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Re: [RC] [natrc4] Re: fear (long) - Alice YovichSee, I was doing this last Thurs..what happened to us was the following: I was riding with friends at the lake (I'd already been through HELL to get on the horse and ride in the first place b/c I got there without my girth and ended up having to go to stateline tack to buy a new one) Deli and I actually rode for about 15 min. completely alone and she was wonderful. She shied at one tree, but other than that we were fine. We walked, trotted and cantered. She was paying attention and she felt as great as she has every time I've ridden her this year. We hooked up with friends and eventually separated into two groups. One horse, Kharisma, is almost as big of a chicken at going first as Deli, but his rider has worked so much with him, he understands that it's not a choice. I learned so much from watching her talk him through leading. In the back, no problem, Deli goes anywhere. In front, she's a bundle of nerves. I've just sort of accepted that this is her. It works most of the time. I'd rather follow Maggie, my daughter, on her pony b/c i can keep an eye on them. Deli would much rather follow Susan's horse, Lou, and he would rather lead. We do work on bits of her being in front of Lou and it's such a challenge that many times we don't feel like schooling and we just don't worry about it. Leading Joe Bear doesn't seem to be as big of a deal to Deli, but after yesterday, I'm more hesitant than I was before. So, Deli is out in front. For once, she willingly took the lead and we're beebopping along. Deli feels good. I feel good. The rhythm is good. I felt like I was sitting better in the saddle (which Diane tells me I was NOT) I was praising her for being so brave and so nice and I was just about to sit in the saddle and ask for a nice trot when WHAM! I hit the ground. I got up out of a briar patch to see Dianne on the ground too and our horses hightailing it down the trail behind us. If it hadn't been for my other two friends, I'm not sure they would have stopped. It was a totally scary moment! We both remounted, more angry than scared. I honestly wasn't afraid, and am not afraid still (i should mention that my fall that broke my shoulder was a very similar kind of fall--horse went nuts and I didn't go with her) but I'm just puzzled. One friend says "it's just horses" but even a day later, I want more of an explanation than that. This is the same exact fall I had at PHR in the summer, when I landed on my tail bone. Same circumstances. Feeling good, big spook, bad fall. Not that anyone can help me with this but here goes: 1) I want to know why she does that spook thing in front! I know it's b/c she was more worried about Lou, who was out of site behind her, than she was with leading Charisma or listening to me. She hasn't even seen Lou since Jan. and she's as attached to him as ever. we're doing 3 rides together (susan and I) hauling together, etc. I know Deli will be on his tail the whole day. Lou won't care if she's there or not but Deli would be a basket case if he were there and she wasn't with him. 2) I want to learn how to stay in the saddle better and be ready for this kind of thing should it happen again. I told Peter I needed to get in a few dressage lessons b/c at least half the trouble is that she's strung out and popping me out of the saddle and I'm not sitting the canter well enough. Dianne thinks if my tush had been in the saddle, I'd have had a fighting chance. I told Peter that some riding lessons were cheaper than a trip to the ER. So, suggestions? Salve for the fear I'll feel next time I want to canter out front? One strategy they gave me is to canter in familiar territory alone. we do this now, with no problem. We follow with no problem. Even a horse in front looking at stuff doesn't phase Deli. she seems genuinely afraid to lead. At 09:41 PM 4/2/04 +0000, you wrote: Do I start to feel the anxiety come back
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