bombproofing a rider?

[No_Angel]

anyone got any ideas on how you can make a rider bombproof?:p

(is a serious question by the way:D )

[LMS]

By this you mean stop being nervous?Or getting upset/anxious?

[laura jeanne]

What do you mean? That the rider stays calm when the horse spooks or gets upset?

[Danyele]

put them on a bombproof horse, and make sure they are completey prepared to go out before they do! I had to complete a proficency test before i could hack at my first riding school, which included standing near a bird scarer when you didn't know when it was going to go off! (the bird scarer wasn't cumpolsory, just a bit of fun ;))

[No_Angel]

weve got a pretty bombproof horse, but she manages to upset him and make him spooky, then she gets worse, and he gets worse and its a horrible circle.

i mean how do you desensitize a rider to situations that might scare them, like you would with a horse.

[LMS]

I've had a rider that was always fretting about what the horse is thinking, why it behaved the way it did. Was she hurting it, would it hurt her.

Her mind was always worrying and not on the lesson or to just plain being with the horse.

I currently have two riders that are like that as well but not as bad.

We handled her situation with a brief explanation (emphasis on brief) that was straight to the point & matter of factly, then move on.

When she would finally accomplish something, we would again give a brief "Well done" and brief recap what she did well.

Ex:"When your horse didn't want to go back to the wall & wanted to go over there, I like how you sat tall & looked at where you wanted to go. Your rein aids were correct but next time try applying this leg to reinforce the rein and push him towards the wall. Well done, let's give it one more try."

If she's just getting upset & getting the horse upset, stop everything, pull in the centre and talk about it. What is she trying to accomplish, how is she doing it, how does she feel about the situation and how all this is affecting the horse.
Then ask her how she thinks she can rectify it, then resay it in your words so she'll understand.

Does she even know what it looks like? Meaning, sometimes showing the rider what's being done & how it's supposed to be done & look can be a great help.

I do this sometimes. If we're not getting anywhere & the horse & rider is really becoming frustrated or anxious, I'll ask the rider to get off & let me have a go. This gives the horse a chance to recollect itself & calm down.

Then, I will talk every step that is being done while mimicking what the rider did. Then I will talk through every step while demonstrating what it should be like. I will also say how all this is affecting the horse and how it can affect the rider.

Cajoling her may reinforce how she feels & acts but treating it matter of factly will show her that it's no biggy and give her a goal to work on.

[HorseManiac]

if the horse if naughty teach them how to deal with it and make them laugh at the horse:eek: (seriously it works):) . Keep going on different types of horses and learn how to ride anything until you think you can take on any kind of horse!!:p :D

[dotsanddashes]

weve got a pretty bombproof horse, but she manages to upset him and make him spooky, then she gets worse.......


Get her to take a look at a thread from last year - it was a really helpful discussion on nerves and riders...scroll up for entire post, the only way I could find it was to search for my bit........which was a very small part of an excellent thread.



http://www.newrider.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=568564#post568564

[kedwards]

All successful strategies for dealing with anxiety and fears involve some sort of exposure. So yes, you desensitize in much the same way you desensitize a horse.

What isn't generally useful is intellectualizing and talking about it. You may help someone make a decision to go ahead and try something by doing helping them talk it out, but talking won't make the fear go away. Only successful exposure will do that.

Some tips when helping a human (or any animal for that matter) desensitize:
- Set the situation up for success. Take appropriate precautions, start with horses that will be confidence-givers, etc.
- Use approach/retreat strategies. Help them push just enough to have a hair of anxiety, but back off if the anxiety starts to go beyond a mild challenge
- Working with competing responses such as humor and relaxation. The latter can come in the form of strategies the rider has learned to induce relaxation (this is where imagery, soothing scents, focusing exercises, etc come in), soothing words of encouragement, or simply in the form of distractions.
- Continue progressively introducing challenges, just very small steps at a time.

[Tots N Dots]

I had a bad accident quite a while ago and really lost my nerve, I bought a horse who was amazing at her home, but when moved to mine there were several issues, things went from bad to worse and it got to the stage that I wouldn't ride her, I spent alot of time telling myself I was very silly to feel like I did and fighting my nerves, (lot longer story than it seems but cutting alot of the detail to keep post short :) ) On Boxing Day I tacked up a horse that hadn't been riden for a year, no lungeing, nothing, I had only had him 2 weeks, I didn't know anyone that had ridden him (but I knew he had been ridden), what he was like in traffic, if he had brakes, anything. I led him to the gate, he kep looking at me as if to say, well get on then, I thought what is the worse that can happen, buck like mad as I get on? I mounted and we walked round the village, he was a sweetie :D (my OH took photos as no one would have believed it of me), it was a great boost to my confidence, if a silly thing to do, but I realised as I did actually have rather a lot to be nervous about I didn't fight it, accepting my nerves rather than fighting them has been a big step for me, I am by no means bombproof and do spook at large vehicles coming towards me while i'm with a horse, but the difference in me is amazing, as is the difference in my confidence, hope this makes sense it is a bit late :D

[entreat]

Laughing always chilled me out. And singing. It keeps you breathing (i know it odd - forgetting to breath, but that is what tenses you & then the horse feels the tension).

Also get her to think about each part of her body individually & consciously relax it. Start at the toes & work up, then go back down again. In an arena, hold the horse for her & get her to really focus on a body part & what it's doing. If she's anywhere near as nervous as me, she'll feel tension in her toes, arches, calves, thighs, stomach, between the shoulder blades & in the shoulders & neck, and maybe even her face, and her arms, and particularly her hands (they probably have a death-grip on the reins). As she focuses on relaxing each part, breathe deeply. She may have to practise it alot - it took me a year.

Now I'm more stubborn about my nerves! I rode a friend's green as grass TB mare (something I would never have done last year), and even got her to canter (she can't really canter yet - no coord. or balance)! I couldn't believe it!