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RE: [RC] rider fear and lessons - Catfish DanielsActually, reading Jeri's post, I totally agree with Jeri. Yes, I actually think that riding securely and confidently, and balanced does indeed make all the difference in the world - much of what one can learn by taking lessons. The point I was trying to stress with my previous post was that the actual spooks and unexpected jumps to the side are unsafe and could be dangerous for even the most balanced and most confident riders, and that taking lessons in your case may not be the only solution to get rid of the problem. But yea, Jeri made great points about the lesson part. Also, somebody wrote about "soft eyes". Boy, that one amazes me, but it works all the time! Catfish DBL Realtors -----Original Message----- From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of DESERTRYDR1@xxxxxxx Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2004 10:22 AM To: Agilbxr@xxxxxxx Cc: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [RC] rider fear I disagree with Catfish about lessons not being the way to go, at least as PART of the overall picture. If you can ride better, and feel more secure, you will be less fearful. One key point here is you said that "The tenser I got, the more he spooked." This is part of the dynamic between horse and rider. Your horse has to trust you when you are out alone, because he is a herd animal, and is looking to a leader to tell him when it's safe or scarey, unless he is one of those very dominant types who is scared of not much, in which case you wouldn't have written. Other suggestions Catfish made were right on the money, as far as desensitizing. But here are a couple more suggestions for when you are out there alone and start to get "that feeling"-- Focus on your breathing, take slow deep breaths. This works because it will calm YOU, and take your focus off his spooking. Sing a rhythmic song, one that will calm you if that helps you breath. When he starts to get spooky take it as a cue that YOU are being reactive and looking to see what there is to spook at. Try a centered riding exercise that involves opening your focus to look at the wider picture--the whole landscape. I forget what this technique is called, but the point is that if your are looking at the wider picture, you aren't focusing on ONE spooky. Look past spookies when you encounter them, or to one side. In other words, be aware of them, but ignore them. You are telling your horse with body language that they aren't important, aren't worth bothering with. Horses are so much more adept at reading body language than we ever imagined. He can feel your tenseness and react to it before you realize it's happening. If your work at controlling your body language by concentrating on your breathing and not focusing on scaries, it will help him relax. It won't happen overnight. Ride with others, or go slower until you can control your reactions, and until the at-home ground training that catfish suggested kicks in. And good luck. You DO wear a helmet, right? jeri ============================================================ By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. ~ Confucius ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================ ============================================================ I still prefer what it is that BH100, Tevis, The Duck's Soup of Endurance, etc. has to offer...but, to see a horse canter over sand for those distances...Good Lord, it humbles me. ~ Frank Solano ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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