To carry on with my thoughts from the other day, Fear to Courage FB Group Post!
It really got me thinking, how common are horse accidents? I did quite a bit of research and there are a lot of different ways to look at it. I like the study from OSU extension office. It was based on 1000 hours of participation in sports versus injury. I actually was a little shocked to see that riding was just ahead of cycling, swimming and golf, and behind everything else! Football was the worst, baseball and downhill skiing were more injuries than horseback riding.
Some of the things that I found really interesting in my research are that the oldest participants in most Olympics are the riders. This means that even at this level of competition, there is a lot of success as we age. When I was young, I had dreams of competing at the Olympics and I remember the Los Angeles games and my trainer got to be ring crew. I was so excited to watch the ground crew! I didn't have enough talent to get to that level of competition, but it sure did look amazing. I love that it is one of the few sports that men and women compete against each other, the horses are the equalizer.
So back to how common are horse accidents. More research showed that with the safety measures that are now in place, the MIPS helmets, vests, etc, the severity of the injuries has been reduced. This is great news. I know I love my MIPS helmet! It fits amazing. This is the one I have and love! Click here to check it out!
What about compared to other things, not sports related? It was a lot harder to find research, so I am just going with my experience. I have had 5 or 6 concussions. None of these were riding. One was horse related when I was picking out feet and stood up under the cross bar in the cross ties and knocked myself out and gave myself a concussion. I have not had any broken bones (knock on wood) but if I had, it would have been from a number of things not horse related. Skiing has been my biggest downfall. I had to have surgery on my knee and had my neck severely damaged from being hit by a snowmobile.
I am going to share more on my thoughts on how all of these ties into our fear and why horses cause us anxiety when the other stuff may or may not have the same impact. I still ski after my accidents. I still pick out feet after my accident (and even learned to trim). I still drive after my accidents that were not my fault.
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!
That quickness of breath, the sweaty palms, the tension rising in the body happens to me when I think about my accident. The interesting thing is watching my horses and realizing that they also feel the memories of accidents. I can see their neck arch, their breathing increases, maybe even to the point of snorting, and their whole-body fills with tension.
I am so good at working with my horses, to help them overcome their memories of accidents. But I wasn't as good at doing the same thing for me and I really started to look at the differences. With my horses, I would teach them to relax. I have a few favorite tools that I use to get them "up" and then I show them how to relax. I have to change their memory of what happened by showing them a different way to be, showing them, they are in control of their emotion.
Wow, showing them control. That is also the key for us, or at least it was for me. I looked back at the accident, and I dissected it. What led up to it? How did it happen? Were there signs I could have seen before it happened? Even if I didn't know the answers, I could put the things in place to at least going forward, control the pre-accident situation.
It was so powerful to put the pieces into place to know that I had prepared myself to prevent future accidents. Can they still happen, yes, but that feeling of control helped in the recovery from the accident mentally. It built my confidence and courage and allowed me to continue enjoying riding. I really thought about a car accident I had; did it stop me from driving? Why let the horse accident stop me from riding?
The pieces I put in place are my pre-ride checklists. One for the rider, is my mind right. And one for the horse, are they ready to be ridden. I feel like a pilot checking out an airplane before a flight. It is methodical. It is predefined. They follow it exactly, every time they fly. It prevents accidents to the best of the ability. We can do the same for riding our horses and bring a piece of mind, even after an accident.
If you enjoyed this, you might enjoy my free guide: 3 Ways to Stop Panic
This applies to so many things in life! What if I lose my job, my money, my health, etc.? There are so many things in life that can pull us into the "What if" bucket. Horses and people that have had an accident with a horse, seem to send the what if imagination into overdrive. How do we turn that around?
Here are my thoughts.
1. It takes observation! When we notice we have a negative what if thought, about anything, switch it to something positive. Example: What if I fall off my horse? STOP! Change it to What if I have an amazing, relaxing ride! What if's haven't happened yet, so why not pick things that make us feel good instead of picking stuff that makes us feel bad?
2. We can practice. Sit on your couch, or better yet, lay down in the yard watching the clouds go by, doesn't matter but get comfortable. Bring up your BIG what if. Think about it. Notice how you emotionally feel. Notice how you physically feel. Then create an amazing what if. Put a lot of detail into it. Put all your senses into it. Example: What if we have a lovely ride. We are in sync, and I can feel the rhythm of my horse's feet. We feel like we are dancing together, as one. We soak up the sunshine and can feel the light breeze on our cheeks. After you do this, really feel the difference. Physically and emotionally.
3. Look at the root of your what if's. Was it a memory, is it imagination? What is the base to your what if. Once you have that, make a choice to change it. For me, my root was an accident. I focused on changing the memory of my accident, into a vivid cartoon. Now, when I think what if my horse flips, I laugh. I see Wile-E-Coyote and the Road Runner.
Most importantly, live your life with joy. If you enjoy riding, or used to, find a way to get back into the saddle and enjoy!
If you would like to see the process I went through, here is a link to my book about my journey back to courage and getting over my "What if's"! Get the book now!
