Introduction
Many of us
riders have lost confidence in riding at one time or another. Feeling
nervous or afraid to ride your horse is nothing to be ashamed of since
riding is somewhat considered a risky sport. According to a recent survey,
26 out of 100,000 falls will result in serious injury (Horse
& Rider
magazine, November 1999) That is quite a small percentage, but a good
number out of the 26 cases will unfortunately result in death.
Yes, riding
is dangerous. But the risks vary from discipline to the other. For
example, most injuries occur in racing, cross country, or in the hunting
field. Showjumping has less injuries, and dressage has even lesser. So how
does a rider cope with such statistics? Or worse, how does a rider get
over the fear of a past experience? The answer will hopefully be found in
the following paragraphs.
A
Typical Story
If you are
feeling uptight about riding, you are not alone. A bad fall may wreck your
confidence for a very long time and you may even think that you will never
re-gain your confidence. I, myself, was a victim of shattered confidence
for more than 8 months. I was practicing for an upcoming dressage
competition and my horse threw in a huge buck that landed me straight on
my back on hard ground. I was unable to walk, sit, or even sleep without
suffering a great deal for a couple of months.
I got back
in the saddle after a few days, although my injury made mounting and
dismounting a nightmare. My horse was an angel, but that couldn't have
done anything to my long lost confidence. I was too scared to trot, let
alone canter! I totally avoided riding in the arena where I had my
accident as that aggravated a lot of tension.
I knew my
horse needed his daily exercise, so I forced myself to canter on very
small circles and for very little time. Those were complete nerve-wracking
moments as I anticipated my horse to buck at any second. Sound familiar?
I got my
confidence back, of course, but after a very long time. There was no magic
spell to help me boost my confidence, it just took a lot of time and a lot
of conscious effort to help me get over the trauma. Now, four years later,
I still occasionally recall the incident and shudder, but I am proud to
have persisted on becoming the rider I once was.
Conquer Those Nerves
Whether you
have had a bad fall, or seen someone fall, or simply suspect that you
might fall off, your nerves will be to be controlled. We know that a tense
rider will result in a tense horse, so you must begin with relaxing your
own mind and body. It may seem impossible, but try the following tips:-
-
Have someone lunge your
horse so you can concentrate on yourself. Close your eyes and inhale a
deep breath through your nose, then breathe in a little more to
completely inflate your lungs, and s-l-o-w-l-y exhale through your
mouth. Make sure you are entirely focused on yourself; block out all
distractions. Repeat a few times then open your eyes. This will slow
down your pulse and will loosen the tension in your muscles. When your
mind and body have relaxed completely, begin to trot or canter as you
choose, but walk on when you feel that you need another minute to relax
once again.
-
While still on the lunge,
release the reins and stretch with your arms to the sky. Reach as high
as you can and hold your breathe for a moment. Breathe out as you bring
your arms down by your sides. This helps relax the arms, neck, and back
muscles. This exercise is to be performed only at the walk.
-
Off the lunge - Don't
maintain a constant pressure on the reins. Half open your hands and
relax the contact so the horse won't feel your tension. A tight fist
will contract the muscles in your arms and shoulder, which will also
limit your breathing. When the horse realizes that you are relaxed, he
too will relax, and when you find that your horse is relaxed, you will
become even more relaxed and content.
-
Talk to your horse. Never
mind what people will think of you. Carry on an actual conversation with
your horse as though he understood every word you said. You may even
sing to him. Sounds crazy? Maybe, but it works miracles on calming your
nerves. Tell your horse how you wouldn't appreciate it if he bucks;
tease him about his unruly mane; tell him a secret that no one else
knows, tell him a joke and pretend that he doesn't find it funny! This
technique will keep your mind away from nerve wrecking thoughts and will
also keep your horse attentive to your voice.
-
Do not pressure yourself
into something that might go wrong if you have not yet recovered your
confidence. For instance, if your horse rears when you approach a water
jump, avoid the water jump until you know that you are fully capable of
handling it. In other words, set small goals for yourself. If you have
suffered from a fall yesterday when your horse stopped before a fence,
don't try to jump again today to prove to yourself that you can do it,
because if your horse stops, and you fall again, your confidence will be
even furthermore shattered. Instead, canter your horse over a pole
today; tomorrow you may canter two poles set apart, and after tomorrow
you may canter over three poles set apart. When you are confident
cantering over ground poles, gradually set the poles higher. The whole
objective is to get you to view today's ride as 'easy to achieve'.
-
Ride in company. Being
around confident riders will help boost your own confidence. Share your
arena with a quiet horse and confident rider or hack out in company.
Even if trouble occurs, you will have someone to support you. This
thought alone should make you more confident.
-
Spend a lot of time watching
others ride. Seeing others advance can make you eager to reach their
level of riding. Eagerness to achieve will set you in a positive frame
of mind and will automatically make you 'want' to be a confident rider.
-
Pretend to be confident. Sit
tall and proud, breathe quietly, and smile frequently. This will fool
your unconscious mind into believing that you actually are confident and
will send the message to your conscious mind. This is the proven power
of the unconscious mind and it really does work. To read more about
positive mind power check Jane Savoie's book:
That Winning Feeling.
-
Do some positive self-talk.
Think of a few positive expressions and write them down on Post-it
notes. Post the notes around your house or the yard. Write expressions
such as 'Proud' - 'Calm' - 'Brave' - 'Confident' - 'Enthusiastic' -
'Elegant' - 'Patient' - 'Optimistic' - 'Determined'. Every time you
cross by a note, audibly pronounce the word on the note. This allows
your mind to 'absorb' the expression and store it unconsciously. The
next time you ride, your mind will put these words into practice.
Quick Tip:
Some riders are recently turning to aromatherapy to calm their nerves,
precisely using a product called Bach Flower Rescue Remedy
. This would work well on days of competition to help maintain
a state of calmness.
Patience is
a virtue; give yourself time to recover from your lost confidence. Yes, it
may take months, but don't loose hope. One day you will wake up and be
eager to get in the saddle and achieve your goals, and shattered
confidence will be a thing of the past. It is the love you have for the
sport and for the horse that will set you where you can take off again.
