IN recent times, there has been an increased spotlight on ‘neurodiverse’ conditions in the media, but what exactly is neurodiversity and how does it translate for those within the equestrian industry?

The term neurodiversity refers to the range of differences in brain function and behaviour that are a part of the normal variation in the human population. Being neurodivergent means having a brain that works differently from the average or ‘neurotypical’ person’s brain.

The neurodiverse range of conditions includes, but is not limited to: Dyslexia, ADHD, Autism, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, depressive disorders and anxiety. Neurodiverse conditions are each a sum of their component parts, and each component part brings a unique set of difficulties and strengths.

It is becoming increasingly recognised that many neurodivergent conditions overlap one another, and as a result, neurodiverse individuals may carry more than one diagnosis. An estimated 15-20% of the world’s population is neurodiverse; this includes up to 10% of people who are diagnosed with Dyslexia, 6% with Dyspraxia, 5% with ADHD and 1-2% with Autism.

Basic understanding

Generalised perception of neurodiverse conditions does little to accurately portray the reality of living with one or more of them. Dyslexia is widely known as the ‘can’t read’ disorder. Dyspraxia is another word for ‘clumsy’. ADHD often translates as ‘a bit wild and can’t sit still’. The truth behind the inaccuracies is far more complex, but within that truth lies comprehension. Neurodiverse conditions can profoundly negatively affect executive functioning, emotional regulation and cognitive processing ability. A basic understanding of these terms and the impact of their meaning gives a clearer picture of the challenges faced by those under the neurodivergent umbrella.

Executive function is a cognitive process which allows us to select and successfully monitor behaviours that facilitate the attainment of chosen goals. Poor executive function may lead to difficulties with working memory, attention capacity, organisation (particularly with time keeping), emotional control, planning and prioritising, and impulsivity.

Emotional dysregulation is an inability to regulate emotional behaviours in response to stimuli. Emotional dysregulation may lead to difficulties with over reacting, an inability to calm down, heightened anxiety, depression, feelings of shame, rejection sensitivity, perfectionism, disordered eating, substance abuse and self-harm.

Cognitive processing disorder may lead to difficulties with attention span, as well as with poor working memory, weak listening skills and difficulty remembering oral instructions, difficulty with abstract concepts in mathematics, an inability to sit still for longer periods of time, and challenges with planning and prioritising.

Life with horses is challenging for all people, but viewed through the kaleidoscope of neurodiversity, those challenges become far greater. Neurodiverse disorders may translate as having difficulty arriving at a show or a lesson on time and with the right equipment. Riders may struggle to remember a course of fences and/or a dressage test. Having a dressage test called can be a help, but it still does not guarantee navigational success.

Dressage Ireland chairperson Marguerite Kavanagh has advocated hard for neurodiverse members of the organisation. As a result, the unparalleled step was taken to change the existing rule, and to allow dressage tests to be called at championship shows.

Furthermore, this accommodation is available to all who wish to avail of it, with no necessity to request permission or to prove a diagnosis. “We need to normalise neurodiversity,” says Marguerite. “There is no great understanding of it, unless people have some experience themselves. We want younger kids coming into the sport to see people getting on well, and to understand that there is no stigma around neurodiversity here.

“I am proud of having helped to achieve the rule change allowing test callers at Dressage Ireland championship shows. Not only does this facilitate our neurodiverse riders, but it is also there for other riders who may struggle with short term memory for any reason. When riders are worried about remembering where they are going, the whole thing becomes a test of direction, instead of a test of harmony between horse and rider.”

Eventing Ireland are more than willing to support their neurodiverse riders, general manager Alison Packman comments: “We cannot recall any member who has asked for special dispensations due to a neurological condition.

“That’s not to say that we don’t have any such affected athletes, but they are not known to us. We would of course accommodate (e.g., allow the reading out of a test) if there was a requirement.”

Para dressage and international officer at British Dressage, Natasha Pearce, explained that British Dressage has accommodations available for neurodiverse riders: “All British Dressage riders have the option of applying for a dispensation for able-bodied competition, and there is a process by which they can apply for this on an individual basis to ensure that everyone is treated fairly when competing against one another (e.g., riders with neurodiverse issues and riders without any barriers). For British Dressage para competition, there is a similar process in which para riders can apply for such a thing within the para competition structure.”

The Association of Irish Riding Clubs office was contacted and asked about any available accommodations for neurodiverse riders, but a response has so far not been forthcoming.

Test caller

Barbara Hanna is a dressage rider based in Northern Ireland, and she competes two horses up to Advanced Medium level.

Barbara is Dyslexic, and the Dressage Ireland test caller rule change has been a game changer for her: “I was assessed by an educational psychologist as an adult, and found to have a reading and spelling age of 11 years old. There is a huge lack of understanding when it comes to ‘hidden disabilities’.

“I often felt there was a perception of my being too lazy or that I couldn’t be bothered to learn a test, when I used a dressage caller,” says Barbara.

“I need about three weeks to learn a test, but the tests being used at each show are only released 10 days beforehand, so I really struggle. I find that my brain just freezes when I am trying to remember where to go.

“Background music distracts me completely, and even when I have a caller, I find that I can’t take in what they are saying. Some venues are great and don’t mind turning the music down or off, but other venues won’t. The more stressed I feel, the worse it all gets. Some regions have a policy in place that to compete at regional finals, you must volunteer for a set number of hours. This can be quite difficult when you are unable to scribe for the judge.”

Volunteering can be a minefield for many if, as Barbara explained, it involves writing for a judge, or adding up scores. Dealing with unforeseen situations or difficult experiences can trigger an emotional cascade, which adds further to the already existing and ever-present complexity of living, training, and competing with horses.

Barbara and her horse Rock Babylon finished third overall in the 2022 Dressage Ireland National Winter Finals novice category using a test caller, and Barbara repeated that success in the Preliminary finals riding Rock Shenanigans.

She also won the Senior Elementary Championships at the Northern Ireland Riding Club Dressage Championships. Barbara was allowed to use a caller at the Riding Club Championships, but had to send a psychologist letter to head office in order to gain this permission.

Barbara also attended the recent Para Equestrian Ireland three-day camp at Necarne Castle, and particularly enjoyed working with Canadian para coach Clive Milkins: “Clive was the only person who could properly explain to my husband how it is for me, riding with Dyslexia. It was all so helpful.”

Neurodivergent people are often quite creative and solutions-oriented, which can be invaluable when it comes to strategising around a diagnosis.

Rider Orla Griffin has found some effective ways to manage around the things that she struggles with the most: “I have forgotten to buy horse feed in time, I have forgotten to close my horse’s stable door, I have forgotten worming and vaccination dates: the list goes on. I have regularly lost whips, buckets and gloves.

“I have found the best way to overcome some of these challenges is to have a set routine that I follow without deviation. I do a monthly feed order, and I stick to the basics in my riding. I use the same warm-up routine at home and at shows, and I am very detail oriented. I try and make everything as good as it can be at home, and I pay attention to the small things.”

Taking a strengths-based approach to neurodiversity can yield incredible results. Olympic swimmer Micheal Phelps (ASD) and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles (ADHD) are two of the most successful and multi-medalled sports people of all time, and they have both shone a positive light on what can be achieved by neurodivergent individuals living and working in a supportive and progressive environment.

Autistic Olympic rower Caragh McMurtry has set up a website called Neurodiverse Sport, which promotes neuroinclusion, understanding and an increased awareness of neurodiversity in high performance sport.

Neurodiverse Sport is presently working in collaboration with a number of universities and sporting organisations, to address the current lack of research regarding neurodiversity in sport.

Some coaching organisations and sports clubs are now moving towards developing a better understanding of how to coach and support neurodiverse athletes.

In equestrian sport, organisations such as The British Horse Society Ireland and Centre 10 are leading the way in this regard. Effective communication and useful discussion around the topic of neurodiversity can lessen the stigma, and promote real and lasting positive change for all.

For more information and support: neurodiversesport.com

SHEENA Humfrey is 52 years old and she has a dual diagnosis of Dyslexia and ADHD. “It takes me at least two weeks of repetition to learn a dressage test. If I am riding a more challenging horse, I am more likely to lose focus and it is harder to remember a test. I am forgetful, and my mind is racing a lot of the time. I find competing stressful, and I am quite hard on myself when I make a mistake. I really struggle with ‘imposter syndrome’, and I live in fear of going wrong. On the plus side, I feel that my neurodiversity makes me a very intuitive rider. I am good with difficult horses, and I connect deeply with the horses that I ride.”

DRESSAGE enthusiast Sarah Sanderson was diagnosed with ADHD when she was 37 years old. “I never fitted in!” She laughs. “When I was eventually diagnosed, it helped me to make sense of myself. I stopped competing for 10 years due to imposter syndrome and a fear of failure, but over time I decided to try again and to just go and do it.

“I am distracted by a lack of noise - I need music in the background to maintain my focus. I am really forgetful and I can be disorganised, so I have had to come up with ‘work arounds’ to help me. I need motivational discipline and I have to work with trainers who ‘get’ how my brain works. We all have to remember that mistakes are how we learn, and not fear making them.”

KATY Bannon competes in show jumping and dressage, and she has Dyslexia: “My short-term memory is quite unreliable. I struggle to decode words, and if I see a word out of context my brain doesn’t always recognise it. Words that are similar can be hard for me to differentiate between. When it comes to learning dressage tests, I find it easier to think of the whole thing as a pattern. Remembering the sequences is easier than trying to remember the test as it appears on a test sheet.

“It is just a different way of learning. I find it challenging to ride multiple dressage tests on one day, and I can’t read properly under pressure. I learn most effectively through ‘doing’, or through being told by someone I respect. I do find show jumping much easier, because it is visual rather than solely memory based.”