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