I'm terrified of my new horse and shouldn't be - help!

[Horsecare101]

Hey Everyone!

I wanted to reach out and let you all know how much you helped me with this thread. I was having such a hard time with my fear and being really tough on myself about it, but hearing from everyone was a HUGE help! I read Brain Training for Riders which a few of you recommended and it was fantastic! Understanding what I was feeling was the first step. In just the last few weeks, I’ve gone from being terrified of him, to being able to ride all over our property with a big smile on my face. Even when he gets a little huffy or wants to charge back home, I’ve been calm and centered. That book really taught me to address my fear and the biggest help was asking myself “what’s the worst that could happen?” I’ve broken bones and survived bad concussions in the past. It never stopped me from riding and loving it, and that fear won’t stop me now!

I can’t thank you all enough! For anyone dealing with fear issues, I HIGHLY recommend that book. It’s a game-changer!

[evilc123]

Interesting. I hadn’t seen this initial post, but I think the woman who wrote that book is doing a clinic at my barn this summer and I wasn’t really sure if it would be worth doing because I hadn’t heard of her and there isn’t much that bothers me at the current moment (maybe with the exception of a tall skinny toothbrush on XC)… Maybe I’ll reconsider doing it.

[chai]

Horsecare, I am a Therapeutic Riding Instructor and one of my favorite aspects of the career is helping people who have had a traumatic experience work to overcome it to find the joy in riding again. I had one client who had such ptsd that we simply hand walked the horse, stood on the mounting block and visualized a positive experience a few times before she was able to swing a leg over and even sit on our wonderful steady-eddie. It was an incredibly powerful moment when that happened, and she told me later that her nightmares about her accident stopped after that lesson.

I would urge you to find a patient instructor who understands the psychological and emotional hurdles you may face, and help you take it step by step, working to rebuild your confidence in the saddle on a really steady mount while you work with your new horse on the ground to establish a strong relationship with him. Hopefully, as you conquer your fears and build your confidence, you can start a new program with your new horse when you’re ready.

Please don’t let anyone push you beyond where you feel comfortable right now. You can move beyond this, and I wish you all the best.