Were you ever sitting on a horse that was very frightened?  How did that make you feel?  Did that get your heart racing and did you start to feel frightened yourself?  The next time your horse spooks, I would like you to be conscious of the wave of anxiety that comes up through your horse and into your body.  Now, lets reverse that.  You are riding your horse and you begin to feel fear.  How do you think that makes your horse feel?  Pretty much the same way you feel when he gets scared.  

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Lately I’ve been in some situations that have caused me to see a lot of anxiety in horses and riders.  Since there is a rhythm throughout the planet when it comes to horses (That is something I swear by!) I’m sure many others are seeing it lately too.  The best way I can think of to help you get your confidence besides thinking positive and working with a professional is to have an understanding of what your fear does to the horse.

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Play some fun music and keep your mind on the task at hand, don’t forget to breathe and do your best to just relax.

Tags: horse psychology

1 Comment to Rider Fear From a Horse’s Perspective

Donna
July 6, 2009

I had an experience a few years ago w/ a horse who was perfectly safe (w/ small children and less experienced riders). We just had several lessons in a row where he spooked or took off or did something that made me nervous.

I requested a different lesson horse for a while, but eventually my instructor suggested that I needed to ride Sunny again.

I was re-reading Jane Savoie’s “That Winning Feeling” and used the the “As If” technique she talks about - I rode “as if” he didn’t make me nervous. And we had a great ride.

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