| If you are a horseback riding student, your trainer will | | | | precedence over your pride. |
| adjust your lessons specifically to you, and as part of | | | | Two Alternative Answers: |
| your horseback riding instructions, you will need to be | | | | We would like to share two possible solutions with you, |
| prepared to attempt things that are new to you. If this | | | | in the event that the trainer's efforts to put you at |
| did not occur, your riding skills would not advance. | | | | ease, are unsuccessful. |
| As your lessons progress, you may find yourself in a | | | | 1. Try riding a different horse |
| situation where you feel uneasy about something that | | | | Let's continue to use the example of trotting. If you are |
| your trainer has asked you to do. This situation is | | | | concerned about your horse acting up when you |
| exaggerated further when other riders in your group | | | | attempt to have him trot, you may ask if you can |
| are able to easily perform the maneuver that is | | | | switch horses for a short time, with another rider who |
| causing you so much anxiety. | | | | is having success trotting with their horse. |
| What should you do when this occurs? | | | | This will give you the opportunity to observe your |
| Take an introspective look at your situation. | | | | horse working calmly with another rider, and you will |
| You need to confront the true reason that this | | | | feel more confident about asking a horse that you |
| maneuver makes you nervous. | | | | have already seen trotting calmly, to perform this task |
| We can take a look at your first trot to examine this | | | | for you. You will be much more confident getting back |
| situation. During this task, does the unpredictability of | | | | on your original horse, after you have seen him |
| what your horse will do make you anxious, or are you | | | | behaving well for someone else. |
| more concerned about how others may look at your | | | | 2. Perform requested tasks on the lunge |
| inferior riding skills? | | | | It will be much less unnerving to attempt a new gait, if |
| If the latter is your main worry, this would be the ideal | | | | you are working on the lunge. This means that there is |
| time to gain the ability to laugh at yourself. Learning to | | | | a long line attached to your horse, and the trainer holds |
| ride is a process that will afford many opportunities to | | | | the other end while standing in the center of a twenty |
| laugh at yourself, so there is no need to take it so | | | | meter circle. |
| seriously. Other individuals in your group will tend not to | | | | This allows you to focus your attention on mastering |
| laugh if you are able to laugh at yourself. | | | | your balance while sitting on the saddle, because your |
| The circumstances are completely different if a | | | | trainer is managing the steering for you. In the case of |
| sincere fear of becoming injured, is what's bothering | | | | learning to trot, you will be going from walking quietly to |
| you. | | | | a gait that is extremely bouncy, therefore, being able to |
| Talk Openly With Your Trainer About Your Feelings | | | | focus just on balancing yourself is quite helpful. |
| Explain exactly how you are feeling to your instructor. | | | | Whenever you are learning new maneuvers on |
| By sharing your anxieties with your instructor, they will | | | | horseback, it is common to feel uneasy at times. The |
| be able to offer support in helping you get passed | | | | best thing that you can do, is talk to your instructor |
| them. Many riding students experience fears when | | | | honestly about your concerns, so that they can help |
| learning to ride, and your safety should take | | | | you deal with them. |