

Sam had different techniques to offer for these unhelpful thoughts so if we went off plan because I wanted to explore thoughts or feelings that had arisen, that wasn’t an issue and Sam worked with me on that. There was always a guided visualisation part to the session and it was delivered by Sam with clarity, a warm and well modulated voice and included what we had discussed with visualisations that Sam thought would work for me and was pleasant and easy to listen. Sam recorded these for me.

I have no hesitation in working with or recommending Sam to help become the best version of yourself. It encompasses coaching, new ways of viewing your thoughts and actions with what I’d call a quiet passion. What I mean by that is Sam really believes in it, she knows what’s she’s doing because she’s benefitted in her personal life with these techniques, and it’s given with empathy, understanding, warmth and kindness. If I had to summarise it in one line it would be ‘working with Sam is an uplifting experience’.

I am still continuing with weight loss and realise it’s not just the number on the scales that counts, it’s the quality of the process that elevates wellbeing. Thank you Sam.

After suffering a stroke in March 2022 I was suffering a terrible loss of confidence not just in my sport as a professional Show Jumper but in general day to day life.

Sam has carefully taken me through step by step in specially tailored facetime sessions to find the route cause of why I’ve been feeling this way and giving me some great guided visualisations and techniques to use.

Cannot recommend Sam enough and she has now taken on several of my pupils to help them like she has helped me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed my course with Samantha, she made me feel really comfortable and there were practical tools I could use from the start and I am still using them!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I can absolutely endorse Sam, her courses are incredible, the support is real and the results amazing.

Truly money well spent!

I felt happy that at the end of the course I had improved so much and I don’t have to worry about selling my horse anymore!

I went into my first session with zero clue of what to expect and to be honest a little sceptical, but straight away Samantha put me at ease. Just by her talking me through what she does and what we could achieve I was hooked and couldn’t wait to get started.

We covered breathing techniques, mental rehearsal, visualisation, self-talk and loads more… It was a lot to take in, but I couldn’t wait to start using it in my training sessions!

My first training session was simple rowing intervals, 10 x 500m rows with 2 minutes rest between, I had done 8 x 500m the week before. During the rest, I used the breathing techniques that we covered. And not only did my heart rate drop faster, I just felt so much more composed throughout the entire session.

Over the next few weeks, I retested a number of gymnastics tests, using all the techniques I’d covered with Sam. I can honestly say that I beat all of my previous scores.

I visualised myself doing it, I controlled my breathing, I had visual cues ready and went out and controlled my performance.

I now use these techniques without thinking about it in every session and can’t wait to use them in competition!

Sam… You’re awesome!

Samantha Shanks-Husbands is literally amazing, if you’re even thinking about nerves or any kind of situation that’s bringing you anxiety, she is golden ❤️

I worked with Sam about a year ago on the rider confidence course.

I was recently struggling trying to make a big decision with lots of variables with my horses. I kept thinking “I wish there was someone I could talk to that was totally removed and unbiased, but understood the horse aspects of this.”

That night I got one of Sam’s emails and contacted her immediately to talk.

The next morning she walked me through a visualization of each of my options and I came out of the session with incredible peace and clarity on what I wanted to do.

Highly recommend Sam for not only her courses but also for sorting through complex decisions!!

I met Sam at a riding event, where we got chatting about what she does basically by accident. I started to mention a lot of my confidence issues, and my constant need of perfection. 

She immediately seemed to recognise my thoughts, and explained to me why I felt like that. After our discussion, I decided to book 4 appointments online.

During these sessions, she was able to make me really dig into my emotions and inner thoughts, where it transpired that my need for perfection on my horse actually stemmed through my daily life, especially through my academics. 

Therefore, not only has Sam helped my confidence and challenged my perfectionism on the horse, my whole life’s perspective has been shifted; from negative, fearing judgement and self-loathing, to not caring what others think, trying to look for the positives in everything and actually liking myself more.

Her work is truly transformative, and although she specialises in equine performance coaching, rest assured all her methods work with every issue you could probably have. After all, issues with riding performance may well have stemmed from deeper-rooted issues, as in my case. 

Sam is truly interested and dedicated to everyone she helps, it is a truly personalised experience, and she gives you access to everything you need from the sessions, for life.

I’d just like to say a huge thank you to Sam for giving me the perspective change I so desperately needed. Life feels so much better now.

Hi everyone, if you are wishing you could feel calm, confident and capable in specific areas of your life or just generally wishing you could cope with the stresses and strains of everyday things then please consider contacting Sam as she is amazing.

I would like to tell you a bit about Sam and how she has helped me; I am 77, soon to be 78, a retired GP and an elderly horse rider so I suspect notreally the sort of person who might be expected to show an interest in riding “therapy “. …. how wrong can one be! I have benefited hugely from getting to know Sam and from taking part in her program.

I only started riding in my late 50s as my daughter had gone to Uni and we were left with her pony and we didn’t want to part with him. There he was sitting in the field doing nothing, a very capable successful pony club competitor and I decided that someone had to start riding him again as he was wasted in the field doing nothing, and yes, guess who decided to take him on…it was muggins me.

So, I went off as a complete novice, aged 58, to our local riding school to learn the basics on Dolly or Polly until I was capable of taking on the pony that stood in our field.

I was hooked very quickly but I was always fearful of riding very fast in open fields in a group with other horses as our daughter’s pony could be very strong and had carted me on several occasions.

Over the years I rode several other horses and ponies but I never overcome this fear. Until 10 years ago I had always ridden horses that were ourdaughter’s “hand me downs “, however for the past 10 years I have been the proud owner of my very own wonderful coloured cob called Fred who has been with me since he was 6 and he is now 16.

We have been very successful in TREC, Endurance, Dressage and especially in dressage to music and yet the one thing I could never let myself do was gallop willingly in an open field…tracks or spray lines through crops held no fear for me but open fields were an absolute No No…I wanted to conquer this fear as I was sure that being able to trust Fred in open fields would deepen my connection with him and make him very happy.

Thankfully I saw a piece about Sam on Facebook and I took the plunge and made contact with her. I really didn’t know what to expect but I found Sam to be totally open about her program, easy to talk to and she understood totally where I was coming from. Her approach was/ is professional, knowledgeable, science based and caring.

I now know that although her program certainly works for riding problems it offers so much more. I have found, as have others, that the meditation, relaxation, visualisation and Socratic questions have had a major positive impact on many many areas of my daily life.

My riding has changed so much… I can’t say that I am truly happy to gallop across fields in a big group but I am so much more confident and joyful in all my riding. Sam’s program and the sessions with her have had a profound effect upon my life. It’s all happened slowly and almost imperceptibly almost without my recognising the change in myself.

I find I can conjure up a great feeling of calmness and soft confidence with little effort…so good in this stressful world.

I have had a bit of a rocky couple of years, with sepsis, breast cancer and the tragic loss of our 11-year-old granddaughter who was hit by a refuse lorry on her way to school. I was a very hands-on granny and the shock was immense.

On many occasions during these tough times I have found myself quite instinctively using the breathing and visualisation techniques instilled into me by Sam with great benefit…. I love the mantra “calm, confident and capable” as I find it cooling and kind and strong and it just swings into my head when I am about to get anxious.

The Socratic questions have helped me to alter many of my thoughts in a good way and I wish so much I had known about these things years and years ago as I am sure I would have been able to better cope with the ups and downs of life in a positive way and in doing so I would have been a nicer person.

Anyway, that’s enough about me and what I really wish to say is that I would urge anyone of any age, any background, horsey or not, who is thinking of looking for someone to help with anxiety, lack of confidence, whatever is happening in your life etc then don’t hesitate to contact Sam and have a chat with her about your hopes and fears. You will find her very understanding and she has the skills to help you to achieve your dreams either in daily life or in sport.

Don’t hesitate, it’s never too late to improve your self awareness and your life will be enriched forever.

I signed up with Sam at Prepare To Win after a recommendation from a friend who was already receiving a huge amount of support from Sam with her coaching.

I can honestly say that it led to the best coaching that I have ever had. 

Sam is so perceptive and knowledgeable about her subject that my huge anxiety and panic about driving was very quickly resolved. 

I can now drive to new and unknown  destinations in my car or the horse box and not have the sheer panic and anxiety that would build up until I couldn’t continue the journey. 

It has really freed up my mind so that I now look forward to driving with or without my horse to clinics and any other destination I choose.

The added benefit of Sam’s work is that so much of it transfers to whatever else is going on in your life.  Sam gives you the tools to manage whatever you might perceive to be a problem in your life.

Her work with me has been so liberating, I really cannot recommend her mental training programme enough.

It is truly liberating and I am so grateful for the original recommendation.

Nicola and Xande enjoying Cross Country 🤩🎉🏇🏻

You are only ever as good at the team around you…

As the competition season is kickstarting & we have moments (a few hours.. ..) of it looking like spring!  I wanted to share my experience working with Sam at @preparetowin_mind_coach … 

Sam has not only helped me mentally prepare for shows but also given me amazing tools that I can use in everyday life too! 

Whatever the level or goal, the process I’ve worked through with Sam has really helped me get the best from myself when “self doubt” kicks in! 

I highly recommend anyone who is looking to have an extra edge this season to get in touch with Sam – you will not be disappointed!  

I’m looking forward to the season I have ahead with my horses & I know with Sam’s help I will be able to achieve the goals I have planned even with an extra pair of tiny hands involved! 

Victoria and Ben at Hartpury Winter National Championships after the Inter 1 Freestyle 69.92% placing 9th (Ben was 18 years old!).

Following a freak mounting block accident, completely out of character for my horse, I found myself with constant worry and nerves every time I came back to getting on him, despite knowing he has always been my safest horse to get on.

I had ridden numerous times since the accident but never felt entirely comfortable with getting on. It was a constant anxiety no matter how many times I got on.

My horse has just gone through 12 months of been turned away and rehabbed and I knew that this was the time that I needed to tackle my nerves and worry to ensure when restarting I was able to continue comfortably and with confidence without hindering my horse.

I’m now back in my happy place having got on my one in a million horse for the first time last week, and found myself without any nerves, anxiety or worry.

Even when I felt myself worry a little, my brain was instantly in charge and dissipated all anxiety through the exercises learnt through the course.

It is still a work in progress but the difference is already night and day.

Back in my happy place. First time on in 12 months. No nerves, no worry….it was fab!

I cannot recommend Sam highly enough.

She helped me massively when my confidence was at an all time low and I genuinely thought I was going to give up horses.

I had a really traumatic fall onto the road, in front of a car that resulted in a fracture and torn muscles. My horse managed to damage a ligament and had 18 months off.

You can imagine how I was feeling when it came to start rehabbing him having the memory of the fall and not having sat on him since!

The thought of getting back on made me feel physically sick, and my nerves were out of control.

Working with Sam helped me address the issues and we did this way ahead of me planning to bring him back into work. She dedicated extra time when I had additional questions and spent as long as I needed on the sessions we had to ensure I had all the detail I needed and fully understood it all before I went away to work on it myself.

I followed everything advised and really threw myself in as I refused to let my nerves take over.

I was frankly astonished at the outcome. Even after session one, I felt totally different.

I am now happily schooling and hacking, even hacking down a very busy road!

Not only did she help with my riding confidence, but she also helped with a couple of issues in my personal life too.

The brain really is an amazing thing, and as long as you have the tools, you really can overcome anything. Sam will give you those tools and support you every step of the way.

Even after our sessions ended, she still checks in on me from time to time.

I continue to use the new skills I’ve learned and am genuinely a much more calm, confident, and relaxed person in all circumstances.

She’s a dedicated professional, and I am truly grateful to her for saving me from giving up on my passion!

Sam and Casey 🤩🎉🏇🏻

I’m a training level AA eventer that came to Sam after struggling with confidence to move up levels.

Working with Sam over the past 6 months or so has allowed me to take a different perspective toward higher pressure environments.

Rather than adding more pressure to myself, I actively seek ways to let the pressure out through the exercises I’ve learned and approaches we’ve discussed.

I recently went back to a venue I haven’t been to for 2 years because of how busy the environment was. Last time I was there I had a nasty fall due to my horse being very distracted.

My decision to go back was because I was able to appreciate the progress I’d made with my horse and felt confident I’d be able to handle anything that came our way.

My trainer couldn’t come, I switched classes minutes before I got on, I couldn’t find my horses bonnet, there was a trainer there watching that I really respect and I was doing everything by myself. All things that would’ve really stressed me out in the past.

None of these things distracted us and we came out of the show as reserve champion.

I was very proud of my horse and really felt like I could attribute the progress to my enhanced mental state.

This particular example is from a jumper show, but all the things I mention are transferable to all of my rides.

Highly recommend Sam for show nerves, anxiety and practical tools to handle what comes your way at shows and in life.

Rachel and Nemo 🤩🎉🏇🏻

I approached Sam as I had lost my nerve as an older horse rider who had previously broken a vertebrae.

Firstly, Sam is one of the most approachable, friendly and positive people I have ever met.

Secondly, she knows her stuff and thirdly, she’s adaptable and flexible with her content.

It’s a big commitment and I found it difficult to make the time but it was worth the effort and time.

The sessions go quickly and are thought provoking at times.

I am not ‘fixed’ but I do now have the tools to help me and I am hoping to keep improving.

I was a happy hacker who wasn’t happy to hack anymore and I saw Sam’s adverts on Facebook.

She’s really helped me with confidence on the ground and when riding – since I started with her, I’ve clipped my horse (by myself!), we’ve done a fun ride and boxed to new places with a friend to hack out.

Would recommend Sam to anyone who needs that friendly voice to get your confidence back and get going again.

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Cat and Merlin 🦄

Sam has been a life saver for me as I was ready to give up horses which is my life long passion.

I spoke to Sam and enrolled on a course with Prepare to Win and I haven’t looked back!

Di and Ted 🤩🎉🏇🏻

Update to ‘weight loss and pain management’ Success Story:

With the mind coaching techniques I’ve learnt with Sam, my health and well-being have continued to improve.

I have greater understanding of my thoughts and how they influence me, I am kinder to myself and this has enabled me to be more consistent in moving toward my goals.

Thank you Sam.

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After two sessions I’m a much happier person. I have become aware that a thought is not “me”.

The biggest difference is in my riding. I was in such a bad place, I couldn’t correct it. I couldn’t even talk because I was hyperventilating.

I knew I had to do something because I couldn’t live my life this way.

I’m changing how I live. Is everything perfect? No! But I can take it and correct it and improve, instead of getting so upset. I laugh at myself and move on, which makes it so much more enjoyable. I can breathe normally and feel in control, instead of jumping controlling me.

My lessons are so different now I’m not in a panic and I don’t say “We suck!” anymore. My whole thinking is better and so my riding is better.

I’m a happier person and I’m not thinking – “That was terrible, we suck!” and I’m not down on myself. I no longer want to give up. Small mental changes have made a huge impact.

We’ve had four excellent lessons in a row now and that has never happened before. My attitude towards riding and jumping now is “I’m going to go out and have fun.”

The most exciting thing is I haven’t completed the course yet, this is just the beginning, the tip of the iceberg and things are so much better already. It’s really exciting!

Beth and Malibu ready to have fun 🏇🏻 🎉

I only contacted Sam, so I could achieve one goal, which for me I truly thought was impossible.

Not only have I achieved this goal and continue to go forward, the whole experience has been life changing.

I’ve stopped drinking, which I did nearly everyday, I’ve joined a health club. I’m extremely grateful and trust me even if you don’t think you need Sam and this course ….. in some way you will benefit so much.

Do it!

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Sam really helped me with my confidence at a time I was struggling after a really bad fall and contemplating giving up completely.

The tips and tricks have enabled me to enjoy riding again after thinking I wouldn’t be able to continue- definitely recommended.

Everyone should be thrilled to have this opportunity — Sam is amazing and I am here to tell you that an advanced riding age thanks to Sam I actually WON a class at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala and there were only 62 in my class (less than my age!! Yikes)

I would thoroughly recommend Sam she has really helped me in many ways.

I see things more clearly and my sleep has improved remarkably.  And I feel so much more relaxed and clear.

Sam makes you feel so at ease in her sessions.

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I cannot recommend Sam enough!

I have recently started riding again after being away from it for 20 years! I soon realised I wasn’t the care free teenager anymore and that I also didn’t bounce quite the same either!

I was thinking more and more of the worse case scenarios and the what if’s, over thinking everything and it was effecting everything in my life!

Luckily I came across Sam at Prepare to Win on facebook, I messaged Sam booked onto a course and haven’t looked back since.

I did the 4 week Confident rider training course, I looked forward to Monday evenings and looked forward to trying out and taking part in all the resources Sam gave me. Even though it was about me and my horse it was also so beneficial in my everyday life, from my thought process, my breathing to dealing with the ways in which my environment and the people around me affected my mindset.

After just the first session there was a huge change In my mindset and my confidence whilst out riding I honestly couldn’t believe it!

Sam made me feel so at ease, she could relate to us, knew why we may be thinking the way we were, and was so supportive throughout and after!

I have decided to book some 1-1 sessions with Sam to follow on from the group session as I feel I still have a little way to go with my personal goals and 100% know I can reach them with a little more time and help from Sam!

Thanks Sam!!!!

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I first reached out to Sam and cited myself as a “lost cause.” 

My anxiety, weight and relationship with myself were wreaking havoc in all areas of my life and I felt beyond help. 

In the past I have spent a lot of time and resources on things that did not help so I was sceptical going into this.

After the first session my relationship with my horse and enjoyment at the stables was completely different. 

My anxiety at work had improved by the second and by the third session I felt like a completely different person, able to sit with myself and my thoughts, back in the gym working towards health goals and managing my anxiety well.

Sam is a wonderful support and cheerleader both during and in between sessions. 

My journey is still ongoing but has been life changing and most importantly enjoyable!

Sam has helped me above and beyond what I originally approached her for help with and I am all round a much better and happier person for it with healither habits thanks to the tools she has taught me.

I’d been in a riding accident in which I’d broken my leg. I came to see Samantha to help me boost my confidence whilst I was still in recovery so that I could have a more successful return to the saddle.

I had never dealt with fear in regards to riding before, so this was a whole new territory for me. Samantha gave me a lot of tools to help me calm my body down and really refocus how I thought about riding so that when I was physically ready to return to riding I also felt mentally prepared as well.

I would say if you’re thinking about it, give the discovery call a try. I wasn’t sure if I was the best candidate because I was laid up in bed with my leg propped up, not actually riding, but in fact that was a great time for me to get started on my mental skills.

I’ve already recommended Samantha to a number of my friends and I just think whether you’re recovering from an injury or your trying to get your head more in the game for competition, Samantha has some great resources.

Lexi winning the Zone Championships with her mare Koa 🤩 🎉 🥳 🏇🏻

You can trust Samantha to give you the strategies and strength to manage both personal and business challenges.  She encouraged me to build on the skills I already had and led me towards success.  I can definitely recommend Samantha if you are prepared to win!

I met Sam at an event and got chatting! Sam has a warm kind persona and she gave me some tips to settle my anxiety and my daughter’s. Her advice was incredible and so I booked my first session which took place online.

Since my first session I can honestly say that I have made some serious changes to my way of living and taking the advice and exercises on board I have seen a huge difference in my day to day coping mechanisms. My sleep pattern has improved and so have my habits.

Sam has made me believe in me again and has given me the tools to deal with the stresses of motherhood, personal friendships/ relationships and self confidence.

I’m looking forward to more work with Sam in the future. Thanks Sam!

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Working with Sam left me with so many more benefits then I had initially set out for!

Sam is so friendly and has such a great attitude towards her work, she really wants you to succeed just as much as you do!

Doing this course with Sam was a great experience and it left me with so many new skills to tackle aspects of my life in and out of the saddle.

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I just wanted to let you know I have just had a great lesson, I felt super calm was able to take everything on board so easily that the improvement from start to finish was like a different horse.

Clear calm interested mind made for a happy productive lesson and the feeling of achievement afterwards is great for boosting my own confidence!

Thank you again. I can’t believe how much you’ve been able to help me!

Invaluable help giving me actions and habits to apply not only towards my riding/horsemanship but outside of horses too that have already made a huge difference.

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Samantha conducted a presentation for the Royal Navy Equestrian Team in March 2023 giving an insight into how her advice and techniques can assist our riders with day to day confidence, anxiety management and mental resilience as well and techniques to use in the lead up and during Equestrian competition both in and out of uniform.

The presentation has received very positive feedback from our team of riders as well as some choosing to employ Samantha to help them 1-to-1 with both in their Equestrian persuits and with the challenges faced in day to day life in and out of the saddle.

The Royal Navy Equestrian will now continue our relationship with Samantha via future 1-to-1 training with our individual riders of all levels and look forward to the exciting future of working with Prepare to Win.

Highly recommended 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My daughter has struggled with confidence when riding since having a bad fall.

Despite having a new quiet pony, having not ridden much over the winter, she’d further lost her confidence and only wanted to hack out in walk.

It was so painful watching her struggle with nerves and feeling helpless. I decided to do Sam’s course to try to help her.

It did take quite a few weeks for her to notice any changes, particularly as riding was the reason for doing it, but I noticed her confidence rising in other areas.

I continued to walk with her, then out of the blue one day about 8/9 weeks in, off she went, back to trotting and cantering by herself again and smiling!!!

Another week on and she’s been trotting without stirrups. Actually enjoying riding again.

There are so many reasons I would recommend this course aside from riding.

It really got both of us noticing how our thoughts and feelings were affecting us.

My riding confidence has improved too, so I know it really works.

I can’t thank Sam enough.

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Highly recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really didn’t know what to expect and I was very apprehensive, but id completely lost my enjoyment of my horse and my confidence was shot to pieces.

After a year I’d decided I needed something but I didn’t know what, counselling and cognitive therapy ive never got on with, then my friend tagged me in a spare place with Sam, the confident rider course isn’t a quick fix, but it gives you a great set of tools and really helped me start to turn around.

By session 2 Sam had me relaxing muscles I thought were beyond help, shes one of the easiest people I’ve ever spoken to and once you’ve decided you want to make a difference to yourself then Sam has the tools to make it happen, im looking forward working with Sam more this year and enjoying my horse, my life and being me.

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With Sam’s help I not only feel that my relationship with my horse has improved but also other aspects of my life have changed for the better.

I am able to get a more restful nights sleep and find driving my car to new destinations far less stressful.

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I would say to anyone that is struggling with their anxiety to contact Sam and work with her to get back to loving riding, as life is too short to suffer with anxiety.

After 3 years of struggling with my anxiety of riding and being around my pony after a 30-year+break, numerous riding school lessons and an excellent instructor on my own pony, I saw an advert for Prepare to Win with Sam.

Somehow that advert stuck in my thoughts like nothing else had and after another failed lesson I came home and contacted Sam.

With Sam’s excellent guidance and help I have after 4 sessions become a lot more confident on the ground with mine and other people’s horses and my riding is almost back to where I was 30 years ago.

If you want inspiration and confidence this is the course for you!

Having completed Sam’s course a few weeks ago I can honestly say the benefits are endless. 

It’s so easy to incorporate the course techniques naturally into your everyday life to give a sense of calmness, positivity and self worth. Plus calmer, more focused riding is so good for your horse’s well being.

I thoroughly recommend the course to everyone!

If you really want to change and understand your own mind so that you can work through and resolve problems you may be having……whatever they are…..you need to work with Sam.