Overcoming Fears

Anyone who has ridden for any length of time would be dishonest if they told you they have never felt fear. If you have any common sense at all, you should have a certain level of “healthy fear” whenever you get on a new horse. Call it “respect” if you prefer, but there is always an awareness that the 1000-pounds or so of bone and muscle you are sitting on is, physically, more powerful than you are.

Horses can jump sideways in the blink of an eye, rear, buck, or reach speeds over 25 miles per hour in a matter of seconds. They are also capable of using that physical power to perform incredible athletic feats like jumping, dressage, cutting, or reining. Our desire to become partners with our horses in those athletic endeavors makes us willing to take the risk of being thrown off or finding ourselves on a panicked runaway.

A bad experience, usually something that could not have been avoided no matter what the rider did, can turn healthy respect to fear. Once a rider has been physically hurt in an accident or even just really frightened it can take a while to rebuild confidence. The old rough-and-ready, cavalry-style philosophy promised that if you just got right back on again, everything would be fine. However, suppressing fear seldom works. Neither does it help to tell someone to “just get over it.”

Fear is usually related to the rider’s skill level. The best way to overcome riding fears is to work on developing a completely independent seat. An independent seat gives the rider the confidence the he or she has the ability to ride through just about anything the horse might do. Riders also need to develop habits that allow them to stay mentally and emotionally centered in a rhythmic and relaxed way when their horse becomes excited or frightened. One of the partners has to stay calm in order to bring the other back to that state.

It is hard to get past your fear when you work by yourself. Be sure to work with a competent instructor who acknowledges your confidence crisis without either belittling it or catering to it is important. You need someone who understands how to back up and find the point where you are comfortable riding and how to help you work forward again from that point in a logical progression to regain your confidence. Cindy and I have plenty of experience with helping students deal with fear. Don't be afraid to let us know that you are feeling less than confident.

Fear around horses is not limited to riding. Many people feel intimidated when they have to catch, lead or groom an unruly, ill-mannered horse. Here, again, a good instructor should be able to help a fearful student learn how to confidently and safely work around and re-school a spoiled horse with bad ground manners.

Learning how to approach and work with horses on the ground in a rhythmic and relaxed way not only keeps the horses calm, but also teaches the students how to relax and stay calm. Using rhythmic breathing and rhythmic movements while they groom or lead their horses becomes a habit they can carry into their riding. The habit of staying rhythmic with their breathing, their seat, or their reins when things start falling apart helps both rider and horse relax and become calm again more readily.

Every rider must eventually face fear and overcome it. Fear is not something to be ashamed of or to hide. When it happens to you, find an instructor with the right attitude, the right program of progressive skill training, and the right horses to get you back on track again.

What about Horse Show Jitters?

The rider who sits heavier on the horse, whose hands are not as giving, whose legs are clamped on the horse's side, who is leaning too much on the shoulder is communicating a whole different set of aids to that horse. Those subconscious, adverse aids usually will alter the horse's way of going.

Secondly, a horse picks up a rider's fear and may subsequently become nervous himself. The rider who is suddenly tentative when approaching the jump is actually telling the horse to watch out, there is something here to fear.

Where do these fears come from? Why does a rider who performs well at home fall apart in competition?

"A lot of the fear in competition comes from the fear of psychological harm - the fear that we're going to embarrass ourselves or make mistakes that make us look incompetent," says Dr. Janeane Reagan, a clinical psychologist who specializes in equine sports psychology. "In some cases, these fears come from perfectionist thinking; the individual tends to expect a great deal of perfection and can't allow themselves to make mistakes. Other fear sources may be from people around us who have extreme expectations of us."

Reign in Your Fears

Practice makes perfect. Know your sport. Keep working on your skills, improving weak areas. But do not over-train. Marathon sessions can tire or sour the horse. Instead, work a few minutes each day on specific trouble areas. Slow, steady work is best. The more comfortable and confident you are at home, the more likely you'll retain those skills and confidence in the show ring.

Prepare yourself mentally. Use visualization and relaxation techniques to train yourself to be calm and confident in the show ring. It works. At least a week before competition, find a quiet place for 15 minutes each day, close your eyes, breathe deeply from the diaphragm and let your body relax. Imagine how your body, your legs, your hands and your seat should be during the competition. Think about what you'll be asked to do and visualize your performance. Picture yourself remaining calm and triumphing in various trouble situations that could occur. Visualize yourself putting together a confident and successful performance from start to finish.

Erase negative mental images. If, while visualizing your performance, you see yourself losing control, becoming nervous, or flubbing up, "rewind" your mental tape, go back to the point where you were confident and in control, and begin again, making an effort to keep negative images out of your visualization.

Keep proper perspective. While it's easy to get caught up in winning and performing well, in the overall scheme of things, ask yourself how important it is to have a perfect performance. Says Reagan, "Regardless of the outcome of the class or competitive trail ride, the rest of our lives will go on quite well. People will still love us and our dog will still be happy when we come home. Winning is important, but it's not that big in the overall realm of who we are and what we do in our life.

"When you can say, 'So what? I'll get it next time,' you will be more relaxed and confident more likely you will get that correct lead. Look at the sport as a personal challenge and decrease the emphasis on competitive goals."

Recognize your choices. Examine your motives. Are you competing because it's what you want to do or because your family or trainer expects you to and you don't want to disappoint them? Not everyone is cut out for competition. If you feel, deep down, that competitive riding is really not for you, re-evaluate why you are competing and consider devoting your riding time to satisfying non-competitive personal goals.

By examining your competition goals, keeping the right perspective, and working diligently at training yourself mentally as well as physically for the show ring, you can reduce those show ring jitters and get on with putting on a good – and enjoyable – performance.