What to do if you’re scared to jump your horse

by Alison | Jan 25, 2021 | Equestrian Coach, Horse Riding, Rider Confidence, Rider Mindset | 0 comments

Understanding how we process sensory information can significantly influence how we experience nerves, anxiety, and fear when riding our horse. We use our ‘internal representational systems’, which refer to the primary ways we perceive and internalise our experiences through our senses, to make provide information about our experiences. Our mind filters and uses this information to make meaning of our subjective experience, as a point of reference for the future.

Our internal representational systems are visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), kinesthetic (feeling), gustatory (tasting), and olfactory (smelling). The processed information from each of these senses will impact how your unconscious mind processes your world and have an impact on how you feel about yourself, your horse and riding.

Visual (Seeing)

If you tend to think in pictures, you might visualise potential problems while riding, like imagining a fall or picturing the horse becoming spooked. These vivid mental images can make you feel more anxious. To manage this, you can refocus your mind on visualising exactly what you actually want to happen, in as much detail as you can. Your mind really doesn’t know the difference between what’s real and what’s imagined, and will respond to precisely what you tell it! So using this to your advantage and use your brilliant imagination to create a visualised scenario where things happen exactly as you want them to, and where you manage any surprises with ease and confidence.

Auditory (Hearing)

If you’re sensitive to sounds, the external noise of the horse’s hooves, your horse’s breathing, or sounds from the environment will all add to how you experience riding your horse. Internal sounds, such as your self-talk are also an important factor, since we often don’t realise quite how we speak to ourselves in our mind! Listening to calming music (where it’s safe to do so, obviously!), and positively managing your self-talk before and during your ride will help boost your confidence.

Kinaesthetic (Feeling)

If you are someone who is highly attuned to your feelings and emotions, you might be acutely aware of every physical sensation in your body and how it makes you feel. You might be aware of a knot in your stomach, tightness in your throat, or a very real feeling of having your legs turn to jelly! These type of physical sensations quickly transmit an alert to your mind, triggering nerves, anxiety and even fear. Practising deep breathing or other relaxation techniques can help you manage these physical sensations and reduce your anxiety.

Gustatory (Tasting)

As riders, the sense of taste is one we don’t often think about, and it’s closely tied to memory, where certain flavours can trigger emotional responses. I know of riders who chew minty gum before they ride (never chew gum while riding, as it is a choking hazard), and that minty sensation on their tongue can anchor feelings of readiness and confidence. Being mindful of what you eat or drink before riding and choosing flavours that you find comforting or refreshing can help trigger a shift in how you feel.

Olfactory (Smelling)

Certain smells can evoke powerful emotional responses. I don’t know about you, but I love the slightly warm, sweaty smell of horses who have just worked (that sounds weird, doesn’t it?!). As a child, I dreamed of the smell horses, of leather tack, and even now the first fly spray of the summer brings a reminiscence of happy hacking days. Find those smells which make you feel good and remind you of happy times, then make use of these whenever you can.

Recognising which of these sensory inputs resonates with you most will provide you with simple tools to improve your riding confidence. By consciously adjusting how you seek out and use these sensory inputs, you can help yourself feel more in control and less anxious while riding.

Preferences

While each of us might have a preference for one or more internal representational systems, such as visual, auditory, or kinesthetic, it’s important to note that we don’t exclusively use just one; our mind gathers and uses information from all of them. Think of it like having a favourite tool in a toolbox; even though you might prefer one tool, you still use the others when the situation requires it.

For instance, even if you primarily process your experience in a primarily visual way by imagining scenarios and pictures in your mind, your mind will still also pay attention to what you hear, the physical sensations you feel, the tastes and smells that surround you. Each sense provides a different piece of the puzzle, contributing to a fuller understanding and experience of your environment.

This means when you’re riding your horse and trying to manage anxiety, even though you might focus on using your preferred sensory channel, such as visualising calm and successful rides, you’ll also benefit from tuning into the sounds that calm you, the feel of the horse beneath you, and even calming scents or flavours. Using a combination of all your senses can help create a richer, more grounded experience that can be more effective in managing your nerves.

Simple Tips

Visual

Focus on shifting your mindset by vividly imagining positive outcomes. Instead of letting your mind linger on potential challenges, picture yourself riding smoothly, handling challenges with ease, and finishing your ride successfully. This practice of visualisation can help build your confidence and reassurance.

Auditory

Integrate calming sounds into your daily routine to help soothe your nerves. This could be as simple as listening to the radio while you tack up, or repeating positive affirmations to yourself such as “I am calm and in control” or “I trust my abilities and my horse.” These auditory cues can help create a mental environment of calmness and positivity.

Kinesthetic

Use physical relaxation techniques to reduce anxiety and physical tension. Before riding, try doing some gentle stretches, deep breathing exercises, or progressive muscle relaxation—where you tense and then relax different muscle groups. This not only relaxes your body but also prepares your mind for a more comfortable and focused ride.

Gustatory

Choose flavours that evoke a sense of calm and enjoyment for you. This might mean having a peppermint or a piece of dark chocolate before you ride or sipping herbal tea like chamomile which is known for its soothing properties. These tastes can trigger positive sensory memories and help calm your nerves.

Olfactory

Introduce a comforting and familiar scent into your riding environment. This could be applying a dab of lavender oil on your wrist or adding a few drops of tea tree oil to your riding gear. The smell of chamomile can also be soothing. These scents can significantly enhance your emotional state by triggering positive associations and reducing stress, creating a more relaxing atmosphere for both you and your horse.

By actively engaging these sensory strategies, you can better manage your emotions and enhance your overall riding experience. Each tip is designed to help you focus, relax, and enjoy your time with your horse, making your rides more pleasant and successful.

In conclusion, understanding how your internal representational systems influence your emotions can help you manage your nerves and anxieyt around riding. By recognising your preferred internal representational systems, you can use different strategies to feel calmer and more in control, so you can become a more confident rider.

Jumping your horse can be exhilarating and loads of fun however many riders are scared to jump their horses. It is more common than you may think and even the most competent of riders can often be nervous about leaving the ground.

Navigating jumps adds a physical element into the mix which does not always sit right with some riders and can cause fear and anxiety at just the thought of it. A scared or nervous rider does not always bring out the best in their horse and can often affect how their horse reacts to certain situations.

Jumping requires an element of commitment from you which can be difficult to achieve when you are feeling uneasy.

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why you may be scared to jump your horse:

A refusal (which could lead to you falling off)
Falling off and injuring yourself badly
Feeling out of control
Knocking the jump and your horse tripping
Your horse jumping too big
Getting the correct striding
Landing and taking off
Feeling unbalanced over the jump

These are some of the most common fears when it comes to jumping, but I am sure you can add your own personal fears to this list too.

So, how do I overcome my fear of jumping?

There are many ways in which you can help improve your confidence when jumping and eliminate the fear you are feeling. Let’s take a look in more detail of ways you can help combat these fears and enjoy jumping your horse.

Balance

The rider’s balance plays a very significant role when jumping. Having good balance helps you feel far more secure in the saddle whilst jumping which in turn can really help with your confidence. One of the best things to do is to start improving your balance, control and confidence on the flat first. After all, a large proportion of jumping is in fact flatwork!

The 5 Stages of Jumping

Having some background knowledge about the 5 stages of the horse’s jump can be very helpful for learning and progressing with your jumping. It can help you fully understand where both horse and rider should be at each stage of the process, which in turn can help you feel more prepared and less anxious. Each stage can be practiced and developed so that both horse & rider become more confident and proficient.

Position

Your riding position whilst jumping is also an important factor to consider. It takes time, patience, a good level of fitness and lots of practice to be able to adopt a strong, secure jumping position position, and to be able to transition between it and your position on the flat between jumps. Practising your jump position on the flat and over poles before you start actually jumping, will help you build the balance, fitness & security you need to jump with confidence.

Fitness and Strength

Fitness levels and strength play quite a bit part in jumping. Having a good level of fitness can allow you to stay strong and balanced in the jump position which can be challenging for riders until they have trained their bodies to do so. Build fitness and strength by maintaining a jumping position on the flat through walk, trot and canter, without sitting down!

Polework

Polework exercises can be a great foundation for jumping. The use of poles can help you build your confidence ready for jumping and can be used at all 3 paces (walk, trot and canter). Build your confidence over poles on the ground (walk, trot and canter). If you are looking for some inspiration on how to include polework in your horse’s training, click HERE!

Raised Poles

Once you have spent some time practising over flat poles and are feeling a bit more confident start to progress to raised polework exercises. Each pole can be raised slightly off the ground on one side and you can work through the line of poles in both trot and canter.

Keep it simple – use cross poles

Keeping it simple, to begin with, is key. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself or your horse from the get-go. Start by jumping fences that are small and simple. This will allow you more headspace to think about your technique rather than worrying about height. Cross-pole jumps are ideal and a great way to help you and your horse stay central and build good technique. Build up your repertoire of jumps and combinations steadily over time, progressing only when you are feeling confident and comfortable at the level.

Jump from working trot

It is OK not to canter into jumps right away despite what you may have been told. Jumping from a good working trot can be just as effective and allows you the time to build the correct technique, and develop your skills. Approaching a jump in trot can be a great confidence booster and less intimidating than a canter approach whilst you are learning.

Schoolmasters

Not all of us own a ‘been there and done it’ type. Your horse may be quite green when it comes to jumping and this will often do nothing for your confidence levels. Having some lessons on a schoolmaster will help boost your confidence. It will allow you the ability to fully concentrate on your own riding without having to worry about any silly behaviour or inexperience from your horse which can be off-putting.

Green and inexperienced horses

If your horse is inexperienced or having difficulty jumping, one of the very first things you must do is rule out any pain related issues that might be causing your horse to feel anxious. Secondly, ask an experienced rider to help school him/her to build the horse’s confidence and correct technique. An inexperienced horse and rider combo can sometimes be like the blind leading the blind.

Lessons

I just want to put this out there, reaching out for help is ok! Many of us try to battle through our riding and confidence issues on our own and that isn’t always the most productive way. Getting some lessons on your horse, with a qualified and experienced Equestrian Coach is a great support network and can really help you progress and overcome your fear of jumping.

Technique over height

Jumping with the right technique is far more important than the size of the jumps you are trying to navigate. Aim to build correct technique rather than becoming obsessed with the height of the jumps. Jumping well has an awful lot to do with the quality, adjustability and balance of your horse’s canter, so make this a priority.

Video analysis

Having someone video you whilst you are jumping can be a great tool (if you can find someone to do so). Video footage will allow you to come away from the situation so that you can look back and compare what it felt like with what actually happened. Often you will find it looks a lot better than it felt which can be a great confidence booster.

Canter Poles

When the time comes and you want to start progressing and cantering into your jumps, it can be a great idea to start from the ground up again. Use canter pole exercises to build your confidence in jumping from the canter. As you become more confident you can start to progress to raised poles.

Be one step ahead

You must be one step ahead when jumping which is particularly true if you are trying to navigate a showjumping course. Remember, the landing after one fence is the start of the approach to the next. ALWAYS be looking for your next jump!

Shorten your stirrups

Security in your lower leg is essential when jumping and for this reason, you must shorten your stirrups. It is correct to shorten your stirrups at least couple of holes before jumping which will provide you with more lower leg stability and allow you to get into the correct jumping position.

Mindset and Confidence Coaching

If you are struggling with your confidence either with jumping or general riding then why not book some sessions with a Rider Mindset and Confidence Coach? They will be able to help you manage your fears and create an empowered, positive mindset when riding.

Lastly, and certainly not least……

Remember, jumping is supposed to be fun for both you and your horse! If it’s not, go back to basics and take smaller steps towards your goal.

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