As I systematically checked through my new website to fix all the glitches, I found a bunch of old articles about people and horses that made me reflect on just how good we are here at helping people and horses find confidence – even after horrible things have happened.
Zoe had been terrified of motor bikes after an accident with one out trail riding and Raewyn’s tension was no better after her injuries in the same incident. Even hearing one in the distance had them both rigid with alarm. ALL their work together from then onwards, even their dressage training in the arena, had been affected by this tension.
Important Note: THAT’s the way fear works folks – such a big unresolved fear affects EVERYTHING else with the tension of it.
At this clinic in one of my favourite places in the world – Wainuiomata in New Zealand – they had one breakthrough after another. And it all started from Raewyn learning to listen to /Feel her horse AND take action on what she got.
We may get away with ignoring our safety warnings for a while but eventually they intensify so much that the fear and anxiety is debilitating and a horse can get horribly reactive underneath us. Systematically, step by step, Raewyn learned to use fear and anxiety the way it’s designed – to keep themselves safe – which changed Zoe’s behavior and increased her confidence steadily.
And I get it – not all fear and anxiety is about what’s happening right now, it’s old stuff. Using our methods here, we can Release even OLD FEAR, from old situations of real danger and old accidents like Raewyn and Zoe’s.
Helping us to understand and let go of old fears and anxieties for OURSELVES is just one of the gifts that horses bring us.
And then on the last day, a motorbike started up in the distance and they got to practice all the techniques they’d learned over the week. (The Universe at work I suspect. 🙂 ) And oh they practiced so successfully with big smiles on everyone’s faces as the motorbike ended up coming down the road near us and they just flowed into doing what needed to be done to keep them both safe. 🙂
The whole shape of Zoe’s body changed over the week of the clinic, with damaged muscles plumping out and her back starting to round up and she found self carriage on the buckle of a rein that you can see in the photo – I’ll put it again here.
That self carriage on a long rein is SUCH an important part of a dressage horse’s foundation. It’s the first step towards a willing and dancing collection. Without it, real collection is impossible and people have to resort to all kinds of methods to try and give the appearance of it.
Zoe is not only “eye candy”, she’s “mind candy” – what a delightful gentle and willing horse she turned out to be, underneath all that reactive fear that she had been experiencing.
You too can recover confidence after an accident.
I am seriously good at helping nervous people and nervous riders find peace of mind and happiness together, no matter what has gone on before.
There are some revolutionary lessons on Fast Track to Brilliant Riding – advanced horse psychology meets alternative therapy – that helps you remove the stress and tension from an old accident (I call it a “fright imprint”) and another that re-programs your reactions to crappy things happening, so that you can flow with USEFUL reactions that will keep you and your horse feeling safe, like Raewyn did.
I doubt that you’ll enjoy this program though, if all you want to do is learn techniques for when your horse meets a motorbike or get your horse to stop dancing around and then get on with the same normal horse business in the same old normal way. This program is LIFE-CHANGING. We have a deep reverence for the horse and a commitment to both horse and human feeling really good.
If you’re up for change though, check out the gifts horses bring us on Fast Track to Brilliant Riding.
