| I often hear from horseback riders that they have | | | | 1. Here's one I use that I learned from Susan Jeffers |
| irrational fears about being out of control or getting hurt | | | | who wrote Feel the Fear... And Do it Anyways. |
| when riding. The fear seems irrational because they've | | | | Since fear is future thinking, our self talk often takes |
| never actually had an accident or injury. So they | | | | the form of "What if" questions. What if my horse |
| wonder where the fear comes from. | | | | bolts? What if I get tense when I ride? What if I fall |
| For what it's worth, I used to have "irrational fears" | | | | off? |
| about flying. It was so bad that I would only do clinics | | | | Preface your "What if" questions with the word "So". |
| within driving distance. It turns out that the fear of flying | | | | Then answer yourself with "I can handle it". |
| was just a convenient "hook" to hang stuff on. It | | | | Here are some examples. |
| allowed me to express fear, anger, or even grief. | | | | So what if my horse bolts? I can handle it. |
| Apparently, my mind thought that fear of flying was an | | | | So what if I'm tense? I can handle it. |
| acceptable way to express those emotions. After all, | | | | So what if I fall off? I can handle it. |
| no one was going to tell me I was crazy to be afraid | | | | Because the truth is that you can and will handle it. |
| to fly. After all, how weird is it to go hurtling through the | | | | You have no other choice. |
| air in a huge cylinder? What holds that thing up | | | | 2. Try scheduling "worry time". Sometimes it's better to |
| anyhow? | | | | acknowledge and give permission to your fears than |
| By the same token, no one is going to say you're | | | | fight them. |
| crazy to be afraid of being out of control on a horse. | | | | Tell your fears they have 15 minutes a day to make |
| After all, horses significantly outweigh you. Plus they're | | | | themselves uppermost in your mind. Then worry your |
| reactive creatures of flight. They don't operate | | | | head off. At the end of 15 minutes, stop. |
| "logically". | | | | After time is up, if the fears return, acknowledge them |
| So hanging other fears, anger, or grief on something | | | | but tell them they have to wait until your designated 15 |
| like flying in an airplane, heights, or bolting horses is | | | | minute "worry time" period tomorrow. |
| something we can justify to ourselves. No one would | | | | So you don't have to be victimized by seemingly |
| ever say we were "crazy" to be afraid of those | | | | irrational fears when horseback riding. Arm yourself |
| things. | | | | with tools and strategies to help you manage your |
| So here are two quick tips to help you cope with | | | | fear. |
| irrational fear while horseback riding. | | | | |