I'm confident, right?

After a rough winter full of horse fiascoes (including a short stint with the horse that "never bucked, kicked, reared, or spooked"), I found myself in quite a predicament. Just months after spending thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours to build my barn, I was faced with an unexpected (and untimely) fear of riding.   




In my younger years I was fearless. Back then, a broken arm was a symbol of what a bad ass I was; now it's all co-pays and time off work and wardrobe considerations.  




So last month I finally committed myself to going back for riding lessons to rebuild my confidence. Together with Liz Snoblen of Equinox Farm in Highland, I'm taking it one week at a time. And so far, it's going pretty well. Liz puts me on her "confidence builders" and throws a few challenges my way, and I'm slowly getting back to where I was just months before. 


But the horse giveth and the horse taketh away, and confidence is not something that can be bought or bestowed upon. It's a constant work in progress. A couple of weeks into lessons I overestimated my progress and hopped back onto our 3 year old mare. A few minutes into our "ride", she and I both recognized my fear and after a few crow-hops and a bucking spree that left my inner thighs looking like ground beef, I took a small step back.  


For those of you in a similar position, give this a try: Find a drama-free, low key riding stable in your area, "interview" trainers until you find one you trust, and start from scratch. 


When I started out at Equinox, I asked Liz to treat me as an absolute beginner; to make no assumptions about what I may or may not know and to advance me as fast or as slow as my skills and confidence would allow. And so far it's been working out alright.

Check out this video for tips on building confidence: