Back in the saddle again
As a returning rider, my confidence is a bit low, and my anxiety is a bit high. Questions tend to spin around in my mind.
· Am I going to fall?
· Is my horse going to spook at_________.
· Is everyone looking at me?
· Did I remember the course right?
· Will I make it to my lesson on time?
I remember my 13-year-old self, starting Dressage and jumping lessons on a school horse. I was calm, cool, and collected. I was levelheaded, could ride for hours, and my position was so good, I rarely fell off. Riding was a way for me to relax, have fun, and build my confidence. I yearn to get back to that point, but I must accept that over the years some things both physically and mentally have changed.
I’ve fallen, a lot.
In the middle of the pandemic, I purchased a horse named Atlas. When I first rode him, he felt secure and safe. However, a few weeks after he settled in at the boarding facility, he could tell I needed more work on my position, so he started randomly stopping and pulling a 360 degree turn and I’d fall to the ground wondering what happened.
Sometime falls aren’t due to a bad position but incorrect fitting equipment. I fell off my current horse twice, well I guess you could say slid off with my saddle. He has a wide barrel, and I wasn’t tightening the girth enough. Lesson learned there, always check your girth a few steps after you get on. Why isn’t there a tool to help tighten the girth when mounted?
My fear of falling and getting injured rears it’s head on a regular basis. I am trying some exercises I learned in Brain Training for Riders. The first thing I started doing was journaling in a notebook. I really don’t enjoy journaling but thought I’d try it. I kept a notebook in the back of my car and a pen. Some days I have detailed entries, sometimes I write down 1-3 good things that happened during that ride. I have horrible handwriting, so it wasn’t the best solution initially. I then started using Equilab. They have a nice easy to use note section so now I journal in it. This exercise really helped me look at what I learned and can learn from each ride. What has changed for you as a returning rider?