Originally from Germany, Tanja Mitton began her career working in professional show jumping stables across Europe before moving to Australia, where she combined her extensive experience with horses with a deep interest in psychology and human behaviour.
Today she works with riders across all levels of the sport, helping them understand how thoughts, emotions, and beliefs influence both performance and partnership in the saddle. Together we explore the inner side of riding — how fear and self-doubt arise, how awareness can transform our experience with horses, and why the rider’s mindset plays such an important role in communication and connection.
Read more: FOR TANJA, IT’S ALL IN THE MINDSET – Equestrian Life, July 2022
The mind behind the ride
In this episode of The Equestrian’s Inner Life, you will discover how beliefs formed through our early experiences can quietly shape the way we see ourselves, respond to challenges, and approach our riding — often without us even realising it.
Tanja explains how these deeply held beliefs can become part of our identity, sometimes overriding the reality in front of us and reinforcing familiar stories such as, “I’m not good enough,” or “I will never have the opportunities or support to reach that level.”
The conversation explores how awareness, language, and curiosity can help us recognise these patterns without judgement, sit with the discomfort they may bring, and begin separating what is genuinely ours from what we may have unconsciously absorbed from others. Most importantly, listeners are invited to move into the position of the observer — creating the space to question old limitations, see themselves more clearly, and make more conscious choices both in the saddle and in life.
Available on all major platforms (YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify); search ‘The Equestrian’s Inner Life’ and through Pernille’s website.
