Franklin Levinson's
Horse Help Center
Professional support for you and your horse!
Please help me with my fear of horses
Hi Franklin,
I need your help. I used to ride horses all the time and had no problem of being afraid of them. I took a few years off from riding because I broke my ankle (not horse related). Last September I started working at a horse stable cleaning stalls just because I missed being around horses. Well it is now January and I am still nervous when I am in a stall with a horse. This is not like me at all. We also have a new horse and I am somewhat scared of him. We were told he had a broken hip a few years ago and so he cannot be ridden so he is like our pet. We groom him and walk him around on a lead rope. When I walk him around he likes to lean into me. I am afraid that when I am brushing his back I will get a sore spot and he will rear up or something. Do you have any advice? I think later this week I am going to just spend time with him in the pasture.
Hi Susan,
Your fear can be over come relatively easily I think. The problem is lack of good and solid knowledge about horses. We tend to be fearful of things we don't understand. You may have even ridden quite a bit in your life. But that doen't mean you know anything about horses. Riding horses and the horse itself are different things. One is baout humans doing something (riding the horse) and the other is about the horse. Perhaps you may remember somewhat how to ride them. But that is it. You know nothing of the ways, language or psychology of horses, their basic instincts, the basic desires and needs of equines, their emotional makeup, the empathytic qualities as well as their loyaly abilities, their language and the various ways they communicate and what those communications mean. Knowledge will dispel many fears and what aspects of your fears that knowledge won't dispel, practice in real time will finish off. Thats just how it is.
You can gain the education you need and want cost effectively, easily and conveniently through the purchase of several training dvd's. Many good ones are found in the backs of all horse magazines. I have several that would prove very helpful to you. No matter whose you get, get several and watch them and then put the techniques into practice. It will be a little investment for a wealth of knowledge that you sorely need. There is not quick fix. You need to watch the dvd's and then practice. But it is not rocket science. It all makes perfect and logical sense. I am happy to be available to assist if you get stuck. We can have a phone coaching session or two if you like to get you over any bumps in the road. I have written a lot on developing successful relationships with hroses based on mutual trust and respect. There is a lot amount of material easily available on my website in articles and essays section as well as archived Q & A's. There is a convenient and easy to use search engine feature within the help center. Just type in gaining trust with horses. Or just type in horses and trust. Or the language of horses. Or becoming the leader for a horse. Or, gaining the trust and earning the respeoct of horses. There is lots there. Its free. But please get a dvd or two as it is like learning ballroom dancing. You have to see it to get it.
Let me know your thoughts on all this. You can overcome your fears....I promise you.
Sincerely, Franklin