It’s something you can avoid when you decide to ride horses, at some point you are going to fall off your horse. Even if you’re not hurt physically, a fall can leave you feeling emotionally shaky and you’ll need to regain lost confidence. It happens in all sport disciplines but falling off a horse is different because it has a huge impact on the rider’s confidence. Even if you are not hurt this situation can leave you feeling less self-confident and anxious about what could happen when you’ll ride again. This happens because we don’t always believe that we have command of the circumstance.
Most people, especially inexperienced riders, can have a fall off their horse, immediately pick themselves up, dust themselves off, get back on their horse and move on as if nothing had ever happened. But the majority of people, especially as we age, find it very difficult to do so. Even if you’re not seriously wounded from the fall, you’ll probably be tense, sore and injured. And, sometimes you don’t even need to fall off, just having a near miss or seeing someone else take a fall can be enough to shake your confidence.
Some falls are more damaging than others and may leave you with insufficient trust when it comes time to climb back into the saddle. Remind yourself that Fear is meant to keep us safe. Once we’ve had a possibly threatening experience, the prehistoric part of our brain reminds us off from ever repeating the activity that put us in danger ever again. So every time you think about where your horse spooked and you fell off, or you hear the sound that frightened your horse, your brain automatically sets off the alarm signals – enhanced heart rate or tensing your muscles. Below we have listed five things that you can do in order to recover your confidence after falling off a horse.
1.Identify the Cause of the Fall
Before you decide to ride your horse again, think about why your fall happened. Was it because your horse reared or bucked or you lose your balance? Once you figure out what the real cause was, you can think about a plan to fix the cause and move ahead with your horses’ training. In order to prevent a similar fall in the future, you first have to identify what provoked you to fall can help you to take measures. If your fall was caused because you lost your balance, there are many drills that you can do to enhance your balance in the saddle. Sometimes it is necessary to have a trainer work with your horse to correct this behavior because it is very likely that it is your horses’ fault.
2.Ride a Trusted Horse
If you ride different horses, not only one it is important that when you decide to first mount up after a fall, ride a horse that you believe in. Now it isn’t the right time to seek out adventures, so you better choose a trustworthy horse that you can ride without any fear. It is very necessary to spend a period of time riding a trusted horse until you’re comfortable enough in the saddle again.
3.Work with a Trainer
After you fall off a horse, it’s a good plan to work with a trainer whom you trust. A good trainer can build your self-confidence back up by constantly pushing you outside of your comfort zone. A trainer can also recognize weaknesses in your riding and train you to improve them, leaving you feeling more powerful and more confident in the saddle.
4.Take Things Slow
If you notice that you have insufficient confidence after a fall, then take things slow with your riding. Be tolerant with yourself and your horse and take all the time you need to recover. If you just want to get on your horse and walk, then this is what you should do. Finally, you’ll notice that you’re annoyed with a slower pace, and are available to do a little more with your riding. Permit yourself to take things slow and you will find that your confidence will slowly return to you.
5.Remind Yourself That You Survived
As we said before It happens, we fall off. You just have to tell yourself that falls happen to everyone and that they’re a part of riding. At the same time, notify yourself that you are a skillful and competent rider and that you can manage a fall if it does occur again.