...every single horseback riding accident causes psychological injury. Even a relatively "small" incident can dent our confidence around horses. Often these accidents can be avoided with careful preparation and concentration on safety procedures.

If you were the unfortunate victim of a horseback riding accident, you can rebuild your confidence by reprogramming your mind:

Top ten tips on how to build confidence by training your mind:

1. Be flexible

2. Stay positive

3. Be patient

4. Get yourself organised

5. Resuscitate your sense of humour

6. Prepare with mental rehearsal

7. Be aware of and control your breathing

8. Be curious and eager to learn- especially how to avoid equestrian accidents in future

9. Accept yourself as you are, fear and all

10. Aim for balance in your riding, as well as in your life in general

Get of the merry-go-round and make time to get to know yourself. You’re worth it. It will save you a lot of heart ache and frustration and a lot of misunderstandings with your horse. So for his sake too- find out who you really are.

When you know who you are, you know what you have that you can be confident about, and proud of. A positive state of mind will help you to adequately manage and overcome any life storms you experience. Knowing what you are not good at, and accepting it, will ensure that you do not set goals that are doomed to fail, and so get discouraged

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Could your horse help to prevent equestrian accidents?

 

1. Make sure you know and understand your horse's character

2. Take time to discern your horse’s mood today

3. Read up on horse behaviour in general

4. Train your horse (with natural horsemanship for example)

5. Get training for yourself- develop a secure, balanced seat

6. Make sure your horse is healthy- and don't forget about his teeth

7. Spend quality AND quantity time with your horse

8. Make sure your horse has company and gets out every day

9. Sort out your finances, make sure you can afford everything you and your horse needs

10. Be attentive to your horse while riding, grooming, leading
Setting realistic goals, working toward them and finally achieving them are superb learning experiences...

...and absolutely wonderful confidence enhancers.

We feel good about ourselves and our horses when we meet our goals, in full and on time. Our horses pick up on our sense of well-being, and respond by offering cooperation and trust.

Which in turn makes it easier for us to reach our goals the next time round, and so the effect soon snow-balls, to the delight of both ourselves and our horses.

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​Don't Forget:

- wear your helmet

- check your gear and tack before you ride

- if your horse kicks remember to put a red ribbon in your horses tail

- if your riding alone make sure you tell someone that your going out and an estimate of how long you will be gone

- bring a walky talky with you or a cell phone along. Keep it on vibrate so it doesn't spook your horse or any other horses

- if your horse isn't ready to ride on the trail (if your horse is bad or nervous) don't ride on the trail. practice riding like your on the trail so your horse gets used to riding on the trail. Then when you start to ride on the trail, only ride a small part of the trail and keep incresasing as your horse gets used to it. But if your horse is to scared then take it slow and keep working with your horse.

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