Re: Re: FEAR (update)

["Michelle Rowe" <michrowe@frontier.net>]

I think there is fear and then there is "FEAR".  On and off, I've always
been a little afraid of my horses.  It's ok if you're committed and
determined to work through it.  Sometimes, after a horse does a really big
spook when I'm out riding alone, I'll hop off and lunge him/her around for a
couple of minutes to re-establish control and more importantly to get my
wits about me.  :-)  I responded to the original poster and said that I was
afraid of my horse in some situations until I got a lesson.  I was afraid to
ride him alone in pasture because he acts like a hyper fool.  Well, after
the lesson I felt quite confident and now it's really not a big deal.  I've
learned to ride his spooks in the lesson (counteract them in fact and give
him a job to do), and it's made me a better rider and my horse has improved,
too.

I think it's really important for the poster to get help with her horse in a
controlled situation, and then evaluate whether or not she thinks it will
work for her.  There's not much to be lost by trying in a situation with
someone knowledgable there to help.  If she decides that she can't relax
with this horse and Fear has it's fingers wrapped around her heart (we all
know the feeling) all the time, then I'd agree that she's got to get a
different horse.  If she has issues *she* needs training to work out, she
could get a very safe and gentle lease horse who tests her just a little,
too, and makes her afraid again.

:-) Lord knows most of the limits I put on my horse come from fear from
within.  When I finally get over *my* fear and ask my horse to do something
that I perceive as scary for *him* (and therefore for me), my horse usually
thinks whatever I'm asking is no big deal.

m (big chicken)


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=