Fear, and riding outside

[Gwen]

So, as we are working more on getting power into the lengthened/extended gaits, I'm realizing how limiting working in an indoor or fenced outdoor is. There's always a clear end, so every lengthen comes with that in mind and is more conservative as a result. We have a big beautiful cross country jump field, which would be perfect for developing that forward energy, and spring coming so it will be clear of snow but I am frankly scared to try it.

I think both Callie and I are a little agoraphobic at this point, and while we enjoy long rein hacks in that field and on trails, picking up the reins and attempting to work out there generally results in a sensation not unlike sitting on a bomb. So I'd like to do it with someone else, but schedules rarely align, and I think I just have to suck it up and do it every day for a month until it doesn't feel like such a big weird thing.

Any tips?? Commiseration? Encouragement? I know from experience when I'm doing it in the moment I won't feel so scared, but IMAGINING doing it makes my tummy melt with anxiety and I come up with an excuse every day and don't.

We've shown at Region 8 championships, and USDF Finals without a bit of anxiety on my part, you'd think schooling in our home field would be a walk in the park in comparison.

[Srhorselady]

I know exactly how you feel! I have a wonderful conditioning trail around my property that follows the natural contours and has good footing. Yet I rarely canter on it and definitely don't gallop. Just plain old honest to god fear!

[Moutaineer]

Don't try to do it all at once. Build up to it. Go for a walk, do a bit of trot work, then walk again, and so on.

And yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I'm getting my oldster back into work, which means we are hacking on the roads at the moment as my ring is still underwater. Yee haw.

[piedmontfields]

I do a lot of real work out in fields by myself. Frankly, I ride better outside the arena (I'm more alert, more centered, always looking up), so that is part of why this works well. My mare likes the variety and her dressage training is useful for control as needed. I certainly have days when my mare is silly. I use all of that stuff we know in the arena (ex. whole range of lateral work at walk and trot) out in the fields as needed to settle her. I do feel that she gets stronger working on uneven ground and has a better "fifth leg" sense about her from the field work outs.

This past weekend, I had the *best canter ever* out in the fields with 30 mph gusts. She was able to effortlessly switch between pirouette canter and back to working and medium canter. I also recently did lots of full release forward of the reins as we do very steady canter laps around a 10 acre hayfield. She was awesome and showed me how far she has come in her self-carriage.

I say carry a phone, do it when other people are around, and start with 30 minutes of focused work, just w-t if that is what feels okay. Since she already hacks well, that is a huge plus. Pick a pretty day with mild winds .

[Chisamba]

Honestly i think its a huge disadvantage to Americans to ride in arenas. There is so much to offer about riding in an open area. You mentioned wanting more of that Icelandic power back at home. Your plan to ride out is a good one.

Three suggestions. If your horse feels watchful ride near the middle of the field rather than around the edges. Horses like being able to see around them.

If the horse gets tense, loosen the rein don't tighten it.

To calm your nerves have a plan. If Callie gets tense I will walk a small circle. ( choose a plan based on what calms you both) then, contingency in mind, you have tools to relax youself.

Enjoy.

[Gwen]

Thank you everyone! These are wonderful suggestions. Yes, Chisamba, I agree! I have also thought about getting into eventing - just baby novice stuff - for the exposure for both of us.

When the snow melts I'll suck it up and give it a go, and then report back!

[angela9823]

I think not putting pressure on yourself helps too. The mare I put down last year was a tense ticking time bomb - or so I thought! It was because I'd only ever ridden her in the arena. I ended up going to a different kind of trainer that helped get me over some fears I had with the mare. I started working her on the ground more so we became a little more in tune and then the first time I took her on a trail ride, I was driving her instead of riding. I found that she LOVED being out of the arena. So, I climbed on board one day and found her to be a steady mare out on the trails. But the ground driving on the trail was really great for me. I got to see what happens if she did get a little looksy at something (like climbing down hills - she didn't like going into ditches). Given time, she'd work through it with a calm attitude. And that is what I mean about not putting a lot of pressure on yourself too. Go out for a few minutes and then come back. Go out for a little longer next time and come back. If you feel yourself getting tense or worried, give yourself the freedom to get off and walk back to ease your nerves or to just say it is okay to turn around.

[kande50]

The problem I've found with taking horses out of their comfort zones to get more energy is that what I get is not really the kind of energy I'm looking for, because it's anxious energy. It may not be scared silly energy, and could even be very mild anxiety, but what I'm looking for is a calm, eager, focused energy that comes from knowing what the cues mean rather than a worried, distracted, OMG kind of energy.

It's much easier to get the anxious kind of energy, but I think that even small amounts of anxiety make it harder for horses to focus on the rather complex patterns of cues we use to attempt to communicate with them. So while it's much faster and easier to get more energy that way, I don't think it actually helps with much other than to help desensitize them to more contact on the bit and improve fitness.

Oh, and it can be more fun for riders, but probably not quite so much for horses.

[Josette]

You already have stuck your toe in the water by riding in that open field. Now expand on those rides IMO. Take the work gradual with just trotting and doing figures around those jumps. Make up different patterns and eventually slip a canter in. Baby steps to build your confidence and your mare.

[Sue B]

Gwen, listen to Josette and remember when you want to tense up, to soften your arms and think forward with your hands. In other words, let all that new found energy flow forward. Turn circles, make wavy lines, whatever it takes to not grip at the reins or clench with your knees.

[piedmontfields]

I think all that room to move/recover/go forward when things get wobbly is why I like riding outside more than in an arena. It feels more "forgiving" to me!

[tlkidding]

I have a few suggestions as a person who still occasionally relapses into a fearful trail rider:

Any uphill incline makes me more brave - I'm much more willing to trot or canter uphill than on level ground.
Plot out a nice 20m circle or even a bit smaller to do your first few trots or canters - it's not about schooling the big trot at first, it's just about you learning how to feel safe trotting in the field.
In case we have a scoot or bolt, I have a plan and direction in place that I'll turn towards that is safe (i.e., uphill, away from the barn, away from the woods, etc.).
Coordinate with someone else to have a babysitter at least the first time.
If you can find a brave rider, have someone else do the first trot/canter.
I rode with someone who would tell me that if I got really scared or nervous, to just get off and hand walk (because honestly, I'd rather have the horse pull away and run back to the barn without me on his back than be on a runaway horse) - so I still tell myself that I can always get off and walk when I'm really challenging my nerves if it's a windy day or the four wheelers are on the trails.

[HafDressage]

I might have a different opinion, because I am also a total former arena baby, but I don't think you should do it until you are more confident in your ability to control the horse or less worried about it in general. Probably it would be fine, but if your nervous going into it, it is a recipe for non-success - which would then probably set you further back than if you hadn't done it in the first place. So, I would recommend two things:

1. Have your trainer or another more confident rider school your horse outside a couple of times first. Get the horse used to the place first and then you can feel more confident when you do get on that there won't be any major behavior issues.

2. If you don't have someone who can do it. Go lunge out there. Try to make it a relaxing lunge session and rinse and repeat until it is. Perhaps ride inside then walk out there and hop off to lunge a little. Eventually if you do it enough, the outdoors will become normal conditions for both of you.

Good luck!!!

[Josette]

Another idea if you can find someone with a quiet horse to play follow the leader. Again, baby steps to just do walk-trot figures around the field. You know your mare best to decide what might make her more anxious. For example, if she gets use to going with another horse might she then get upset when you try her alone. The more she is exposed to going outside the arena even for relaxed walks is huge progress IMO.

[kande50]

What has always worked best for me is the ever increasing circle. I make the center of my circle at the point where my horse first starts getting anxious, and then ride say, a 20 meter circle, so that he goes out of his comfort zone and then back in, around and around until he's in his comfort zone all the way around.

I do changes of direction through the circle, and then once he's calm the whole way around I make the circle bigger.

Course it doesn't have to be a circle, but the idea is to start small, repeat until he's okay with where he is, and then increase. The amount I increase will depend on how energetic I'm feeling, which is very closely associated with how much risk I'm willing to take.

[khall]

I like to lunge in the open areas before I ride there. I am usually starting the young horse riding out for their first outing in the great open, so use the lunging to see how they will handle it. I have also ponied them out when I had a great pony horse. That is a wonderful way to let them see the world with no pressure.

[piedmontfields]

So my mare can be fizzy. In short, she is like a shot of espresso--either energizing and clarifying , or agitating! I love this, but some would not.

Today on our planned walk-only hack out in the hay fields she reached a point that she bubbled over and said when are we *doing* something. I am used to this, and just guided her to walk (not prance) using various lateral walk movements.

However, I will admit that if her tightness made you tight, it could get very tension-filled and unpleasant. Know your horse, know yourself, and have strategies for de-fusing various situations. As it turned out, I was super happy with her walk shoulder-in, walk travers and walk renvers. And she ended her 50 minute hack on a long rein with lots of pats and praise.

Know yourself and your horse!

[Beorn]

Know yourself and your horse!

This!

At a previous barn, I used to do a lot of riding in the schooling field when the footing permitted. I used to laugh at Beorn because he would get the most unruly if I did not acknowledge the thing that worried him. I couldn't just tell him to pull his pants up, IGNORE THAT THING, and move on. He would just get more and more agitated over it, to the point of annoying.

Then, there was this one time where a young doe was watching us ride. She was standing at the edge of the woods, kind-of, sort-of in the field, too. Not really moving, with the light receding (evening).

*I* got nervous that Beorn would suddenly notice the deer and spook and take off and do something terrible and I would get hurt and I would probably die, etc., so I kept trying to get his attention to make sure he saw the thing. *I* got more and more agitated when he didn't seem to notice.

Heh. Duh. Sucked being on the other side of the situation.

You've gotten some great suggestions for stepping into it. Baby steps so *you* feel more confident to handle whatever happens. Give yourself permission to get off, make a single circle, trot 5 strides, whatever, and then plan that the next time it will be okay to try for a little bit more. Don't get overwhelmed by the end before you even start.

[Ryeissa]

I am not where I want to be on this, but a big revalation to me what that "trail riding" sort of left me and my horse wondering ...ummm? There was too big of a disconnect in "loose rein amble". We were used to having a conversation and plan, structure. Trail riding was too much of a change, so I have had to do "work" on the trail to help us both not feel such a dramatic difference. my horse likes to feel the rider and have some sort of contact- it brings us both to a place we know. (mentally)

I don't think dressage riders area always as "scared" as we think, it is just that IMHO no one teaches us how to do it in a way that invites relaxation but is not also too much of a difference.

This is what my persoective is- my horse is fairly sensitive and needs reassurance. Others maybe able handle a change better.

[ElaPe]

For someone who is fearing to ride outside or to do a trail ride I would suggest doing it gradually, taking baby steps.

- go for a walk outside AFTER your regular riding session

- walk should be relaxed, light contact maintained, in steady tempo

- do the above for quite a while until you feel secure. Incorporate halts, standing stills in the walking sessions

- after you feel completely secure, include some trot work, always in working trot in steady tempo, no rushing - and not towards the stable. Do the halts, standing still, as well as lots of transitions walk-trot-walk

- start incorporating some short intervals of working canter, not letting the horse to speed - such behaviour should be nipped in the bud immediately

- do the above until you feel secure, and you feel you are in control at all times, and start going out without prior riding session in the arena

[piedmontfields]

ElaPe has a great summary of good advice! Personally, I don't trail ride in the manner of "not a care in the world, not a whit of attention, always on a long rein." I hack with attention, I do trot and canter sets, and I do genuine schooling outside. I mostly ride alone, so you can bet that I keep my horse either on the bit or not too far away (breaks for stretching) from that!

[Kyra's Mom]

I have made my last two mares into arena flowers . The previous horse was very timid and did not like to go out at all until I took her to a horsemanship camp and boy howdy, by the end of that weekend she was a star. It just took a group and some guidance and a come-along string (I used in lieu of a whip) and she was fording creeks and jumping downed logs like she had done it every day.

The current one...it is what it is. I cannot spend much time in the saddle due to a tailbone condition. So, I have been unable to justify hooking up the trailer and hauling an hour for a 30 minute ride. Hence, most of our work is in the arena and she is very comfortable and brave in there. We have a hay field on the barn's property that we can ride the perimeter and get to the canal bank and make a nice little circuit. But...3 years ago, a pheasant flew up right under Kyra's nose while we were riding out there and needless to say, that did not turn out well. She literally dropped out from under me and spun...at least I didn't have far to fall. I was unhurt but alone and horsie took off back toward the barn. She did manage to stop before she ran into the not very visible perimeter fence by the owner's house...just when said owner came home and saw a saddled horse with no rider . Anyway, after that little episode, I decided that we can't go out there alone. I need someone to call 911 and another horse for company for the inexperienced now 15 y.o. .

What I did start doing a couple years ago is at then end of our ride, even if I just ride around the driveway that circles the indoor, we get out of the arena. The property does have a little trotting track on it and it is right by the owner's house so I feel pretty confident in working her over there. So often our cool down is a circuit of the driveway over to the TT and back. It is the best I can do until I can be in the saddle for longer periods of time. Baby steps for us .

Susan

[piedmontfields]

I would like to confess that we did have a bit of disobedient pumped-up mare behavior over the weekend when our leisurely field hack turned--45 minutes in--into "attack of the bellowing woods creature." AKA, the cattle that border our hacking field were very talkative and moving around loudly. Emi is usually cautious around quiet cattle, but obedient. After the 5th bellow, she was like "why are we not galloping hard for home? Clearly they have come for the hoof stock and we need to escape." So that got shut down, then we had an offer of passage home ("nope") and then there was lots of walk work until we got to the nice flat area, at which point piles of real work began. This is usually the point I remember, you know, I should be careful who I put on Emi. Because sometimes this is what you have to do. After about 10 minutes of C, CC and simple changes, plus very nice trot shoulder in and forward back in trot, she started letting go, snorting and asking for a break. By 15 minutes, she was ready to walk politely home on a longish rein.

Today, she was tired. But we worked in the arena and then did an obedient hack. Cattle were seen, but not run from.

Lesson: Be ready for what the outside brings!

[Gwen]

Thanks all for the super helpful suggestions! I'll give it a go in the next week or so and report back. I'm hoping to have my lesson today in the outdoor arena also - it's surrounded by trees, with a highway on the other side and she can see the cars flashing through the trees and it makes her nuts! Plus a judges box. But I'm hoping that the improvements we've made over the winter in throughness, engagement and control of the shoulder will help us both keep it together. I *think* I've gotten better at keeping her attention and staying loose, but haven't had the chance to test it yet!

[ElaPe]

ElaPe has a great summary of good advice! Personally, I don't trail ride in the manner of "not a care in the world, not a whit of attention, always on a long rein." I hack with attention, I do trot and canter sets, and I do genuine schooling outside. I mostly ride alone, so you can bet that I keep my horse either on the bit or not too far away (breaks for stretching) from that!

Me too, I do the schooling session wherever possible, the horse is more willing too out there, but also take breaks on long rein - the walk towards the stable would I think get at least an 8 if it was in a show

[Kathy Johnson]

Sometimes anticipation makes everything worse. So much good advice already given, I don't need to add much. This is ridiculous but sometimes helps me when trying something new or something I'm (perhaps) irrationally worried about. Know what conditions you're comfortable in. Have a plan that you're going to follow. Wait until the stars align and everything is right. Then don't do it. Don't do it a couple of times. I don't know what flips the switch but I'll feel like I've put so much sturm and angst anticipating the event that I feel the worst is over and it's a piece of cake when I it just happens.

[LeoApp]

I rarely ride in the arena anymore. I am a dyed-in-the-wool trail rider and believe me, I have experienced some pretty intense things! My partnership with the horse and our shared trust is what really keeps us safe.
You really need to trust your partnership with your horse. If you have a good relationship on the ground and in the arena, that is key. If you are afraid of or don't trust your horse in the arena, riding outside probably would amplify those things.
There are some good suggestions here, but I don't think anyone has mentioned hand walking the horse first - little forays out and back. Maybe some would say being on foot is more dangerous than being in the saddle but not always. Wear a helmet and gloves. Bring some treats. Make it a pleasant experience.
I agree with ElaPe that this is a good thing to try after you have already ridden the horse and they are relaxed and happy and you have had a good session.
Having another quiet horse to ride with is also very high on my list of how to make your horse a trail horse.

[Gwen]

We rode outside in the scary (for Callie) outdoor today and it was fabulous. A couple of early spooks, but easily managed. It's funny because imagining riding out there causes an eruption of butterflies in my stomach, but the reality was totally fine. I walked her for a while first - she's a horse who does NOT like to be rushed. So I let her walk but insisted on forward, straight, into the contact. Then we did walk leg yield across the whole arena both ways, then trot and canter work - we even got a calm quiet change in each direction!!

It was fun remembering vividly being in that ring last year - I didn't feel a lot of fear then (compared to our first year) but definitely had more bravado on my part. This year, I feel truly calm, relaxed, and I'm in such better balance, physically and mentally.

I was thinking about the saying of "horses on the aids don't spook", and realized more of the emotional part of that I hadn't fully understood before. I think I thought if it as more rider-centric before - physically keeping contact, bending, forward, etc, but now I think of it more as convincing the horse that they can trust you enough to stay within your aids, to tell them where to put their body, to literally put themselves in your hands.

I've heard of horses using the aids as a security blanket of sorts, but I really felt it today with Callie. She was pushing into the contact with a steadiness and focus that we don't have in the indoor - not heavy, but THERE, you know? "Take care of me, tell me you are up there." It was humbling, to feel her finally be willing to give up that much control - she's a stoic alpha mare who has OPINIONS about scenarios like this, and wants to make her own safety assessment before she listens to mine!