Dressage un Ltd.

Join /Renew
Dressage un Ltd

Conquer Your Fear
Dressage un Ltd TV June 2007

Debbie McDonald, America's favorite with Brentina, had a successful jumping career before switching to dressage after a serious jumping injury.  Brentina is tall and Debbie a vertically challenged rider.  Viewers always comment on the harmony between Brentina and Debbie, and this view is shared by judges who usually give the highest marks for the collective mark, harmony between horse and rider.   

Isabell Werth with Satchmo won team gold as well as individual gold and silver at WEG and is just one of three top international grand prix horses Isabell is showing.  Isabell won multiple team and individual gold medals with Gigolo and is one of the few riders to return to the top with a second medal winning horse.  Isabell is known and respected for her determination and concentration.  Several years ago, Isabell also was seriously injured, breaking a leg, in a fall when her horse spooked on a trail ride. 

Even top international riders have to conquer their fear after injury. 
Start with a safe horse The demographics of dressage and the viewers of this program according to our viewer survey in March are 95% female, median age 42, professionals including accountants, attorneys, doctors, CEOs. We love horses and want to ride, but we also have responsibilities to ourselves, our families and our careers. We don't want to get hurt. 

Dressage, the elegant picture of riding a passage, seems perfect and safe, certainly not as dangerous as jumping and speed horse sports. Injuries in dressage often occur when the rider is over horsed. Not all of us can ride a Brentina, even with her wonderful temperament.
Go back to your comfort zone Go back to your comfort zone with horses, even if its going back to just grooming and ground work.  A safe horse, lunge lessons, and group lessons can instill confidence.  
One step at a time A clinic lesson I still remember was a woman who had broken her leg in a fall from a young horse. She now had an older, trained horse, but the memory of the fall was holding her back from cantering. The clinician patiently began with one step of walk, then halt; progressing to several steps of walk, halt and then to more steps of walk, halt until the rider was absolutely positive she could halt her horse at walk.

Repeat at trot.
The stride counting game The stride counting game is useful here too. Start with 1 step of walk, then halt; 2 steps of walk, then halt; 3 steps of walk, then halt.

At the end of the lesson, the rider was confidently cantering 20 meter circles, secure that she could halt her horse at any moment in any gait.
Use fun music to relax horse and rider At a musical freestyle clinic, when the rider commented that they mostly walk and trot but don't canter much, the clinician used fun music that perfectly matched the horse's canter to relax both horse and rider who were soon cantering with joy.
Sing out loud For riders who forget to breathe while riding, singing out loud can help, even if you sing softly to yourself.  Your horse doesn't care how well you sing. 
Carrie Ann in Colorado Thank you so much for your “Conquering Your Fear” episode.

I am a 32-year-old western rider who has never had a link to the Dressage world other than a love to watch and your television show.

I love how beautiful and harmonious horse and rider appear in Dressage. Your Conquer Your Fear episode really gave me some ideas and I especially liked the one about breathing, since I tend to forget to do that sometimes. It’s a wonder I don’t go hypoxic and fall off!:)

I have been riding with an mp3 player for two rides now and it really does make a difference. It also makes me “forget” what I’m doing, and relax and enjoy myself.

Tomorrow I plan to try that “one stride at the walk, halt. Two strides at the walk, halt” exercise very soon. I never thought I was a “control freak,” but my apprehensions in riding are showing otherwise. I know perfectly well that I can trust my mare, Richer (ree-SHAY)—after all, I have done all her training since she was 16 months old!—but sometimes I just obsess too much on losing control and getting hurt.
Share your solutions to conquer your fear