Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

In a message dated 10/2/2004 4:13:41 PM Central Standard Time, mfvisco@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

> Has anyone ever had a couple of bad experiences or accidents and developed fear to the point where it really interfered with your riding? If so what things worked for you to get back in the game?


I had a bad fall at a 50-mile ride a couple of years ago...my horse stepped into a hole hidden in the grass and did a somersault at a fast extended trot (and this horse can fly).  I hit the ground like a dart, breaking my right eye socket (thank God for my helmet!).  I didn't think I had any emotional baggage from it.  But 2 weeks later I was at another 50, same horse, and found that I was terrified to get on him.  I stood there for probably 10 minutes, with 1 foot in the stirrup, scared to step up, scared he'd move and I'd fall and hurt my face again.  A neighbor finally had to finally come hold him so I could mount (horse was fine, stood quietly).  Once the ride started, my heart caught every time he took a slight misstep, or the trail was uneven, etc., as I was petrified of him falling again.  I got over it by telling myself over and over that he doesn't want to fall any more than I do, that what happened was a freak accident due to the hole, etc.  It's been 2 1/2 years, and sometimes when I'm flying along at high speed, even on different horses, the memory of that fall still flashes before me, and I start thinking, "what if the horse falls going *this* fast?!?"  Then I mentally slap myself, put it out of my head, and go on.  It really took some work to get over the fear of my horse falling, and I was pretty nervous about it for about 6 months, before it started to fade.

Dawn in East Texas