How To Get Back To Horse Riding Confidently After Time Off

You've had some time off from horse riding and you've been looking forward to getting back in the saddle. But, now as the time to actually do it draws closer... you're excitement has been replaced with anxiety! What can you do?

I’m sharing some of the tips I give my one-to-one Confidence Coaching clients to help them get back in the saddle with confidence and enjoy every ride.

Prefer to watch the video? 👇

And I've used them myself. So I know they absolutely work.

When I asked my Facebook group (The Confident Horsemanship Community) to tell me what they wanted to do but won't doing yet there was a common theme in their answers... 

feeling anxious about getting back in the saddle after having some time off. 

They wanted to get out on the trails or go to horse shows, but their MInd Gremlin was already putting the "what-if" thinking into their minds.

People can have time off from riding for different reasons.

• Winter weather, footing and temperatures are often not conducive to riding.
• Spring or fall can bring rain and mud. 
• Recovery time from an injury or health problem
• School, career or family obligations
  

Whatever the reason, whilst you had the time off, you've been looking forward to the time when you could get back in the saddle.

But the closer the day comes that you’ll be able to ride, the more anxious you start to feel.

Excitement has been replaced by anxiety!

How To Get Back In The Saddle With Confidence

Tip 1: Make sure that your horse is ready to go back to work.

Spend time doing groundwork exercises.

Take your horse out for short walks just with a halter and lead rope. 

Hand graze him.

Gradually expand the time and distance you take him away from his buddies so that he doesn’t get stressed.

Because if he hasn't been out for a while then he's going to be feeling similarly to how you're feeling. 

His comfort zone and confidence may have become smaller during the time off.

And this time you spend with your horse from the ground is a great way to re-establish your connection with your horse. And, to get you both fit.

Tip 2: Check your horse's saddle fit and condition

Your horse's muscles will have changed if he has not been worked for a while.

And don’t assume that just because the saddle fit him a few months ago that it will still fit correctly now.

It's best to have your saddle checked by a qualified, independent saddle fitter to be sure it still fits your horse and you well. 

If it's difficult to find a saddle fitter where you live, there are lots of good resources available online to help you to check the saddle fits correctly. Check out this 9 point saddle fit video by Schleese Saddlery. 

It's really worth the investment to prevent your horse becoming sore and then developing behavioral issues that none of us want to be dealing with.

Tip 3: Check your horse’s overall physical wellness.

A qualified equine bodyworker like a massage therapist or chiropractor can ensure that your horse is not dealing with muscle or joint issues. 

And a dental check (which should be done every 6 - 12 months) can prevent issues with the bit.

Taking these first 3 steps ensure that your horse is physically ready for the work he’ll be doing is also a great way to assess how your horse is feeling before you start riding again. 

You can also identify if there are any training issues that you need to address. 

Now that you’ve looked after your horse’s wellbeing, you can focus on what you need to do to prepare for getting back in the saddle.

If you know you’ve got the technical skills to do what you’re wanting to do then the next thing to focus on is your mindset. 

Tip 4: Simple and Short Riding Sessions

It will take time for you (and your horse) to build your fitness and balance. So, be sure to keep your sessions short and review the fundamentals. Start with 15 minutes at the walk.

How quickly you increase the length of the sessions depends on how often you're riding. You can't go too slowly, but you can go to fast!

A good seat is the foundation in all riding disciplines and is critical to your confidence as an adult horse rider.

Walk is the foundation of all other gaits. It's often overlooked as riders (and some coaches) are in a hurry to get to the "fun" stuff of trotting, cantering, jumping or games. 

Tip 4: Let go of expectations

You (and your horse) are not going to be as good as you were when you last ride. Especially if you've been away from horse riding for several years. 

Unless you kept active with exercise or other physical activity during the time you've been away from riding, you're muscle strength, suppleness, balance and cardio fitness may all have decreased over your time off. 

Set simple goals based on where you are now rather than on what  you used to do. That will help you to avoid getting frustrated and beating yourself up - neither of which helps your confidence.

Tip 5: Use visualisation to improve your mindset.

One of the most powerful ways to change how you feel about any situation is visualization or mental imagery.

Visualisation is most effective when it’s done when you’re feeling calm, safe and relaxed. 

• Set aside time when you can relax, undisturbed for a few minutes. 
• Recall a time when you had a happy experience riding. Maybe the best ride you ever had. One where you felt really connected with your horse. You were really in the moment. In the flow and really enjoying yourself.
• Once you have that memory in your mind, magnify the images so that they are bold and bright. And if you aren’t able to see a picture in your mind, don’t worry. Just get a sense of what that time was like. 
• Feel it in your body. Bring up those strong positive emotions. 
• Then replay that mental  image over and over and over.

If you’ve had a bad experience, replace your mental image of it with this new, positive image.

Notice how good you feel when you think about that happy memory. 

Emotions and thoughts are connected. So when you change your emotions your change your thinking. 

If you’re feeling anxious, you'll experience negative what-if thoughts.

But, you can change your emotional state by recalling a good memory. Right now, close your eyes and recall the best ride you ever had. Or choose a good memory from another area of your life. 

Get a good sense of that time... see what you saw, hear what you heard, feel what you felt.

And really bring up those positive emotions of excitement, joy, confidence, and connection, etc. Notice how you now have more positive thoughts about positive outcomes.

That’s the power of visualization. And the power of choosing empowering emotions and thoughts. 

You can change your emotions, by changing the pictures in your mind. 

When you practice doing this often, you'll develop a more resilient mindset.

If anxiety is really holding you back from enjoying riding, it’s might be time to get help from a specialist in mindset.

They can teach you strategies to manage stress, nerves or pressure you’re feeling about riding. Hypnosis is also an effective technique for eliminating fears.