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Today is the day I do my first practice run properly through the presentation I’m giving at HOYS this Sunday.  If you’re there and can offer a friendly face and a smile of encouragement, I’m presenting in the Live Zone at 12pm, and I’m waaaaaay outside my comfort zone!  There’s a message I want to share with others, and the passion of sharing that message is stronger than my desire not to be standing in front of a group of people presenting it!  Thankfully I’ve always been a ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’ kind of person, so I’ll give it my best shot.  I’ve had plenty of advice, “They’re just people”, “You know your stuff”, and even “Just imagine they’re all naked” (I promise I won’t be doing the last one, just in case you’re watching!).  But it doesn’t make the performance nerves go away.

We all have our own way of coping with nerves, and most of us can improve further.  I try to meditate, and to be ‘in my body’ rather than purely ‘in my brain’, because my tendency is to think too much.  I try to prepare as much as I can, to have everything ready, to think in advance what I might need, and most of all to have a good support team around me.  I’m hugely grateful that on this occasion my husband Simon is coming with me, since he’s my rock as well as being tech support.  One of my greatest fears in these situations is that the tech will fail – to the point where, when I’m doing talks and Simon can’t be around, I simply don’t use tech any more.  I actually prefer talking without tech (I’m only talking power point presentations here, but to me that’s serious tech!), but at something like HOYS the area is so big that the extra visual prompts will be really beneficial to the audience.  Simon can only come with me thanks to my sister Charlie and her family who have willingly taken on the challenge (or pleasure?) of having our 6yr old son Philip for the day – and Charlie could only agree to that thanks to her husband Steve agreeing to look after Philip as well as both of their children while Charlie does the competitive run she’s booked in for that day!  I’m also very grateful to my good friend Lisa coming along with her calm (sometimes!) and enthusiastic (always) knowledge and support, initially as an experienced presenter and coach, and afterwards as a friend to enjoy HOYS with.

When I wrote Brain, Pain or Training (https://ethicalhorseproducts.cartloom.com/store/1573/6849F01CCF34C5B438F479A6607882B3/?parent=https://www.ethicalhorseproducts.co.uk/QuickShop/Specials.php#.W7S9R6Ev7to.link), one of the two most important messages that came out from the 27 guest contributors, all eminent equestrians or equine professinoals in their own right, was to gather the right team around you.  Finding practitioners that you trust and respect is not always easy, and sometimes it takes a few tries to get it right.  It’s something that’s worth taking the time to do, because when you’ve got a problem, having the right people to ask can save immense amounts of time, energy and money.

So if you see me at HOYS, have a look around, and you’ll see my ‘A team’ nearby, and I’m forever grateful.  Thank you to all of you who support and encourage me in the work I do and the knowledge I’m so keen to share.

Sue Palmer is an ACPAT and RAMP registered Chartered Physiotherapist promoting fair treatment of horses through treating, writing and teaching.  You can find out more about Sue and her work atwww.thehorsephysio.co.uk, join her community on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thehorsephysio, find her on FB at The Horse Physio and on Twitter @thehorsephysio.

Sue Palmer MCSP aka The Horse Physio

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