| There was an urgent knock on the back door. | | | | bones. |
| Could I come and have a look at Darren? He | | | | |
| fell of Duke earlier during the hunt that | | | | Maybe you are now reluctant to handle your |
| morning at a 6 ft fence and landed head | | | | horse at all. |
| first. Darren, not Duke. Darren was all for | | | | |
| jumping the fence, Duke was not. Now Darren | | | | Mental fitness is as important as physical |
| was asking the same question over and over | | | | fitness to all riders, from novice to |
| again, and can't quite remember what had | | | | advanced competitor...even if you prefer to |
| happened. | | | | stick to hacking out once or twice a week. |
| | | | Accidents happen so fast - you will be able |
| Horseback riding is a dangerous sport. | | | | to cope with and overcome injury much faster |
| Accidents happen. Injuries can be physical as | | | | if you are physically as well as mentally fit |
| well as psychological. Often "small" physical | | | | (and that includes injuries that can be |
| injuries are complicated by severe mental | | | | classified as no more than a blow to the |
| injury. I am not referring to Darren's | | | | ego!) |
| concussion here, but to a less visible but as | | | | |
| damaging injury, that can take years to heal. | | | | What does mental training and fitness for |
| | | | riders involve? A mental work-out for riders |
| We have all suffered from it, at one time or | | | | should include augmenting your |
| another. Not always horse-related either. | | | | self-confidence with out ever becoming |
| | | | arrogant, increasing your self-awareness |
| Acute and/or chronic confidence failure. | | | | (mind and body) and your awareness of your |
| | | | horse and surroundings... |
| Maybe it was a nasty fall, like Darren's. Or | | | | |
| maybe you were bitten, kicked or nonchalantly | | | | ...and conquering your fear without taking |
| rubbed off against a telephone pole. Maybe a | | | | any risks. There are many effective |
| horse stood on your foot. Maybe you are a | | | | techniques to achieve the latter: |
| novice rider and the distance to the ground | | | | neuro-linguistic programming, self-hypnosis, |
| is just too much for you to feel comfortable | | | | Equestrian Life Coaching psychotherapy and |
| in any other gait than walk. Maybe you worked | | | | the new kid on the block: equine-assisted |
| really hard, both of you, and on competition | | | | experiential learning. |
| day everything that could possibly go wrong, | | | | |
| did. Or maybe you are both working very hard, | | | | Luckily, Darren's concussion was very mild, |
| but not making any progress. Maybe you just | | | | and under careful observation soon subsided. |
| can't get through to your horse, or maybe | | | | I went to see Duke too late that afternoon. |
| your horse just can't get through to you. | | | | He was happily munching away on his dinner, |
| Maybe you are getting older, and worried | | | | having no recollection of anything untoward |
| about falling and breaking more vulnerable | | | | happening. As for Darren's ego... |