Riding anxiety

P0ny Lover

P0ny Lover

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Hi. I am a tween rider. In January I had my first ever fall and I fell off again in June I think. I haven't cantered since January because I am too scared in case I fall off. At the start of the year I was told I was able to start learning to canter but I still haven't. I'm scared to trot and really very scared of cantering. I feel sick and shaky before riding leasons and over think. My horsey pal fell of recently but got back on again and started cantering again. I feel rubbish because I cant canter without feeling really sick and crying. Is this riding anxiety? And is there ways to get better? I only get to ride once a month.
 
I'm 45 and I've been quite a nervous rider in the past, due to a serious accident when I was 12. I have got over it, but I don't think I'll ever be quite as fearless as before I had the accident. It's good to beware of risks and risky situations, and to know your limits, though. But when it's affecting you so much that you're not enjoying your riding, you need to try to take steps to change your mindset. I really enjoyed Karl Greenwood's book Control Your Stress and Enjoy Your Horse - it's a short, easy and entertaining read, and it really puts things into perspective. Riding isn't really such a dangerours activity, especially if you take the proper precautions and don't ride race horses (which I did when I had my accident). I'm sure there are plenty of other good resources and methods, but his book worked for me when I came back into riding a few years ago. To put it simply, he urges you to focus on all the times things go well, not on the rare occasions things go wrong. As you're quite young there might be someone older you could talk to, maybe your instructor could show you how to sit safely in the canter, maybe you could hold on to the mane for added security? I think sometimes cantering becomes something mysterious and hard, when it's actually quite simple and many feel more stable in a controlled canter than while trotting. It's built up to this big thing, when it's just another gait that the horse naturally does. Fun fact: my daughter finds it easier to canter than to trot on her Shetland. She does fall off from time to time, but hasn't hurt herself, and just gets back on. Hope you find someone who can help you!
 
I find you need to go back a few steps and give yourself very easy goals each time you ride.

Like just get on walk around for 10 minutes and get off don't expect to do the things you did before.

Carl Greenwood is very good I did his confidence course a few years ago and yes it helped me I found the hypnosis recordings he does are really helpful.

Just take your time.
 
I'd try riding elsewhere as a starter, if you have discussed your nervousness with the instructor and they haven't planned anything effective. I used to be a riding confidence coach and, 99 times out of 100, the person who was berating themselves for being nervous actually had a good reason to be nervous! Maybe their position was not secure, balance was not established, horse was exhibiting unwanted behaviours, understanding was not thorough, trainer was not attentive, or whatever.

Often, when the missing link was addressed, the person felt informed and in control.

You have fallen off twice this year. Heck, if I'd fallen off twice this year, and didn't know exactly why and how to prevent it in the future, I'd feel nervous too!

I also used to teach novice adults, and in 16 weeks (full time course) they'd go from never having sat on a horse to being able to school in all paces, with and without stirrups, jump up to 75cm course, ditch hop, bank scramble, road ride etc etc etc. But, to achieve that in safety, they'd do loads on the lunge first. How can I expect them to be in charge of a horse when they are not in charge of their own body? Lungeing meant I was in control of the horse. I'd often teach canter from walk/canter/walk as it is the unbalanced trot that gets people as much as the canter, as they transition down.

I am currently teaching my boyfriend to ride. He had never touched a horse and is in his 50's. He has now ridden a grand total of 20 times and is confident to canter, but that is because my two horses are soooo co-operative. They will gently go into canter at my voice command, do some steps and, if he loses balance, bring themselves to a stop gently so he can re-gain his balance. This is what a novice needs to learn to canter. A horse who is kind and balanced and, initially, under the control of the person teaching.

I despair when I see people chased round at an unbalanced trot, so the rider is shaken a bit loose before they get canter. Then the canter is uncontrolled and the transition back to trot often enough to finish the job off.

I suspect my boyfriend will fall in the not too distant future, because he is SO confident. He wants to do MORE and, at present, doesn't have the skills established. We are supposedly cantering on a beach in Lanzarote later this month. It will either be epic, or wet!!! I have issued a warning, and he still wants to give it a go. Wish us luck, as I get nervous when handing his safety over to an unknown organisation!
 
Absolutely wear a good body protector.
But there are other questions here. First one is , Do you want to ride a horse? And do you want to do it now or could it wait till later in your life?
Next, one lesson a month is not very much. OH and I both learned to ride late in life but with weekly lessons. And in my second year, I hacked every week as well.

As for canter, every one finds it tricky but canter is not compulsory and when you do feel ready to learn, it is easier learned out hacking where you can ride in a straight line, with no corners to unbalance you.
 
I have always been quite a nervous rider. I've had a few bad spells, including one occasion where it took me all my time to get on my (angelic) pony and then I just sat and cried before getting off!
Within the year I was out hunting (with a bloodhound pack) and although I still wasn't the most confident and never keen on the jumping, I was having the time of my life.
So it can be done!

I know some people here are rightly asking if you do want to ride. I get this 100% - I was so nervous that some people couldn't understand why I didn't just give up and choose another hobby. But when I weighed things up, the desire to ride was always just that bit greater than the mental compulsion to give up. So I battled on and I'm glad I did.

One of the books I read said 'If all you can do is stick to a walk, just do that until you get bored.' That's pretty much what I did. I was lucky to be riding with people who didn't put me under any pressure. Eventually I built confidence. As far as canter is concerned, I agree that it's easier out on a hack in a straight line with other sensible horses - it quickly became my favourite thing!

I had an air jacket rather than a body protector but it was just an extra bit of mental 'insurance' for me.

I agree with Skib, one lesson a month is not a great deal. The more you ride, the more opportunities there are to build your confidence.
 
You don't have to canter or trot. Can you just book a ploddy hack out rather than lesson from your yard?
I haven't cantered in ages, The ground has been too wet and rubbish, I don't have a school. I know two people who have their own horses and never ever even trot. One walks miles and miles around the road for hours and her horse looks as fit as any! , the other just has a wander round the village now and then. There are no rules and it's ok to just do as much as you feel comfortable with.
 
Skib said:
Worth reminding people that an air jacket is not an alternative to a bp due to the possibility of mechanical failure. If worn, an air jacket should be worn over a bp.
Click to expand...

I agree, especially for XC - but for the purpose of just giving a bit of a mental boost, the air jacket worked well - bearing in mind that at the time I was only walking in a safe environment on a very dependable pony.

Personally I found the more rigid BPs were actually counter productive for me at that time as the one I had felt so restrictive...I was being told to focus on my breathing, but I found it difficult as the BP was so stiff. I know that there are more comfortable BPs but for the purpose of getting my past the extreme anxiety stage, the air jacket was more suitable.
Obviously I'd endorse BP + air jacket for higher risk activities. In my case it was purely a mental prop and I just found it more comfortable than a BP.

On reflection, the neckstrap was probably the most influential piece of equipment in helping me tackle my anxiety demons.
 
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