Overcoming Rider’s Anxiety (Going Deeper than Mindset)

by The Love Guru Blaire

Rider’s anxiety can be crippling.

Maybe you have anxiety around doing a scary jump or you’re afraid of your horse misbehaving. Maybe you’re afraid of cantering or afraid to get back on your horse or do a jump after a big fall.

If allowed to get the best of you, anxiety can have you saying goodbye to riding forever.

The Typical Solutions

The options out there for riding anxiety often don’t truly solve the problem, because they don’t take you deep enough.

You may be told that your anxiety is “all in your head” and that you should “just get over it.” Maybe your trainer will show you that your horse isn’t wild, or affirm that whatever he or she is asking you to do is no big deal and that you’re totally capable. You may be encouraged to do something easier to work your way up, or told to breathe through the exercise as a way of calming your mind.

While these solutions may work for some or give temporary relief, it’s important to realize that rider’s anxiety is much deeper than one may originally think.

The Problem With Typical Solutions

The problem with many of these solutions to combat anxiety is that they require some level of force or pushing yourself to do something your body just doesn’t feel comfortable or doesn’t want to do.

“Just do it.”

“It’s no big deal.”

“It’s all in your mind.”

But think about this—have you ever tried to force your horse to do something that he or she doesn’t want to do? It usually doesn’t go well. What makes you think that using the same tactics to get yourself to do something will be successful either?

But I get it. It’s the only thing that most people know to do, so they continue to do it. Forcing  yourself to do something you don’t want to do or are afraid to do just doesn’t work.

The other issue here is that many of these other solutions to get over rider’s anxiety require you to “turn off” your emotions or simply ignore them.

“Sing while you’re on your horse.”

“Take an essential oil.”

“Be brave.”

While these methods may be more soothing, and may work more of the time, the issue here is that they all bypass how you truly feel.

But it’s important to note that feelings are a part of being human, and are here to teach you something rather than ignored.

Your Rider’s Anxiety is a Gift

Although it feels like the total opposite, your anxiety is a gift. It is here trying to teach you something about yourself and life. Your anxiety is trying to share with you a message that is not to be ignored or pushed aside.

Being in a battle with your body and mind splits yourself into two parts, rather than helps you become fully actualized. What I have found in my 15+ years of helping people heal is that what most tend to think is the problem, in this case, rider’s anxiety, is usually not the true problem. It goes much deeper than that.

For example, I had one client who was afraid to ride her horse. The horse had been hurt in the ring. Two months after his surgery he had recovered, but she was afraid to get back on. She didn’t want to hurt him, and was afraid he might still be in pain.

When I tapped into the situation, psychically and energetically, messages started coming through. Although the presenting complaint was “fear of riding her horse,” the actual problem was that she was afraid of moving forward in her career!

If this was just looked at on the surface level and she was told to ignore her feelings and get back on her horse, she would have never received the healing she needed to be able to move forward in her career.

During our session, I helped her heal her fear and the very next day she started riding her horse again. Not only was she able to enjoy her horse again, through our session together, she also got un-blocked in her career.

Horse Healings Heal The Root of The Issue

I’ve found that most, if not all issues, that go on with a horse and rider have to do with emotional or mental baggage and unhealed childhood wounds. This is nothing to be ashamed of. Having emotions is normal and natural. Everyone has emotional wounds.

Most humans tend to suppress their emotions, and when these emotions keep getting stuffed down they create blocks in all areas of your life. Rather than dealing with your rider’s anxiety with the attitude of “get on with it” and “it’s no big deal” or “it’s all in your head,” I invite you to dig a little deeper.

Where else in your life do you feel anxious, afraid or scared? Where in your life are you afraid of moving forward? Or afraid of the unknown? Or being out of control?

When you explore those questions, you’ll find the answer to heal your problem.