coming back from an injury..need advice

[whicker]

Another Eventor

I rode upper levels eventing back in the 70’s-80’s. I foxhunted, pairs raced and generally was an all around athlete. Like you, I now have young horses that need to be brought along to the stage that I can ride. I haven’t found yet a rider to do that for me.

I have broken my back 4 times over many years. It is just this last one that has been severe enough to really affect my physical ability to ride. No, a safety vest wouldn’t have helped. I carefully turned in the air enough to land on a seat bone, not my back. (I was hit by a deer while I was galloping my big dwb.)

It has taken that steely determination and focus that was honed for upper level eventing to work my way through the amygdala brain response.
Any time the exact movement sequence starts, the body screams, “DANGER!!!” and floods with andreneline. When you start reading about the response, it helps to define and tame it. Intellectually, you have to force the “off” switch, and take control again. The rote movements have to be practiced enough that they become part of the subconcious response, so they will kick in faster.

And, according to research, it only takes 10,000 times to do that. :eek:

I am in the process of creating a saddle that I can comfortably ride. Now waiting for prototype #3. I have looked into riding para-dressage. I have found that I am more comfortable for longer periods of time if I keep my rump out of the saddle or a light seat. So, I am better galloping on the hunt trails and leaping up-hill banks. I miss eventing and hunting and being with horsefolk.

I would love to talk with you!

[wateryglen]

God luv ya!

God luv ya and so do we. Haven’t we all been there!!! :yes:. Bluey said it best that fear is our bodies way of preventing another injury or keeping us safe. So LISTEN to it; EMBRACE it, FACE it, DEAL with it and LEARN how to handle it. Break it into smaller pieces so it isn’t so intimidating. Expose yourself to small parts so you aren’t sick or overwhelmed by it. It’s an ok feeling we should not deny. Never deny or minimize your feelings! Use how YOU feel to set your goals. If it scares you? Face it, talk to yourself about it, figure out how to deal with it, step back and give yourself a pat on the back. Give yourself time and patience. There’s no schedule to keep, no goal or point you need to reach by a certain date etc.

Trust your gut! It never lies to you! It can’t. It doesn’t have a brain! :winkgrin:
Don’t do it if it’s not fun! You don’t HAVE to do ANYTHING! Put no pressure on yourself and you’ll find coping w/fear much easier.
Best wishes!!!

[whicker]

wateryglen, heads up!

I sent you a pm

[QHEventr]

RFI - Thanks for the support! I hope that when Rasta comes back, you will be able to work through any fear issues…Unfortunatly, I have yet to find something that works for me. I have the JS books, as well as other books geared towards overcoming fear, but books have yet to help me.

I also am not helped by riding only a trustworthy horse as the fear issues are never triggered. In fact, I can hop on my retired Advanced horse, Diamond, and have ZERO fear response even if he gets goofy. By mind and body know NO fear on him.

I have had to force myself to school the naughty babies and had a breakthrough schooling the 3 yr old colt we recently sold in the round pen. Even though I know he loves to stand up. What helps is having many rides on the greenies where NOTHING happens, or I can manage to work myself through the problem and end the ride well.

Like someone else said, the moment the exact process of events that leaded to my injuries starts (head comes way up, front end gets light, or comes off the ground), my fear response kicks in, and so does my flight instinct.

The most annoying thing about the whole thing is that I can still gallop down to the biggest XC fences out there and have NO fear…I walk the course at Rolex every year and am itching to get out there one day and have a go at it! My fear is more based on the flat, which is where the big horse flipped so many times. This leads me to really want Diamond to back in fighting form…I know I’ve got it in me, but on the babies, its really tough to dig out.

Johanna

[RunForIt]

@QHEventr;4701546

RFI - Thanks for the support! I hope that when Rasta comes back, you will be able to work through any fear issues…Unfortunatly, I have yet to find something that works for me. I have the JS books, as well as other books geared towards overcoming fear, but books have yet to help me.

I also am not helped by riding only a trustworthy horse as the fear issues are never triggered. In fact, I can hop on my retired Advanced horse, Diamond, and have ZERO fear response even if he gets goofy. By mind and body know NO fear on him.

I have had to force myself to school the naughty babies and had a breakthrough schooling the 3 yr old colt we recently sold in the round pen. Even though I know he loves to stand up. What helps is having many rides on the greenies where NOTHING happens, or I can manage to work myself through the problem and end the ride well.

Like someone else said, the moment the exact process of events that leaded to my injuries starts (head comes way up, front end gets light, or comes off the ground), my fear response kicks in, and so does my flight instinct.

The most annoying thing about the whole thing is that I can still gallop down to the biggest XC fences out there and have NO fear…I walk the course at Rolex every year and am itching to get out there one day and have a go at it! My fear is more based on the flat, which is where the big horse flipped so many times. This leads me to really want Diamond to back in fighting form…I know I’ve got it in me, but on the babies, its really tough to dig out.

Johanna

Thanks, Jo - I’m already anticipating as many “what ifs” as possible in the come back, including investigating different sports psychologists in the area. I’ll send you the list I narrow down with my thoughts re: each one of them.

It was interesting reading this last post from you related to where the fear occurs - you’re ok as long as the horse is moving. Gallop down to a Rolex fence - GREAT. Stop and stand up - MISERY!!!..my tenseness, post Buddy-comes-unglued-ness (ever spend 45 minutes on the side of a hill on a bucking, rearing horse - yep, stupid me :eek: ) only came on Rasta when he would tense and STOP = brain stop in me, the last time resulting in near life ending injury. I expect similar things once I start again, only now its all so much more transparent. The really helpful part is Lellie is purposefully putting Rasta ina as many situations as possible to see where real trauma might erupt - so far he’s being the good boy he’s always been. I’ve just got to be really consistent in getting him off the farm EVERY SINGLE WEEK! We live at the end of a very quiet dead end road…the horses and dogs know every truck, car, and bicycle that goes past our house…

Cheers!
Lynda

This is a marvelous thread…thank you all so much.

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=wateryglen;4701319]
God luv ya and so do we. Haven’t we all been there!!! :yes:. Bluey said it best that fear is our bodies way of preventing another injury or keeping us safe. So LISTEN to it; EMBRACE it, FACE it, DEAL with it and LEARN how to handle it. Break it into smaller pieces so it isn’t so intimidating. Expose yourself to small parts so you aren’t sick or overwhelmed by it. It’s an ok feeling we should not deny. Never deny or minimize your feelings! Use how YOU feel to set your goals. If it scares you? Face it, talk to yourself about it, figure out how to deal with it, step back and give yourself a pat on the back. Give yourself time and patience. There’s no schedule to keep, no goal or point you need to reach by a certain date etc.

Trust your gut! It never lies to you! It can’t. It doesn’t have a brain! :winkgrin:
Don’t do it if it’s not fun! You don’t HAVE to do ANYTHING! Put no pressure on yourself and you’ll find coping w/fear much easier.
Best wishes!!! :D[/QUOTE]

Oh, but our gut has a brain and really, more neurons in it than our head brain has:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=gut-second-brain

Our “gut brain” does influence our moods, including instincts and fears.:yes:

[Cheese183]

[QUOTE=EightBelles134;4633243]
more frustration, had another bad fall today and was injured again…i think it may be a hamstring this time…and it didn’t help my confidence issues either,i got tossed from a “Confidence builder” mare[/QUOTE]

It doesn’t sound like the mare is a confidence builder to me.Can you ride a beginners type horse. You know the kind that won’t try to toss you no matter what you do. Have you discussed your fears with your trainer.? Takes things in little steps.

I had a nasty fall off a greenie. I ended up with a cuncussion and pulled back muscles. I couldn’t do anything more than a walk for about two weeks. Anything more and I ended up in pain. So I got to ride my own horse and build my confidence up little by little. I am still a bit fearful with the real green horses.Anything that bucks still scares me. I used to love working the greenies. Now I don’t know if I will ever get nack to that level of confidence again.