Fear is a Distraction
Happy Sunday B.R.E family!
I hope everyone has had a great Memorial Weekend. It is such an important holiday in this country to commemorate and celebrate our soldiers in every branch of the military who had/have sacrificed so much to fight for our freedom.
So this week I wanted to discuss something that we all equestrians, athletes, individuals and even bystanders have in common…fear. Just today we had a new student who has the love and passion for horses. But what was a challenge for this youngster was being able to trust us as the instructors and even our animals on learning the beginning basics of horseback riding. Taking that first step is always the hardest…but it is worth it in the end. It took us about thirty minutes to help build that confidence up to mount up and ride through the fear. She had the most splendid experience, leaving the stables with an ear to ear smile.
All it took was time and patience.
How I explain this to our parents is that fear is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that fear keeps us grounded and in reality. It keeps us alert of all of the various possibilities that could happen if we decided to make not so wise decisions. Having to much fear is the curse. It is like walking with an anchor strapped to our leg. The amount of time it takes to progress at the smallest steps decreases as you get tired and eventually give up. Fear is what holds us back from reaching our dreams and goals. Any easy solution is to surround yourselves with uplifting people to help build your confidence and strength so that your mind stays focused on your goals. Being a competitive swimmer for eleven years of my life as well as a competitive horseback rider it is hard to continue your mental drive for success in a sport or new hobby when those you surround yourself with tend to overwhelm you with negativity. It is a distraction. If you surround yourself with uplifting and positive aromas are those you most want in and around the show ring. Trust me. It helps.
Another for of fear many riders of all levels struggle with is letting go of all the control. We have had a hand full of riders in the past that would constantly play through all the different scenarios in your head of how you can end up getting hurt. What if the horse takes off? What if I can’t stop? What if he/she trips? What if I scream? What if….Yes yes yes...you will fall off one day. Hate to break the news to everyone but yes it will happen one day. Yes, you can fall off if the horse walks, trots, jumps, leaps, bulldozes various objects on the ground. Yes, sometimes horses can clearly run off making it very difficult to pull them to a stop. Yes, horses are kind of clumsy and they trip…who doesn’t? If you scream run and through your arms around like a mad person…that would even spook me and I am not a horse. It all comes down to this…what are YOU going to do about it. Trusting you instructor is the first part. Here at B.R.E, I have a saying that I eventually taught my Assistant Instructor Sydney and now to all of our students….We are here to teach you how to ride, not how to fall.
To all riders...you will get there one day! Take your time. Put in the work. Get some friends to help you reach those goals. When you do, it is only a matter of time till you get there.
Anouncment
B.R.E is so thankful for everything these men and women have done to allow us to wake up every morning and get to do what we do. For those who have been or currently served in the military, we do offer a military discount! So if you know anyone who has a love for horses and in the military hit them up with our info! We would love to extend our love and gratitude to these brave individuals.
Another reminder, to those currently taking lessons or even thinking about it, we are starting our summer hours very soon. Due to the upcoming heat waves, we wish to protect our riders and horses from heat exhaustion and wish to make everyones riding experience more pleasurable by extending our morning and evening time slots.
For more information regarding these changes to the summer schedule please call (or text) 562-405-2134. Hope everyone has a fun fulfilled Sunday.
HAPPY FIRST DAYS OF SUMMER!
Bailey
