Hey Dale!
I just had a question for you. Have you ever been afraid of horses? I've never had this issue with client horses, but for some reason it has become a problem with personal horses. My first horse was a lease horse and he was a spooky one. He spooked and bolted a lot under saddle and I lost a lot of confidence then. I got over my fear then by working with other horses, but I was never able to ride that particular horse again without feeling nervous. Now I'm afraid to ride my current horse after he jumped sideways as I was getting on and I fell off. I've fallen off of him before but it didn't effect me the way it has after this particular fall. I haven't ridden him since as everytime I try, my heart starts pounding and it makes him nervous. We have lots of fun working from the ground, but this is starting to really bring me down. Luckily I don't have any client horses at the moment and probably won't be taking any til Spring, but I don't think it would be wise to work with clients if this is still an issue when the time comes. Do you have any suggestions?
Answer:
Yes! Absolutely! I've been afraid many times. I can still feel anxious, especially if it's a horse I don't know and/or a horse whose been exposed to forceful training methods. It's totally normal to feel that way. Your brain is perceiving the situation as potentially dangerous and trying to protect you from being harmed.
Strategies for Dealing With Riding Anxiety
My suggestion is to listen to your inner voice. It's trying to keep you safe and that's a good thing. Then do everything you can to help your mind feel better.
Start by having reasonable expectations of yourself and your horse. If your horse is reactive, take the time to build confidence from the safety of the ground.
Confidence is Key
A confident, relaxed, and comfortable horse is far more likely to take being mounted and ridden in stride. On the other hand, horses who've experienced trauma during riding often have fearful associations that trigger reactive behavior. It's important to remember reactive behavior is a normal response that can be motivated by a desire to avoid harm.
Play it Safe
When your horse isn't either emotionally confident or physically comfortable about being ridden, I advise against getting on.
I offer a Wellness Assessment that can identify if pain is a motivator or if it's a behavioral issue.
Back to the Block
When your horse is a good physical and mental place, it's okay to reintroduce theb idea of standing at and being mounted at the block. im
Begin by making it a happy place. Offer treats on the block and by hand. I find that v starting with classical conditioning, creating a positive association with food or something your horse finds rewarding, works really well. Then you can switch to positive reinforcement to shape the standing-at- the-mounting- block behavior.
Know the Signs
It's really important to recognize the most subtle signs your horse isn't "feeling it" during the process. Those indicators are invaluable for guiding your actions and the direction of your teaching.
Break everything down into simple doable steps Take lots of breaks and reward often. Make sure your horse is real solid before you move to the next level of difficulty. It doesn't take much to rattle a traumatized horse.
Safety and Good Experiences
Always remember, it's ok to not get on. Coming off a horse multiple times means there's been a serious issue. You'll need to be very careful to avoid triggering him. They'd always a chance the problem isn't resolvable or he may require a very skilled person to help him. Of course, I advocate for that person to be welfare-centered to reduce the risk of more harm to your boy being done.
Ask Dale your question! Send it to dalerudin@gmail.com.