Face Your Fears and Become A Better Rider

Stay infromtaive, San Diego, yeah boy!

By Kory, 08 Aug 2011

Hiyah,
I just got this horse & i'm only 11. My horse isn't the easyiest to ride & can be a monkey, she 18.
I'm ok in a arena it's when i'm out on the road i panic when a car comes near me ( its only a farm road so it's not busy. Yesterday I had a tractor near!!! arhhh
any tips please to become my fears xx
Thanks
amber xx<3

By amber, 30 Jan 2011

Hi Nina,
You are so my HERO!!

Getting over a serious injury like yours takes an unbelievable amount to courage. I would imagine so many people around you would have been thinking thats it she’ll never ride again – but you have come back better than ever!

I totally agree the Andrew stuff rocks! I have regular lessons with Manu and Jody whenever they are in Wellington. The chestnut Angie in ThatHorse News Im riding came back green broke and I've spelled her for a month. When I went to get on her on Sunday when It finally stopped raining for 2 minutes she was feeling pretty high – but started with the slow walk around the arena on foot two times one way and two times the other – we were both board by the end of it! Then another 2 times each way once I got on her and we were away! Where would we be without it??
Even going to other trainers now I can break down what they are saying and understanding rather than being confused. I think it gives you feeling doesn’t it!

You go girl!

Kind regards,
Kate

By Kate Hinton, 09 Jun 2010

Hi Kate, Nina Durney here, I receive the That Horse news & I am keen to share a bit of my horsey history with you.Today's email reminded me of some of the traumas I have experienced & how I've coped, & now have very good, calm & loving relationships with my horses. I no longer have the one horse I had a serious accident with.

I am 63 & it has taken 50 yrs to get to my point of knowledge & confidence with horses!!

I lost my spleen & all my confidence with it in 1997 due to a bolting bucking ex polocrosse pony - I should have known better, not a pleasant way to find out why he was sold!!

Anyway I now ride with full confidence restored after attending an Andrew MacLean clinic & also learning some Natural Horsemanship techniques, both stress the importance of building one's relationship on the ground first. Ridden work is done with the least amount of pressure from either hand or leg & I can now climb on with zero fear & nervousness knowing that my horses have total trust & respect for me.It is a wonderful feeling & obtainable for everyone. My career in horse riding is about to begin!! Cheers Nina

By Nina, 09 Jun 2010

Hi Kate

I LOVE what your horse 'said' to you . . . obviously, it was 'well, put THAT in your pipe and smoke it'!!! as he threw brushes around the place . . . 'so there, so there, so there!!!! he added.

I think you do a great job coming up with all sorts of articles and news . . . I LOVED New Zealand when we visited there (prior to my horse being in my life . . . by the way, he owns me, I don't own him!) and had the most wonderful horse-fix ever. I adore horses, but was always very afraid of them, now I am not so much on the ground, but the fear still carries over into the saddle (yep, I went straight to the website and ordered the book about Zen communication with horses!) and I usually only ride my own horse, no other horses. However, when we were in NZ, I contacted one of the trail riding places and asked them if I could just come and spend the day being with horses (wish I could remember the name of it). They collected me from the Hotel and brought us to their place and I had the BEST day just hanging out with the horses. Someone even took me to their own mare's paddock to play with a foal. I have excellent photos!

Kind Regards,
Jan

By Jan, 03 Jun 2010

Hi Jan,
Thanks for that – your email cracked me up! I agree my horse does the same thing!

Absoluut made me laugh when I was saddling him up yesterday. I couldn’t be bothered putting a halter on him as he was in the stall and he wouldn’t stand still so I gave him a gentle slap so he retaliated by running over to my grooming kit where he picked up my brushes one by one and threw them on the floor – he is such a teenager!!

Thanks for your feedback re ThatHorse News – I really appreciate it. Is there anything you would like to read about?

Anyhow Thanks again!

Chat soon,

Kind regards,
Kate Hinton

By Kate Hinton, 03 Jun 2010

Hey Kate . . . that is MY song!!! (You are my Sunshine)!!! The other thing I used to do is sing 'numbers' to my horse . . . you know, one two, one two three, one two three four five . . . in the end, he would turn round and look at me and say, if you would just stop singing now, everything will be o.k.!!

Regards,
Jan (South Australia)
P.S Thanks for a newsy Newsletter

By Jan, 03 Jun 2010

I cannot resist adding to your article Kate since it is seriously my area of expertise!. Fear with our horses is such a common issue and sooo... easily fixed. And I am tlaking from both first hand experieince and from teaching hundreds of others now too. Here is a link to one of many articles that I have written about fear with our horses. You are welcome to re-print the whole article (it might want a bit of editing first) or just put this link in and people can follow from there to a whole bunch of articles about getting rid of fear with our horses.
http://www.bookswithspirit.com/trying-to-be-brave-around-our-horse-is-sooo-doing-it-the-hard-way Enjoy! cheers, jenny

By Jenny Pearce, 01 Jun 2010

I am presently writing a book on this as I have to deal with pain when I ride and you will find many people have to as well. Unfortunately we don't all have bodies made for riding. I also have someone that I am training that has epileptic seizures/anxiety issues. Anxiety is a whole new riding game. Number one get a new horse that can cope with the tension of fear. Two, go to the special camps for anxious riders and therapy. Or what I have seen work magically, get a small pony especially breed as a companion. Work with this pony using the Andrew MaClean method of comminication. Then find the right horse for you. Then feel the magic that will help the anxiety rather than feed it. Anxiety is a vicious cycle and feeds itself. 100 good things happening will be reversed by one bad thing. Basically an anxious person should onlyy ride a super quiet horse WHILE they are working on the anxiety elsewhere.. It is a very common and dreadful feeling.

By Sally Collins BHSII, MsC, 01 Jun 2010