TO HELP THE ANXIOUS RIDER
TO HELP THE ANXIOUS RIDER
“I struggle with anxiety when I ride my horse. What is the sentence you tell yourself to help you remain present”?
This question appears to come from someone who has delved into strategies to deal with their struggles with anxiety because when you start exploring ways to help you will inevitably come across the idea of learning to stay in the present moment and practicing meditation. This is because anxiety focuses your thoughts on what terrible things could happen to you that haven’t happened yet. Therefore, bringing yourself back to the present moment, instead of the horrible future, can help with anxiety.
This brings to me to the number #1 main difference between riders that are labelled as “brave” or “nervous” riders – what they are thinking!
Those labelled “brave” are in the present moment focused on where they are riding and are and have their bodies aligned with this focus. The analogy I like using is that they are the leading the dance in a waltz and guiding their partner around the dance floor. They are performing the moves with precision and aware where they are heading and navigating the dance floor. These riders have clear intent. In this scenario the horse has a clear guidance by the rider’s communication and intent to follow.
Those labelled “nervous” are battling the thoughts of terrible things. They are scanning for trouble that could upset their horse or signs their horse is going to do something. These thoughts have them paralysed in their dance. They have no clear thought of where they are riding, and they are reactive in their bodies. They are the equivalent of standing paralysed on the dance floor clutching their partner who feels lost and confused where they are going and what they are meant to be doing. Therefore, in this scenario the horse has no clear guidance With no clear intention to follow and communication either missing, restrictive and punishing due to the reactive state of the rider, they become anxious too which just reinforces the rider’s anxiety and the relationship between horse and rider erodes.
I have a lot of advice and guidance to help people rebuild their confidence and relationships with their horses and get the joy back for riding. However, there is indeed a sentence I teach them to focus on to help them keep present when they are riding, and it is the sentence I say a lot during coaching it is –
“Look up and ride somewhere”
This is why putting out cones is so helpful to people struggling with anxiety. They can practice focusing on riding from cone to cone. This focusing of their thoughts, the impact that has on aligning their bodies and making them more aware of how they are communicating has a positive impact on both their anxiety and the horses.
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