This is a very interesting question, and I am sure there are a million answers. Just as with all life, the most critical fear is dying. In a lot of ways, they are blessed. They don't have to be afraid of losing their job, losing their money, IRS tax audit, or any of the other fears and stresses that humans put on themselves. They have one mission, to live through the day.
Their fears stem from anything that is new, that they need to figure out if it is going to kill them. I was standing near the horses one day in the pasture, when a plastic bag went blowing on the wind, all around them and under their legs. They didn't move. When I saw it coming, my fear level went up, and they all started to react, but when I saw this, I just completely relaxed, and they did too. They were not afraid of the bag. They were afraid that I might be afraid of the bag.
Horses survival depends on not being the horse that is most afraid, but they need to not be the slowest to react. The horse that is not in tune to the rest of the herd and danger vibes, will be the horse that doesn't make it, that is food for the predator.
Are they afraid of the predator? No. This shocked me. A friend of mine was working Africa and had the great opportunity to observe lions and the herds. The lions would walk right through the herds to the water and back and nobody would even raise their head. They were not afraid of the lions. Then, when the lioness would start to hunt, at the moment that the first herd animal felt that energy, the warning would go out, and they would all run.
They were not afraid of the predator; they were afraid of the energy of being hunted. This is useful information. We can be that calm leader, that doesn't jump at every little thing, and our horses will start to see us as leader and trust us to keep them safe. The more our energy is calm and aware, the more the horse can relax and let us lead. Wishy washy, anxiety, and fear are not the energies of a leader.
If you enjoyed this, I talk a little more about my journey out of fear and back to courage in my book, would love to have you check it out! Click here!
How often do people get hurt riding horses is such an interesting question. There is so much fear and anxiety around getting hurt riding horses, but I wonder, if the hours spent worrying are more than the hours spent actually recovering from an injury. I am just going to go with my experience and share with you.
My first pony, an unbroke 2-year-old Shetland pony stallion, that we gelded, and I trained to trail ride, when I was 5, I fell off once. I had probably an hour a day with him, for a year and a half, so let's go conservative and say 300 hours. The one time I fell off, he had just had his feet trimmed and he jumped over me to keep from stepping on me and clipped the back of my head. It was 5 stitches and no recovery time. So let's say 5 hours of injury recovery.
My second pony, also a 2-year-old unbroke, but this time, POA filly. When I was about 9, I actually had to stop counting because I had been bucked off over 480 times. Having her for 3 years, and hundreds of hours of riding, and 480 times hitting the dirt, I had no injuries, just depressed from not being able to stay on her. We even had a mountain lion attack us once and we both made it home without her bucking me off! No injuries.
I think my next 6 or 7 horses, from when I was 10 until I was 24 or 25, I didn't have any falls or accidents. I competed in hunters, equitation, worked on a ranch riding their horses, trail riding, etc. and would have added up to 1000's of hours of riding. I then had a fall in a jumper class, no injuries, got back on and competed in the next class. I had a few more falls here and there but no injuries. Then, I had my major accident which I talk about in my book. That one still didn't have any injuries other than bruising, to my physical body but it was the start of the emotional battle.
So here are my thoughts. The more time spent in the saddle, the less chance of getting injured. You get more in tune with your horse, with you, and with your reactions. So, if getting back into riding, start out slow, and build on the riding. Accidents do happen. So prepare your body the best that you can. I take care of my health. My skin was getting thin, I fixed it. My body was getting stiff and sore, I fixed it. I was gaining a little weight, I fixed it. I have a passion to ride. I want to ride. I love to ride. The thousands of hours of joy are worth the chance of getting hurt, but I also do everything in my power to eliminate the risks.
If you are intersted in hearing more about how I have improved my health, here is a link to the amazing coaching program and support group that I am part of. Would love to have you join us! Get Healthy Now!
Sitting on the hillside, with the sun on my back, and just the amazing feeling all the way to the center of the earth was how I used to spend my lunch times. It was an overlook for a whole stand of eucalyptus trees that seemed to go on forever. The leaves would shimmer and the trees would sway. As I watched, I could see the energy of the wind, blow from one side of the field to the other side of the field and swirl around in between. I was mesmerized by being able to watch the energy of the wind.
Laying down in the lush moss, beside a creek with the sun and shadows all around. I could see the water swirling around rocks and moving faster in the skinnier areas and slow and steady in the wider areas of the creek. I could see the energy of the water.
Sitting there this morning, watching the horses in the pasture, moving around, and being horses. Binky laid down and had a great roll. While she was laying down, Michelle joined her, really getting into the dirt and dust and putting all her effort into the roll. Taika was pickier, looking for a place to lay down and circling the spots that looked good. Before Taika could lay down, and while Binky was sitting on her way up from her roll, Michelle jumped up and ran, bucking! That intense energy I could feel and both Binky and Taika joined in. They circled the pasture a few times, bucking and playing. Swinging their heads and exuding pure joy. I realized I was feeling and watching the energy of beings. I had the privilege, even though there was a distance between us, of feeling their energy and being part of it.
I have thought about energy and how it pushes and/or pulls things to us or away from us. These visuals of energy are real. They can be felt and seen. I hate sleeping with a fan on, that steady dribble of fake wind. I love sleeping with the windows open and feeling the touch of the breeze on my cheeks. I have played with magnets, repelling each other or attracting each other. I have played with a horse and our hearts, liberty lunging with no physical connection.
Play with your energy. Observe the energy all around you. Anxiety and joy are energies that can't exist in the same place, practice the energy of joy.
If you have enjoyed this, check out my free PDF - Five Energy Games to play with your horse!
Your horse is just dozing off, circling to lay down and get a good sleep in, when cars go whizzing by and startle him. Your horse starts to doze off again when a truck uses its airbrake to slow down, and your horse is once again startled awake. All through the night, the noises continue, sometimes less, sometimes more, deep sleep just isn't possible on most nights. Your horse is exhausted and trying to tell you, they need sleep. They try really hard to be good but little things shock them, or they start to see things as they are being ridden.
You try everything, but nothing seems to help. You take your horse to a show and there, he is so good, he sleeps deeply, and is refreshed for once. You ride and he just seems like a different horse. It isn't conscious really, but you can feel the shift. One day, you move barns, and all of a sudden, your horse is different. Now, not only is he trying to be good, but he is good. He is different, relaxed, calm in his being. It takes some time, but you finally make the connection, he was sleep deprived.
It can be anything. It can be the neighbors' donkeys braying all night or the packs of coyotes hunting and howling all around the property. It can be PTSD from past trauma that is keeping the horse from getting a deep sleep. It can even be a horse with restless leg syndrome, that runs in their sleep and tears their legs up. These horses need compassion and understanding. They are trying to tell us something that we often don't think about.
I do night checks here usually around 10pm and I can tell you, it is loud. Owls, coyotes, fox (which sound like women screaming), and any number of other critters hooping and hollering. I now know why my horses lay down and sleep hard in the warm morning sun. It is so quiet here in the mornings.
If you horse is always on edge, or just can't seem to fix the training issues, expand your vision. Look outside what you have thought about. I would have never really thought of this but the freeway to a quiet place was drastic and dramatic and is a great example of taking a step back and really looking at the big picture along with the daily details.
If you have enjoyed this and you are not in my Fear to Courage group yet, would love to have you join us! Click here!
There were 60 of us, sitting in folding chairs in an arena, with horses and ponies running all over the place. The first couple of people to do an exercise looked like it was very challenging. There was one pretty gray arab mare that was frazzled. She looked like she had ADHD and was just freaked out.
My turn came to do an exercise in front of the crowd. I picked the frazzled gray mare as my partner, I thought we both needed each other. The first assignment was to have the horse stand still, and for me to walk around the horse. That horse was all over the place, and it was hard to even get two steps around her before she was off doing something else. This was all at liberty of course.
The second exercise was to stand still and have the horse walk around us. My gut reaction, "I CAN'T DO THIS!" As soon as I had the thought, a feeling came over me, I can do this. It was an overwhelming whisper, deep inside. I went to the center of the arena and closed my eyes. I pictured her going around me and I felt my heart connected to her heart. I would glance up every once in a while, and there she was, calm, quiet, peaceful, walking around me. I thought let's see what we can do. I pictured her coming in closer and she did. I pictured her going out further and she did. I pictured her changing directions, and she did. I pictured her trotting quietly with her head low and she did.
Our exercise was supposed to be 10 minutes, but for 30 minutes, we were there, in the center, connected heart to heart. The audience was silent. In their own thoughts of wonder. The owner of the horse and the practitioners were in shock.
I finally just stopped, and she came to me and pressed her head into my chest, and we just breathed together. In that moment, I knew for the rest of my life, when I had doubt, I would think of the pretty gray mare and know, "I CAN".
This was the most powerful moment I have ever had in my life. It was a precious gift from God.
