Getting back to horses after an accident?!

[janina]

I was just wanting some advice, opinions or any help really! I had a nasty accident in the summer and still haven't been back on a horse, not because i don't want to just not allowed until the new year! I have always been confident around horses (riding and on the ground) and i never thought i would feel any other way after the accident! Although i had to get rid of my boy i work with horses and have been back at work over a month now but only been a week back to handling. I am just always very cautious around any of them now even the minis! Not nervous just unsure do you think i will get my full confidence back? i really hope so. I was just wondering if anyone has had any similar experiences?

 

[LaurenM]

Yes it'll just take time. Don't put too much pressure on yourself

I broke my back April & was back riding by July (should have been October)! The time off just made me want to ride more!

 

[Niddlynoo]

I'm going through the same - had nasty fall a while back and got on first time today. Don't rush, confidence will come back. Having an accident makes us more aware that we aren't invincible (especially when you are the wrong side of 21!). Stay safe, take your time and (try) to enjoy it

 

[LaurenM]

After my accident I didn't even feel safe enough to use stairs! It's a horrible realisation how easy things can go wrong.

 

[paddi22]

i was exactly the same way after i broke my arm. got hypnotherapy and it was amazing! expensive, but changed my mindset completely, would recommend a good hypnotherapist to anyone!

 

[hula]

I had a bad accident some time ago which happened whilst bounce jumping, I was 17 and thought I was invinsible.... sadly I learnt the hard way I am not.

It took me 9 months to climb aboard again, but I went to visit a riding school and explained my issue to a mature very calm RI. She was very very calm and understanding and let me plod round on a lovely fat cob on a lunge line for 15 minutes, then took me off the lunge and let me have a little trot and I even managed a little canter just at the end. I felt wonderful, if not a little sore. But the nerves before each lesson made me sick for a few months. My RI recommended I stuck to riding smaller compact horses 15-15.3hh if possible, as they can be easier to keep together. I was previously used to riding 17hh+, and that made a huge difference.

18 months after starting lessons had enough confidence to start jumping a little (and by little I mean little), and was loaned for lessons by a lovely lady down the yard a very round, chunky, experienced, 14.1hh pony, who was a push button jumping machine. I did jump for a short time up to a maximum of 90cm, but after trying to jump something else a little younger, larger and livelier the nerves came back.

I'm just coming back to riding after 1 year out of the saddle, at a riding school once again, I'm taking it slowly as my injuries still cause some issues, I will not be hacking out again until feburary/weather fairs up again. I am aware that I am not capable of what I once was and I don't think I'll be jumping again for quite some time or until I find a very special pony.

Saying that my and my partner are currently looking for a youngster to bring on ourselves and I although I am more warey on the ground I am still confident. Since my accident I have become a complete worrier, I worry about my partner riding out, my friends riding out, horses, ponies... everything, I'm also very protective over my back and shoulder. My coping mechanism is deep breathing and talking about it.

My best advice would be to get back into riding very slowly, lots of confidence giving easy exercises, borrow a plod! Its amazing what you can cope with when faced with the challenge, 2 years after getting back into horses I was hacking out when my ride reared and spun round in the middle of a road and felt like she was going to bugger off, at the time I did think "S*** ******* B******", but then autopilot and adrenaline kicked in and the situation was dealt with relatively quickly. Sounds strange but that gave me more a confidence boost as I knew I could deal pretty calmly with situations.

Start slowly and take your time... it'll come back don't you worry, but do not be afraid to adapt to any existing injuries

 

[Goldenstar]

I got back after a horrible accident it took time but I got there in the end just take each day as it comes the knack is to know when to push yourself and when to cut yourself a bit of slack.
Good luck

 

[Katd66]

I broke my leg/ankle in a bad riding accident in Aug last year. I got back on a horse this May - a horse I completely trust and rode in the school. Since then I have probably ridden about 4-5 times and my confidence has plummetted. Even handling my good as gold horse. Making excuses for getting other people to turn him out.

After 18 ish years of being around horses I didnt think I would ever feel like this.

I bought myself new jods and boots in the hope it may kick start me into getting back into it. That lasted 1 ride.

I seem to be fine in a school enviroment but put me in a field/hacking situation (which is where the accident happended) im a nervous wreck.

Perhaps I need to go and get a few lessons.

 

[pastel]

i was in a wheel chair for 6 months then crutches for 4 but as soon as they said i could ride again I was straight back on that day onto my daughters quiet pony, take time you will get back into it, I still have flashbacks but the enjoyment of riding in the mountains with my dogs overcomes all the fear!

 

[ebonyallen]

We all have our own horror stories of nasty falls, and everyone is different and only you can decide what is best for you and how you go about it.What you must do is go at your own speed and take all the time you need, if you do it this way you will find that your confidence will come back slowly, which is why you must make your goals something that you can achieve and with each small step you can move on to the next.After my accident I was out of action for nearly 4 years and in the end the leg had to go and then I thought I would never be able to ride again, but 8 weeks after it went I managed to climb back in the saddle the time was right for me, and four years on I am still getting there slowly doing the things that I have always taken for granted and now seem such huge issues but we are getting there and trust me you will as well it may take time but you will achieve anything that you set your mind too. Good luck with it and keep us updated on how you get on.

 

[janina]

Thank -you all for your lovely kind words just reading them seems to give me more confidence, i will let you know how i feel once i get back in that saddle!

 

[HBrae2]

I broke my leg/ankle in a bad riding accident in Aug last year. I got back on a horse this May - a horse I completely trust and rode in the school. Since then I have probably ridden about 4-5 times and my confidence has plummetted. Even handling my good as gold horse. Making excuses for getting other people to turn him out.

After 18 ish years of being around horses I didnt think I would ever feel like this.

I bought myself new jods and boots in the hope it may kick start me into getting back into it. That lasted 1 ride.

I seem to be fine in a school enviroment but put me in a field/hacking situation (which is where the accident happended) im a nervous wreck.

Perhaps I need to go and get a few lessons.

hi there, I felt really sad reading your post. Please do think about going to your local RS, I lost my confidence after breaking my ribs and it spiralled until I felt sick even thinking about going any faster than a walk. I had some lessons at a RS on my friend's semi retired horse and it felt fantastic, she was so kind and steady and I had a very understanding instructor and it made a difference to my whole life and no longer feeling like a failure. The horse has since past away but I will always be grateful to her. Most RS also do hacking and going out with an instructor and on a bombproof RS pony will really help.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I know how you feel MY boy broncked me off in 2007 i landed on the fence post broke ribs fell backwards on to jump poles then onto my back which is already damaged and nearly ended up in a wheel chair from sciatic from the previous injury couldnt walk or breath for a while osteo said i should be 6ft under after that accident i shoudnt of survived but i did. I wouldnt have anything to do with my boy for months after . to me a long while to like him let alone cuddle him etc , still have a nervous tweek when i ride him

It will take time and patience to get back confidence , you prob never totally will there will always be a slight nervous but you will get back 90% just go slow dont push it

here are some of my bruising from that time this is not all i had bruises on my bum and back too







Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[kirstie]

Everyone is different, to how bad their accident it was, the circumstances, the pain, the length of rehab, how much it has affected normal life, general personality...etc

I had a bad accident last year, and I am riding again. I would say that I am only just starting to be as good as I was confidence and ability wise now and I am really starting to enjoy it again.

I worked with horses to and my accident means that I will never be able to again, which is actually better for me now.

Take it slow, get an excellent instructor and see how you go. Baby steps...

Good luck!

 

[Mince Pie]

I think it's perfectly natural to lose confidence after a particularly nasty fall. In my case I was riding a horse that started putting in dirty stops XC resulting in several concussions and a back injury that is still giving me grief 13 years on (and probably will for the rest of my life now).
I didn't go near a solid fence for 12 years until last summer and still get a bit wobbly even now, although (mad I know!) I found the best way to get over that was to go on my RC's beginners Mock Hunts - all jumps optional, paramedic on standby and horse in "herd" environment so don't need to push him on over jumps.

 

[Chestnutmare]

Oh god yes, I too had a nasty accident 2 yrs ago and since then haven't really sat on a horse til I got my lad end of July this year, I had worked with them since, but it wasn't the same and I had lost my horse too around the time of my accident so was feeling pretty rotten.

It has taken me a very long time to rebuild my shattered confidence I am not fully sorted yet either when riding, still get shaky and very nervous, but have to think about breathing ha ha even though I know my boy is great and wouldn't ever out a hoof out of place.

I now have a connie on loan with view to buy, come August he has helped me no end regain in all my confidence he's such a star with everything!!
Can trust him with everything I have in me, even with a kiddie around... doesn't bat an eyelid.

It will come back, you must not rush into it, take your time if your not comfortable doing something, then leave it until you are ready to do it... but try and enjoy horses once again...

 

[jjerome]

I had huge confidence issues and hadnt cantered for five years , in the end I didnt even want to get my pony out of the field , until I found a lovely lady called Jo Cooper, she has helped me HUGELY and now I am out riding , hacking and cantering in the school and occasionally out hacking .PM if you would like to know more abour her methods, she also has a website
I also had a huge amount of help from my friends who walked out with me endlessly as my chaperone for nearly 18 months.Also found a great instructor.

 

[Tilda]

Hi I had an accident 18 months ago which resulted in a ruptured spleen and very dented confidence. I have slowly got my confidence back and am now fairly confident schooling my girl in the arena and over the summer I was hacking out confidently and even cantering. Have had a bit of a set back with the hacking now as since the weather turned cooler my mare has started getting over excited and bucking when she thinks it's time to canter and my nerves have come back 10 fold :-(

I can 2nd the recommendation of Jo Cooper she is brilliant and the reason I got back to hacking out my horse at all in fact this week I am going to revisit some of the methods for my new hacking issue and I'm sure it will help.

I would also encourage you to build up a support network (there's already a few people on here!). I have great YMs one who hacks my horse when I'm too scared to and lends me her schoolmaster to build my confidence up and the other is in a very similar position to me after a near miss with a lorry and we are each others support buddies. Also a good instructor is worth their weight in gold I only found mine in July but have come further in that time than the whole year before.

Good luck you will get there as others have said just take your time there is no rush xxx

 

[tashwilson]

After a bad accident I found lunging my horse for a couple of weeks helped before getting back on. This helped me to see that he was fine and not going to hurt me. After this i lunged him for about twenty mins or so and then got on. By this point he has lost his intital freshness and i got on but got someone to hold the lunge so if anything happened they were there. Eventually i could do it by myself and the amount of time i lunged beforehand got less and less until I felt confident enough to just mount straightaway. If i am ever feeling nervous i will lunge for five mins before getting on.

 

[LaurenBay]

I'm another who lost their confidence. I had a bolting accident after I tried out a Horse for share. I had a break for 7 months, wasn't injured too badly but I couldn't bring myself to sit on a Horse ever again. I felt sick and I actually cried when I rode my friends Horse. I froze and my riding went out the window. She put me on the lead rein in the end.

I took baby steps and started to ride my friends school mistress. I started off schooling for a couple of sessions. I would just concentrate on my breathing and only walked. When I was happy with that I introduced trotting, then carried on etc. I shared this Horse for 2 years, I owe her so much! I finally got my own Horse in April

I still am a nervy rider but take things very slowly. My Horse really takes care of me, even though she is 6.

I am totally fine on the ground and will handle any Horse! even my YO's 17.2hh unpredictable youngster

Take your time and take baby steps. Don't push youself too far. You will get there Good luck.

 

[JANANI]

I will be getting in the saddle in a couple of weeks after a nasty fall were I broke my arm badly. I haven't ridden since the end of July and I ended up getting rid of the horse I came off as I couldn't face sitting on her again. I am now nervous about riding my little TB so I am also planning to lunge him before I get on. I am hoping that my confidence will come back but the thought of doing anything more than walk fills me with dread.

 

[M_G]

I broke my leg/ankle in a bad riding accident in Aug last year. I got back on a horse this May - a horse I completely trust and rode in the school. Since then I have probably ridden about 4-5 times and my confidence has plummetted. Even handling my good as gold horse. Making excuses for getting other people to turn him out.

After 18 ish years of being around horses I didnt think I would ever feel like this.

I bought myself new jods and boots in the hope it may kick start me into getting back into it. That lasted 1 ride.

I seem to be fine in a school enviroment but put me in a field/hacking situation (which is where the accident happended) im a nervous wreck.

Perhaps I need to go and get a few lessons.

There is a wonderful lady called Jo Cooper who does TFT & NLP she has helped myself and many others on this forum it might be worth just having a chat with her to see if she can help www.equestrianconfidence.com