Conquering Fear

Steps to overcome fears and strengthen your bond with your horse

Many riders have fears. These fears can compromise the joy of riding and hinder the trusting bond between you and your horse.    

Ask yourself:   

 * Is there something about your riding you just cannot seem to master?     

* Is the joy gone from your riding after a fall?     

* Do you secretly have a fear you cannot explain?    

  If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you are not alone.    Fear is an emotional and physical response to a situation that elicits a feeling of not being in control, and/or there is risk of injury or harm. We respond to fear with either flight, fight, or freeze. Our fear reaction while riding usually results in the freeze response. Muscles become tense; hands tighten around the reins; breathing becomes shortened, and the body curls forward in an unconscious effort to protect the vital organs.     THREE SOURCES OF FEARFears arise from experience, from association, and from imagination.    A fall from your horse is a direct experience that can cause fear, but only if your perception of the event is frightening. Physical injury does not have to occur for fear to take root.      Fear from association can develop from hearing or perceiving fear in someone else, and can form from an unrelated occurrence. If you fear speed (possibly as the result of a car accident), and you feel fear when your horse accelerates into a canter, this can be fear by association. Your mind has associated acceleration with fear but does not discriminate where the speed originates.      Imagined fears do not appear to have a source but are just as real (and can be just as debilitating) as fears elicited from experience or association. The body will react in exactly the same way and the mind does not differentiate between real or imagined fears. Steps to dispel a fear are the same, no matter the source.      

RESOLVING FEAR The good news is fear does not need to hinder your joy of riding. You can begin to go beyond fear by following these steps:    - Identify. You cannot attempt to resolve something if you do not know what it is. You do not have to know the origin, just acknowledge the fear.   

  •   Erase. When a fearful incident comes to mind, hit the “delete” or “stop” button or imagine a big eraser rubbing it out. Repeatedly playing the fearful scene in your mind only intensifies the fear. Try to avoid envisioning violent ways to erase the fear (such as a bomb to blow up the fearful scenario); instead, replace fear with peacefulness.  
  •   Breathe. Deep breathing will help you release tension and put your focus on a calm feeling. Once you have mastered deep breathing at home, practice it while you are riding. This will help you transmit calm reassurance to your horse.    
  • Assess. Take inventory of the feelings in your body. Start from your toes and work up. Move your fingers slightly one at a time on the reins to keep your hands from getting tense. Tension anywhere in the body is transmitted like a domino effect. If you are tense, your horse will know for sure there must be something to fear!    
  • Talk. It is difficult to hold your breath when talking and your voice can be soothing to your equine friend as well.     
  •  Don’t compare. Comparing yourself to other riders, to your younger self, or to how you rode before a fear set in is only setting yourself up to fail. These types of thoughts should get the delete button or eraser treatment! Focus on what is going well today.    
  • Take small steps. Whatever you are working toward accomplishing, do it in small increments, celebrating and rewarding each success along the way.    - Visualize success. Imagine seeing your horse saddled and waiting for you. Greet your horse, stroke the neck, and feel the texture of the hair. Swing lightly into the saddle and take the reins, feel your seat settle into the saddle, and feel your legs gently making contact. From your horse’s response, notice the subtle communication of reassurance. You trust each other. Together you move into the walk, your horse trusting your guidance as you cue forward movement, and you trusting your horse to be sure-footed and steady. You feel each transition, each succeeding gait is fluid and secure. See yourself moving through all situations, whether in the arena, field, show ring, or trail. Take time to enjoy the scene and the ride. As you come back from the scene, bring with you all the good feelings you felt, the joy, the feelings of companionship and trust. See yourself dismount and thank your horse, and bring those joyous feelings with you. Be sure to reorient yourself.    Note: Before beginning any visualization exercise, take time to do deep relaxation to prepare your mind and body. As you regain your confidence, note that fear elimination does not replace solid safety practices.

FINALLY...Be patient with yourself and with your horse. Your thoughts and how you carry your body have a big influence on your horse’s state of mind, so remember to keep thoughts clear of fearful scenes and your body free of tension. Use breathing exercises to achieve relaxation. A quote from Bertrand Russell, a British philosopher, reminds us: “To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.” The wisdom will be about yourself, your horse, and how you can deepen that relationship.       

Janice Fron holds a Bachelor’s in Equine Studies, a Master’s in Counseling, and owned a training and lesson stable for 20 years. She currently lives in New Mexico, is a licensed therapist, teaches riding, conducts clinics, and offers equine-assisted psychotherapy. She is writing a book on the relationship between horse and rider. [email protected]