The feelings we experience at a horse show have a way of lingering. A good round can stay with a rider for the rest of the day. A disappointing one can do the same. Riders replay moments in their heads, analyze decisions, and carry thoughts from one class into the next. In Geoff Teall on Riding Hunters, Jumpers, and Equitation, Geoff Teall offers a simple but powerful mental framework to prevent that carryover: the idea that every class has an on and off switch.
Learning to use that switch is a skill—one that protects focus, confidence, and clarity in the ring.
The On Switch: Fully Present in the Ring
When a rider enters the ring, the switch is on. At that moment, the class becomes the only job that matters. Teall advises riders to approach it “as if you have a job to do.” The task is clear: focus on the class in front of you and do the absolute best you can.
This kind of focus is deliberate. It requires narrowing attention to what is happening now rather than what already happened or what might come next. Riders who are effective in competition tend to ride the class they are in, not the one they wish had gone differently.
The on switch is about committing fully to the task at hand.
Riding the Class You’re In
One of the most common challenges riders face is distraction. Thoughts drift to a missed distance earlier in the day, pressure surrounding results, or concern about how the round will be judged. When attention moves away from the present moment, the quality of the ride often suffers.
Teall’s framework insists on containment. While the switch is on, the rider’s responsibility is limited to the current class. There is no benefit to revisiting a finished round or anticipating the outcome of the one in progress. Focus belongs on the next fence, the next turn, the next decision.
This discipline helps maintain rhythm and balance throughout the ride.
The Off Switch: Letting the Class End
When the class is over, the switch goes off. This is the part riders often struggle to execute.
Teall is direct: once the class ends, “there’s nothing more you can do to improve your performance.” Whether the round went well or poorly, the job is finished. Continuing to replay it does not change the outcome.
Turning the switch off is not about ignoring what happened. It is about recognizing that the work for that class is complete. Riders who carry a finished round with them—especially a disappointing one—often compromise their focus in what follows.
Letting the class end allows the rider to reset before the next task begins.
Why Letting Go Matters
Carrying tension or distraction from one class into the next can affect the quality of the ride. Riders may become tight, overly cautious, or overly corrective. This can interfere with timing, rhythm, and decision-making.
Teall’s on/off framework helps prevent that spillover. When riders allow a class to end when it ends, they approach the next one with clearer focus and steadier judgment.
Mistakes still exist. Reflection still matters. But the timing of that reflection is important.
Results Belong in Their Place
Turning the switch off also means putting results where they belong. Teall reminds riders that show results reflect one judge’s opinion at one moment in time. Giving them more weight than that can distract riders from the work in front of them.
When riders fixate on placings, positive or negative, they often lose the ability to treat the next class independently. The switch remains partially on, and attention is divided.
Turning the switch fully off allows results to become information rather than a source of pressure.
Teall’s approach does not suggest riding without care or reflection. Instead, it creates boundaries around when reflection happens. Analysis belongs after the class is over and the switch is off—not while riding the next course.
This separation allows riders to be both thoughtful and present. It supports learning without letting learning interfere with performance.
Riders who manage this balance often appear calm under pressure. In practice, they are simply disciplined about where their attention goes.
Building the Habit
Turning the on/off switch is not automatic. It requires conscious effort. Riders must notice when their focus drifts backward or forward and bring it back to the task at hand.
Teall suggests thinking of each class as a discrete job. You start it, you do it, and you finish it. Once it is done, you move on.
This structure becomes especially valuable on long show days, when fatigue and emotion can blur the boundaries between rounds.
Every class has a beginning and an end. The on/off switch gives riders a way to respect both.
