Turn Riding Fear Around

When did loving horses turn into being afraid to ride them?   And when did “I feel anxious about riding” become “I'm an anxious rider”?   WHO decided THAT was your identity???   Riding anxiety has a sneaky way of becoming part of how we see ourselves. One difficult experience, one fall, or one too many WHAT IFS, and suddenly the joy of horseback riding gets buried under fear.   But here's a though...

Your horse spooks ONCE.   And suddenly your brain has planned the next 26 disasters!   WHO put FEAR in charge???   Here's the thing... fear isn't necessarily the enemy. But when every What If starts making decisions FOR you, riding can become a whole lot less fun.   So how do you stop letting fear control your horseback riding without ignoring the things that could actually go wrong?   In this epi...

What if the biggest thing holding you back from the rider you WANT to be isn't your horse?   What if it's something you've been telling yourself for YEARS? “I can't do that.” “I'm not brave enough.” “Those riding days are behind me.”   But what if you're WRONG?   In today's Turn Riding Fear Around Podcast, I'm sharing how one horse changed what I believed was possible in the saddle.   We're talkin...

Who decided there was an expiration date on horseback riding?   Was it someone who told you that you're getting too old? Your body reminding you that things aren't quite as easy as they used to be? Or that little voice in your head that's gotten REALLY good at saying, "I can't do that anymore"?   And here's the BIG question... Is it actually TRUE?   As we get older, our riding confidence can chang...

When did "I'm just getting older" become the answer to EVERYTHING?   Your horse gets a little stiff, and you start making adjustments. YOU get a little stiff, and suddenly it's just another birthday catching up with you!   What's wrong with this picture?   We put so much thought into keeping our horses healthy and comfortable as they age. We adjust their nutrition, exercise, conditioning, and reco...

Ever get on your horse feeling perfectly fine... and suddenly your brain has written 47 different disaster scenarios before you've even left the mounting block?   And now your shoulders are somewhere around your ears, you're holding your breath, and your horse is wondering what on EARTH is going on!   Sound familiar?   Horseback riding anxiety isn't always just a mental problem. Your emotions, tho...

Your horse takes ONE funny step, and you're researching supplements, calling the vet, and scheduling bodywork.   Meanwhile…   YOU'RE held together with Baling Twine and Duct Tape!   Sound familiar?   As horsewomen, we're REALLY good at noticing when something isn't quite right with our horses. Stiffness, soreness, low energy, changes in balance... we notice EVERYTHING.   But when it's our own bodi...

Snap. Crackle. Pop. GROAN.   Does getting on your horse sound more like breakfast cereal than horseback riding?   And when did getting older become our excuse for EVERYTHING?   Stiffness. Low energy. Losing our balance. Struggling to do things that used to be EASY. What if getting older doesn't mean you have to keep feeling older?   In today's episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking abou...

Ever lose your keys and discover they were right where you left them?   What if your riding confidence is the same way?   You haven't necessarily LOST it. Fear, anxiety, What Ifs, and life may have just buried it under a whole bunch of STUFF!   If you're afraid to ride your horse, struggling with horseback riding anxiety, or wondering how to regain the confidence you once had, this episode of Turn...

Confidence feels different when your body trusts its balance.   Your horse moves forward. Sideways. Sometimes unexpectedly. And your body needs to feel capable of moving WITH them.   In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about the connection between rider balance and riding confidence—and why improving your balance off your horse can help you feel steadier and more confident in...

Riding may seem harder after 50, but really…   it's different. And different? We can work with.   In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about horseback riding after 50 and what happens as our bodies, energy, balance, strength, and flexibility begin to change.   Maybe mounting doesn't feel quite as easy. Your balance feels different. You get tired faster. Your body doesn't move...

What if NOT riding today means you're even MORE afraid tomorrow?   That thought can create a whole lot of pressure.   I HAVE to ride. I'm going to make my fear worse if I don't.   But is that actually true?   In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about riding avoidance, riding anxiety, and the fear that skipping a ride will somehow undo your progress or make you even more scare...

You can build riding confidence before you ever get on your horse.   But eventually... you've gotta get on if you want to ride.   In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about how to start rebuilding your riding confidence BEFORE you get in the saddle—and why eventually riding becomes an important part of creating new confident experiences with your horse.   If you're scared to r...

Your horse has NO IDEA you were supposed to ride today.   But YOU do.   If you feel guilty when you don't ride your horse, you're probably carrying around a whole list of expectations.   I should ride more. My horse needs to be worked. I'm wasting another beautiful day.   In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about the guilt and pressure riders can put on themselves when they d...

The pressure to push through riding fear might be exactly what's keeping you stuck.   Just get on. Push through it. Don't let fear win.   Riders hear this advice all the time. But what happens when you never actually deal with WHY you're afraid to ride?   In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're looking at the difference between pushing through riding fear and actually working through it....

What if riding could be FUN again?   Not something you SHOULD do. Something you WANT to do.   In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about what can happen when riding fear, riding anxiety, or a loss of confidence takes the fun out of horseback riding—and how to start finding your way back to enjoying time in the saddle.   Remember when riding was FUN? You weren't analyzing every...

What if “I don't want to ride anymore” isn't actually the whole story?   What if what you really mean is... “I don't want to feel like THIS when I ride anymore.”   In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about what happens when riding fear, riding anxiety, or a loss of confidence leaves you wondering whether you even want to ride your horse anymore.   You love your horse. You WAN...

What if you don't actually miss being fearless?   What if you miss being EXCITED to ride?   Remember when you couldn't WAIT to get to the barn? You weren't wondering whether you'd feel confident enough that day. You weren't analyzing every possible What If.   You just wanted to RIDE.   In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're looking at something that can get lost when you're dealing with...

You used to be the rider who just got on and RODE.   No committee meeting. No 47 possible What If scenarios. Just LET'S GO!!!   So what happened?   In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about why experienced riders can suddenly become scared to ride—even when they used to feel completely fearless on a horse.   There's a whole lot of life wisdom between Fearless Kid You and the...

You know what's exhausting?   Holding yourself together.   In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about why riding anxiety can leave you feeling physically exhausted in the saddle. Tension, holding your breath, tightening your muscles, bracing, and trying to control everything all use energy—sometimes more than we realize.   If you tire quickly while horseback riding, feel exhau...

What if the goal isn't to stop the What Ifs?   In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're looking at those "What if?" thoughts a little differently.   Your brain is asking them for a reason. It wants to keep you safe. Instead of leaving the question unanswered, you can give your brain something much more useful—a plan.   If riding anxiety has your brain jumping from one What if? to the next...

Every good horseman knows you don't judge a horse until you've warmed them up.   Maybe our own bodies deserve the same courtesy.   In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about stiffness and what happens when we give our bodies a chance to warm up before deciding what's really going on. Just like with our horses, movement gives us information.   Once your body becomes as fluid as...

Shaking can be one of the most unsettling physical symptoms of riding anxiety.   But there's a reason your body does it.   In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, we're talking about adrenaline—what happens in your body when it shows up and why something as simple as your horse swishing at a fly, shaking its head, or stepping into the canter can suddenly send your body into high alert.   Under...

Mounting your horse shouldn't be the hardest part of your ride.   In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I share a different way to think about pain when you mount. Instead of assuming it's "just getting older," what if your body is giving you useful information? Just like we pay attention when our horses tell us something, our own bodies deserve the same curiosity.   If mounting has become u...

Maybe there is a better question than, "Will I ever get my confidence back?"   In this episode of Turn Riding Fear Around, I explore a different way of thinking about riding confidence. What if your confidence was never really gone? What if it's simply been covered by layer after layer of your brain doing its job—keeping you safe? Instead of waiting for confidence to return, you can begin uncoveri...