So, I have been extremely lucky to grab five minutes with the gorgeous Olivia Towers – top dressage rider.
Olivia has been rocking the dressage scene and lately even more so with her captivating vlogs and social media content. We have spared a few moments of her time to take a sneak peek into her world.
Jen: You express a lovely positive attitude towards riding making sure you have control over your mind as well as the horse. Do you have any tips on moving past struggles and the barriers we riders place on ourselves when things get a bit sticky and difficult?
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Olivia: Thank you! I would say my best piece of advance is to remember training the mind is like training a muscle. You can improve it if you stay consistent and work on it regularly. Also if you are struggling with knowing where to start there is so much free content on the internet. I would literally type into google what I was struggling with and then read articles, watch videos around how to improve it. The help is there. You just have to be pro active.
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Jen: With all the riding you do you must be super fit, do you have a strict exercise regime to keep yourself in great shape?
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Olivia: So this is something I have battled with for many years. I used to spend lots of time trying to find the ‘perfect workout routine’ and then would feel disheartened if I felt like I wasn’t doing the best routine. I’ve tried running, weightlifting, Yoga, Pilates, hundreds of different Personal trainers and never felt like I got it quite right. So now I take the view that if I improve my general fitness it will help my riding. I do pay special attention to suppleness and my core. I’ve found though the best form of rider fitness, is riding. I also have now started crossing over my mental training with my physical training but this is in the early stages.
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Jen: We are in love your clothing range, what inspired you to design these lovely items? and have you got any more designs coming up?
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Olivia: So the clothing range was born from wanting to spread as much positivity as possible. I had a few slogans that had really helped me dig deep through tough times. I wanted as many people as possible to have that too. Design-wise I recently released a ‘Gym range’ which I am in love with. It was really fun to think outside the box with it all. One of the most popular items is the ‘Horsey mum’ tops which were inspired by my relationship with my amazing mum. I have always had a very creative mind so I am sure there will be much more to come!
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Jen: What is your favourite item in your grooming box?
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Olivia: Just a simple body brush! I love grooming the horses as its great for their coats and also their muscles. They love the pampering too.
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Jen: Your style in the show ring is really classy, do you have any tips on looking smart for shows?
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Olivia: Why thank you! I can’t say I overly think about the ‘style’ side. I just tend to go for what I like over the ‘popular brands’
However, I do love my Scharf hat with my logo on the back. I would say my top tip for looking smart would be ‘no stray hair!’ from both the horse and you! So nice neat plaits and tame the mane with plenty of hairspray! (my mane that is!)
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Jen: In your vlogs, you speak about the use of visualisation for riding. We love this idea – did it take some time to practise this?
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Olivia: The visualisation actually came about after I read somewhere to turn your weakness into your strength. I have always had a very strong mindset. It just use to be in a negative way. For example I would picture it going wrong all the time, I could feel it through my whole mind, body and soul. So I looked into the opposite of this and turns out its used worldwide
and has a pretty good track record for some epic results.
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Jen: We admire your amazing honesty in your vlogs. You touch on the highs and lows of the horse life. What is your perfect pick-me-up that helps when you do feel emotional and what keeps you motivated to carry on?
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Olivia: Chocolate!!! Only joking, although it does help! My pick me up is my vision and mission in life. However low I have gone I have always been very persistent especially since I clarified to myself exactly what I wanted to achieve in life these are not small things so I know I have to pick myself up as quickly as possible and keep pushing forwards. Also, a huge factor for me is my faith as a Christian. I have God on my side and I know it is his will for me to be successful and help others along the way which is very powerful.
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Jen: Do you have any favourite equestrian brands that you are in love with at the moment?
Olivia: So as I mentioned before I love my Scharf hats, I have also just started riding in Kingsley boots which are mega comfy and didn’t take any breaking in. Not to mention you can customise them in some incredible ways.
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Jen: What would be your tip to amateur riders looking to progress with their horses?
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Olivia: My tip would be to trust the methodical system of classical riding and be patient with it. I am currently reading a book written by the head of the Spanish school of riding and takes you through all the foundations of training horses. I often see riders worrying so much about the competitive success they rush the fundamental stages which cause issues for both the rider and horse. Also with this system it works for every ability of horse and really helps them to become more athletic.
How motivating is Olivia!!! Thanks so much for speaking with us!
I am super inspired to give the visualisation a go!
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Have a look at her lovely clothing range over at her website
Keep following for more interviews here
