I'd really appreciate any advice from more experienced riders about how to help DD(11).
DD has been riding for a couple of years (a bit stop/start because of lockdown). I'm not a rider myself but I have been really happy to support her, especially as she is not very physically confident in general and also has some mental health struggles. It really seemed to be giving her confidence and it was fantastic watching her cantering around the arena. She was having private lessons at a lovely small stable and making slow but steady progress, and was just beginning to start jumping.
Unfortunately a couple of months ago she had fall (I'm not sure exactly what happened, the horse reared very slightly, and she slipped) and broke her arm. It was a nasty break which needed surgery and pinning.
We live in a very horsey area in the countryside, and since then, she has been regaled non-stop by stories from both adults and children about their own horse riding accidents and injuries. It seems everyone has a story to tell. She is really worried now and has started saying that she doesn't want to go back to riding.
Obviously it will be completely her choice, and to be honest I can understand where she is coming from. But I just feel sad for her, because it was the one sport she enjoyed and she she got so much out of it. I know falling off is just part of the deal.
I would be really interested to hear from others who have been in a similar situation, and if their DC were able to go back to riding?
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The tack room
DD has lost her nerve after a nasty fall
pastaandpesto · 10/05/2022 11:02
Spudlet · 11/05/2022 20:13
Not necessarily mucking out - but it’s on the ground that you lay the foundations of a bond with a horse, IMO. And when you have a bond, it’s incredibly special. So I would gently encourage her to rethink her aversion to groundwork - grooming a pony can be extremely therapeutic for both human and equine, for example. And it might help her confidence if she feels that she has a bond with a gentle pony, help her feel ready to get back on in time.
Lolabalola · 10/05/2022 14:43
I'm going to go against the grain and say the attitude of riding being an incredibly dangerous sport is what's causing a confidence crisis.
Yes absolutely if you are racing in the grand national or throwing yourself around badminton it would be. But the average leisure rider is fairly unlikely to have a serious life changing injury.
Karl greenwood , an equine confidence guy, has a great saying that if you fell in the shower and broke your arm, your friends wouldn't all be saying , oooh that shower is really dangerous, you should never shower again, whereas horse related it's the opposite. It's worth finding him on Facebook.
I have ridden for over fifty years and my kids rode, one in a fast slightly dangerous sport. He got far more injuries from rugby ! Most of my friends have injured themselves tripping out of lorries or falling over hay bales. I know that's completely anecdotal but it's just trying to reframe the " horses are insanely dangerous" mantra.
But if she doesn't want to do it then equally that's fine too
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