Overcoming Fear
This is the fourth and final article in Linda Parelli’s series on overcoming fear. For Parts 1 through 3, please refer to the three previous issues of this magazine. This article continues the series of positive, effective strategies Linda has identified for overcoming fear, both in your arena training and out on the trail.
Setting things up for success
Great horsemen think ahead, have a plan, and are ready to adjust that plan. Accidents tend to happen when you’re unprepared, careless, or haven’t thought about how to make sure everything goes smoothly. Things like not rushing, putting your horse and the trust/relationship first, taking care of the horse’s thresholds, and having a backup plan (“If this doesn’t work, I’ll do that”) are good examples. It’s all about preparation: “Prior and proper preparation,” to quote Pat! I once heard Ray Hunt say, “Confidence is being prepared for the unthinkable.”
Work on your skills
You cannot have too much savvy (which Pat Parelli defines as “knowing where to be, why to be, what to do when you get there, and when to stop doing what you’re doing.”). This doesn’t mean you need to have a high level of horsemanship, but you need enough for the things you want to be able to do safely and confidently with your horse. Savvy is something that you apply to every single situation, from going through a gate to turning your horse – from catching to releasing, from
grooming to saddling, On Line or at Liberty, or riding with or without contact.
The better you get in all these areas, the more overall savvy you have. In addition, study horse psychology and the concept of Horsenality, and get very, very good at reading horse behavior, because the sooner you can detect a problem and know what to do about it, the safer you are. The moment something doesn’t feel right, get off and get off now, because sometimes you don’t get a second chance.
"You have to take care of your confidence, because it’s easy to lose. " Linda Parelli
By Linda Parelli
Photo by Scott Teigen