conquering fear after a fall

I have found one central problem that seems to plague almost all equestrians at one point or another (myself included!). For anyone who is too embarrassed to address the issue, I am going to bring the topic into the light, and hope that perhaps our panel can provide a resolution to the issue of fear. For a lot of people, the fear comes from a traumatic experience under saddle: i.e. a runaway horse, rearing or bucking, having a horse fall with you on board (yes, that happened with me), and sometimes just the fear that one of these thing MIGHT happen. So my question to the panel is this: What can we, as horse lovers, do to help conquer our fears?

Terie

Fear is a very real thing. This is not to be taken lightly. The rider dealing with fear and lack of confidence should not be pressured to “Just get back on the horse and ride” as others may tell them to do. The best way to rebuild riding confidence is to go back to the basics. Find an instructor who will provide a totally safe environment for the student with compassion and understanding. It is important that the lessons are in private with no spectators.



A major emphasis of our lesson program is in "fear management and confidence building". We usually start by having the student learn our "Six Keys to Harmony" essential exercises to begin building confidence in handling horses on the ground. This confidence will carry over to the mounted work. Then we'll have the student start riding one of our, quiet lesson horses just in the round pen and arena to achieve a good, independent seat and balance. We actually begin this by simply leading the student around at a walk then progress to lunge line lessons at all gaits. Developing a truly balanced, centered and secure seat anchored from the rider’s core into the horse is vital to giving the rider confidence in themselves that they won’t fall off. By going back to the basics, they'll build up their confidence and begin to regain the feeling that riding can be safe and fun.



We start our lessons in their comfort zone then, little by little, we expand that zone based on the student’s emotional and physical capabilities. After they have developed a very secure seat then we make sure they understand and can use all the techniques necessary to gain control of the horse’s speed and direction at all gaits. When handled with these gradually progressive techniques and no pressure, stress or rush, it’s surprising how quickly the student regains their confidence.



Once the student has developed skills, independent seat and confidence on our lesson horses, then we can help them successfully apply all this to working with their own horse. Their horse needs them to be a confident, consistent leader so the horse can be at peace in their presence.



Ed

Paul- Hiya,



Interesting question - it comes up rather frequently in my inbox too.



I'm afraid that fear is a feeling that is very deeply rooted. Once it's there, it will not be easily overcome. You cannot conquer fear because fear is your body's safety alert system designed to keep you safe and to stop you from making the same mistake twice. The best anyone can do is to learn to deal with it when in the saddle so the horse will not pick up on it.



Horses can detect the slightest negative energy such as nervousness or aggression and their defenses will react accordingly which is why so many people have trouble with their horses. It's like the being on a plane mid flight and hearing the pilot, not knowing the PA system in turned on, telling to the co-pilot that he is still drunk from the night before - you can just imagine the panic that would cause! And it's the same with a horse, he also needs to trust and respect his pilot. Naturally, if the rider is nervous, the horse will know that something is up from the negativity in the situation. This is why confidence is so important in horse riding.



In order not to become nervous when dealing with horses, it is very important to remember that you cannot achieve anything positive through negativity. Fear and insecurity are negative feelings, so it's important to step back to where you feel safe and take baby steps from there. If you're ever unsure if you can handle a situation, you should avoid it for the time being but start preparing for the next time. Ask yourself: What did I learn today? What can I do better in that situation the next time it arises? Which of my actions/cues did my horse respond to most positively? This knowledge can be useful the next day. Knowing that you have a plan of action, and that you have cues that work will help with the overall confidence.



A good tip is always the one rein stop. Make sure you and your horse knows the exercise to perfection and is happy performing it (don't resort to over-train, a bored and frustrated horse is far from positive). Using the one rein stop is a game plan and having a plan will give you confidence.



Hit a dead end? Consider whether you are in the right place. Have you chosen a suitable horse? Could you improve your riding skills? Lessons will boost your confidence level dramatically. So will the right horse.



Paul