I have a few fears though. I’m kind of afraid of the solid objects. I guess i’ve watched way too many rotational fall videos on youtube. Anyway to overcome that?
Well - hum
I am going to be blunt and say “fearful” is not going to equal fun or success in eventing.
Do you ride with a coach right now? What is your jumping experience?
Confidence over rides fear - confidence comes from systematically gaining experience through successful practice…
Keep in mind rotational falls are pretty darn rare at the lower levels. I am guessing the videos you have seen were not at the BN level, and that you won’t be doing advanced your first time out.
Its kinda like saying “I want to take up dirt biking, but I am scared because I have seen those guys wreck doing double back flips”.
You can slip in the bathtub too. There’s danger in just getting out of bed. Just don’t temp disaster. Find a good instructor who can bring you along safely within your horse’s limits and within your comfort zone. After your first XC, the danger thing will quickly become an automatic override in your brain anyway!
I would suggest :
- working with a coach
- start with small XC jumps
- ride a horse that is a good solid packer
If you ride a horse that’s good over solid fences with a coach, the more you do it the more confidence you’ll gain. Like Appsolute said
Confidence over rides fear - confidence comes from systematically gaining experience through successful practice…
Good luck!
And stop watching crash videos on YouTube.
Seriously, psyching yourself out before you start isn’t going to help.
As everyone says, start small, start smart with good coaching and an experienced horse. Very little risk of anything like a rotational fall there. See if you like it.
Go from there.
Do you hack out, outside of the ring? Start with that. You might be surprised at how much you can gain with just a bit of hacking out in the woods, fields and whatnot.
Agree with cranky - if you start out at Elementary, it’ s not that you don’t want to get good distances (you always do), but your biggest issue off the bat is going to being out in the open, away from all of horsie’s friends and relations. If you’re already riding a horse that can handle that, you’re golden. And then, heck, no harm in trotting the whole course your first time out, or even first few times.
We are all aware of the dangers of riding and particularly in eventing. But then again the world is a dangerous place. You are in far more danger just driving a car. I’d be lying if I said I still didn’t get anxiety before cross country, even after eventing for years! I’d say the best way to overcome it is by gaining confidence over smaller jumps. It takes getting used to for sure! Don’t watch videos of riders falling. A majority of those bad falls are in the upper levels. Also having the right trainer helps. Some coaches can be really intimidating while others are confidence boosters. Good luck!
Im just starting out too (competing in my first event next week!). Im not the most confident rider and I too have a fear of solid objects.
Here are a few pointers:
- Always jump in a vest. I feel like this makes me feel a lot safer, even if its just in your head.
- Jump a horse you truely trust. Ive had mine for 4 years and he has done wonders for my confidence. Even if I am nervous, I still put my confidence in him.
- When it doubt, sit up and more leg!
- School with a coach who has experince with eventing. Mine is a H/J trainer but has evented so she has helped me, as has a fellow boarder that is an eventer. They can give you pointers that will help a ton.
- Start small and build confidence. Even though we jump bigger at home, and have schooled bigger, I entered my first event at started so that we can go have a positive experience.
Fear is a normal response by an adult; it means you recognize the risks instead of ignoring them.
Management of fear is also an adult response. I WILL NOT let fear or bullying dictate what I will do.
Get coaching and be the best you can be.
Finally, rotative falls are extremely unlikely at BN or N. The speeds and/or heights result in other issues. You may fall off - focus on NOT doing that - but the horse won’t. Stay centered, don’t jump ahead of the horse, and you’ll be fine.
