# scared to ride in indoor



## stacysills02 (Sep 29, 2011)

ok so here it is. my horse is spooky. he spooks at the most stupid stuff. things he should spook at like a bag or something no hes fine but a litlle bird flys by oh ****!!! dec 2012 i fell off (frist time falling off) hit my head HAD a helmet thank god but i got whip blash really bad and a nice size bruse on my hip. ive owned my horse for 5 years and thats was the frist time ive ever fell off. scared me. well it took me a while to heal before i was able to ride agin. in fact i was afraid to ride him in the indoor becuz thats where it happened. when spring and summer came i was fine rode outside went to shows. we did awesome . but as soon as it got cold agin i got scared agin in fact i tryed riding inside and my hand shook so bad i scared myself. i know thats not good. im like whats wrong with me. can anyone help me get over this> i even put him up for sale becuz of it. its not like he spooks all the time mostly inside. ive put him on a vitmin b supplment to help calm him down a little even changed his food witch seam to be working. but then agin i havent rode i feel stupid i get him out get him saddle. longe him then chicken out to ride. but i have no issues riding outside. well and at the show i rode him in the indoor there but its huge the indoor at the barns little small about the size of around pen. but if anyone could help me that be great i love this horse so much. i dont want to sell him. hes my baby.


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

Sounds to me like he spooked on you once, you got scared, and haven't been able to relax since. Now your tenseness and anxiety continues to translate through to your horse, and you're now stuck in a vicious circle - Your horse has a few sensitization issues, and you being on him tensed up like crazy just makes them worse. Textbook vicious circle.

If he's overly sensitive to some things you should work on desensitizing groundwork. You have no need to be anxious (to the contrary you must show him you're NOT) since you're not going to actually ride him, but he needs to get over some of his fears. There is PLENTY of good reading here on desensitization.

As for yourself, perhaps do some riding on a DBH (have a friend with another horse, or any access to one elsewhere?) to get your confidence level back up. It's important that once you get back on your boy that he feels he has a confident rider on him again, one that isn't as scared as he is - he's looking to YOU to show him that those big horse-eating plastic bags aren't anything to be worried about, but if you're on his back all twisted into a knot he interprets that as the opposite - he thinks you're as mortified of that plastic bag as he is, and the rest is history.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I think PrivatePilot has a direct hit on this one.

You are afraid, and the horse senses that when you are astride him, acts upon it and then his jumpiness is compounded by your action and reactions...over and over, round and round you both go.

Get someone to ride the horse for you inside. 
Tell them you fell off inside and he hasn't been back in there since the incident....
Plain & simple tell them _you_ are afraid. The horse senses this...

Now as for you... get a riding lesson from a instructor you trust _on a horse other than yours_ you know rides inside with no issues.
A glorified pony ride if need be, you need to get in there and prove to yourself you have put those fears to rest by just riding, period.
Not simple when you have fear.
I think more your fear comes from it was your fist time falling off, you did get hurt and now think {although sub-consciously} that every time you go indoors you will fall and get hurt again.

All riders, even the very best in the world fall off at times, some more than others...
It is a learning experience and one we have all had need to learn to work past the "Why did that happen to me and in that spot."
_The trick is learning to harness that apprehension and fear and you control it, not it control you as is happening now._

Best of luck in conquering this. Small baby steps forward will still get you to the prized end of riding your horse indoors without gut-wrenching fear over-taking your mind & body.
:wink:


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