Riding used to be my life.....?

Question

Riding used to be my life, so why am i scared of horses now....nothing has ever happened to me, i've never seen anything scary happen to anybody on a horse... so why am i all of a sudden frightened of them when they don't obey my commands??

Answer 1

Did you stop riding for a long time?

Answer 2

Sounds like it is because you were use to riding one horse & when you lost her, you are unsure of your abilities & afraid of what another horse might do.  I think this can be normal for a person who learned to ride on one horse & has not had the opportunity to ride several different horses to help them build confidence.

It's like driving a small car, like a mini cooper all the time & then all of the sudden you have to drive a different car, maybe like a toyota camry .  You are use to the small car & driving the somewhat larger car makes you nervous because you are not use to it & you think it will be hard to drive or you will have to drive it different, etc.  When really, it is still a car, just a diffgerent car.  You will have to get use to it & yes, the k***s & gauges are different, but it's still a car.

Make any sense?

All you need is confidence.  You need to learn what buttons to push & how to read the gauges, but it is still a car & you can learn to drive it just like you did the other car.

Answer 3

Well as you know , they are very large animals and when you are on top of them and they won't obey you. You feel scared. At least i do when I ride. I was hurt just last week by a horse he wasn't listening and reared up, lost his footing and almost rolled over on the top of me. But i got back on and faced my fears. You just have to show them whose boss or it will never work!!! Good luck!!

Answer 4

I went through a stage like this when I was younger... I was probably about 15. I rode about 4 times a week and one day I got on and I had this funny feeling in my gut, like I shouldn't be riding then I starting thinking about the "what if's" I continued riding and about 2 months later It kinda just went away. I have no clue at all why I felt that way and I was scared to ride (even though I still did ride) The whole time I had been riding my grade QH gelding that did everything I asked but he just had a problem with not wanting to stop if we were competing. I almost got thrown over the fence a couple of times, luckily I knew it was coming and hung on. But he was a dream other then that, everything that I competed in he was the horse I rode and he loved it and he did well at everything we did. I just got scared.

My opinion is you lost your horse that you trusted and you knew what to expect in different situations and now since you are having to ride new horses you don't know what to expect and that scares you. From what I understand it sounds like you aren't scared of the horse you are scared of what they might do. I would suggest riding the calmest most laid back horse that you can get your hands on and just ride that one until you get over your fear... which I think will be when you know what the horse is thinking and he knows what you want. Then if you feel comfortable move up to the horse that you want and get comfortable with him.

Hope everything works out!

Answer 5

Maybe you are older and more mature and take more seriously what can happen if one screws up aboard or on the ground with a horse...they are truly magnificent animals, but they can be very, very destructive as well..maybe you are just realizing and appreciating that for the first time and need to just re access and start from here and go on. Anytime that I have gotten hurt dealing with a horse, it just made me more determined to overcome it...but, there were times, especially when I was pregnant and had to "lay off" for a couple of months that I started contemplating what could happen, then and anytime...because of the baby that I was carrying, I tended to take the whole matter more seriously, (call it a jump in maturity, I don't know) but I guarantee you, it wasn't permanent and doesn't need to be with you either...just appreciate what a horse can and cannot do and keep that in mind...also keep in mind that you were not granted more physical strength, but you are way ahead of a horse in "horse sense", just remember to use it...no need to take chances when were were given (or acquired) such gifts to be able to think ahead of them...you can't out muscle them, but you can out think them...know that you have that ability and do things the smart way when you are dealing with horses.

Answer 6

How old are you ?

Maybe the break was just long enough for you to realize that you are mortal after all. It's sad when that happens and you start to look at things and think "OMG - but I could've died doing that !"

Just another symptom of growing older.....

Answer 7

do you like to be in control?

in charge etc?

the thought of not being totally in control may scare you i don't know

how long did you stop ridig?

edit:did your horse die of natural causes???

was your horse the 'perfect' horse and obeyed commands?

Answer 8

probably because you are afraid that because the horse isn't listening to you something bad COULD happen... i tend to do this... if i have heard that a horse has a "bad reputation" from other riders i get really scared when i get on that horse and then my ride sucks

Answer 9

Well, try riding a very well behaved, push button bomb proof horse. It may be that it suddenly hit you that your in control of a thousand pound animal, and you freaked. By getting back on a very easy horse, you can get your confidence back.

Answer 10

I rode for two years and all I ever did was walk around the ring. I was so nervous around horses. But towards the end of my two years, I started learning to trot because I was getting more comfortable around horses. I had started spending time at the barn I was riding at. I think if you just need to take it slow, and just be around horses, like groom them and stuff before you start riding them. And when you do, maybe you coudl start from the beginning - go from a walk and work your way up.

P.S. Sorry about your horse and good luck.