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Re: [RC] Fear - Chris PausI've had some bad scares too. A few years ago, before I got into Arabs, I had an Appy gelding I hoped would be my endurance horse. Nothing any of my Arabs has done could match the bad behavior of that guy! We parted company when he reared up and went over backwards on top of me. I was very lucky to be alive when he got off me. It was the moment when I learned a tie down does not stop a rearer from rearing. It took me about 3 months to recover physically from that accident and about a year to recover mentally and emotionally. Of course, I replaced that wacky appy (nothing against appies, one of my best mares ever was an appy) with Star... sigh, and those of you who know him, know he's not exactly a confidence building horse... But somehow I just perservered and learned to ride that horse and got over my fears. I came off him 11 times our first year together from his leaping sideways in a new york second over anything and everything... We had some good years together and some really good rides when I got hurt by another horse, not him. I dismounted badly off a horse I was trying, and trashed my knee. Had meniscus surgery, and the knee has never been right since. After my knee surgery I went through another period of being really afraid to ride. I was really afraid to get hurt again. Knees are such a painful thing. Then the worst thing happened, a wild turky flew up right under me and Star, he did his patented Arab sideways leap and I was airborn. But as I assessed the situation laying onthe ground, I realized I really wasn't hurt. My knee was Ok. The only thing that hurt was my pride. I think that fall was the best thing that happened because it showed me I could fall off and be OK. Now I'm cautious, but not fearful. However, I'm really glad my young mare is not a spooky horse. I'm getting too old to be a lawn dart.! chris ===== "A good horse makes short miles," George Eliot Chris and Star BayRab Acres http://pages.prodigy.net/paus =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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