Horse riding: conquering the fear

Today I briefly spoke to a friend whom, after pondering for a while, finally took up riding. Good show! But she was just back from her dreaded first lesson and she had been scared out of her wits... Remember your first lesson? This memory may be more vivid for those of you who took up horse riding as an adult, but it’s certainly no ordinary feat to climb onto the beast – or so we see it – for the very first time. You have absolutely no idea what to expect. And before the next lesson comes, another problem can arise... now you do know what to expect! So fear creeps in, slowly but surely, especially after that first plunge / mouthful of dirt (yes, let’s call it dirt just to keep things palatable here...). 

As a beginner (it’s been a year, do I still qualify?) my nerves still get all topsy-turvy before a ride. Of course, this transfers right to horsey and we both are a mess even before lesson begins. But what to do??? Last week my coach suggested I sang some silly cartoon theme song – anyone for Caillou ? – while I cantered, just to keep my mind off of falling. And even if it did make for a hilarious moment, I decided right then I needed to come up with something else if I wanted to avoid scorching her ears again in the future.

A quick e-mail exchange with a fellow horse lover, who by the way sent me very inspirational documentation and provided kind words of encouragements (thanks again “20 meter circle of life”!), got me thinking: I need a routine to get me into the groove of things, a credo, something to ensure I am ready to face the challenge of learning these new skills without getting all tense and anxious!

So here’s my prep plan for tomorrow’s lesson (inspired in part by Jane Savoie’s works). I’m going to:

1. Visualize a great ride: concentrating on my current challenges i.e. mounting block issue because horse starts trotting uninvitedly with rider – yours truly –  barely balanced atop, jerky or harsh hands compensating for lack of legs, down transition from canter and... err...the infamous canter issue, of course.)
   
   
2. Leave the “what ifs” at home: Fear can be a good thing, but recently, it’s been too much of a good thing. I still want to be careful on and around horses, but my being scared is definitely holding me back in my progression now. So I’m going to stop wondering about “what if I fall?” and “what if she hits the breaks?” and try to be in the present moment. You got it! I am bringing Eckard Tolle at the stables tomorrow!
   
   
3. Embrace fear as a good sign: See, I could have chosen to spend these precious hours of my life watching some pointless daytime drama on TV. But did I? No. Because a year ago I chose to push my personal envelope and hop on a horse to grow some self-esteem. Has it been working? Absolutely. And fear is nothing but a most welcome symptom that the stuff is STILL growing. It is a symptom that I am continuously stepping out of my comfort zone and therefore it should be welcomed if I want to be the least bit coherent with my decision. Right? 
   Right...
   
   
4. Review any technical question I might have with coach prior to lesson: I thought little reminders of what I need to be working on for the lesson could help me get more focused and determined. Dressage is very technical and as you all know, requires a lot of independence of the aids. But how difficult!!! This hands (left and right) and legs (again, left and right) independence thing is even more difficult to me than when I used to play Bach on the piano – with melody and accompaniment changing constantly from the right hand to the left and then back. At least my legs weren’t involved then! So if I review the technical stuff before mounting, I think I might be more concentrated, maybe I'll finally-get-it-this-time, and I hope I then succeed in bringing some of this newly gained wisdom with me in the saddle and throughout the lesson...And finally:
   
   
5. Breathe... Breathe.... and Breathe...
   

Experienced riders out there, have you got any other tips for me?