Article Contributed on: 5/14/2008 1:03:44 PM
Do you have horses in your blood? Do you love horses? Do you own a horse? Do you ride? When you ride, is it a pleasurable experience? Are you relaxed in the saddle? Do you have fun?
Ever been scared while riding? Ever have a wreck? Ever been bucked off? Ever been hurt? Ever think about giving up horses all together?
Once you get "bitten" by the horse bug, it is almost impossible to get rid of it. Horses are such magnificent animals that it is hard to not like or even love them.
If you've spent any time at all with horses, you know they are very sensitive animals. Not only can they feel the slightest touch, they can sense the mental state of the rider. Being herd animals, they will follow a strong, confident leader. They are also prey animals, which means that they are constantly looking for anything that will hurt them. If they perceive a threat, they will run away. So, if the rider isn't confident or shows nervousness, the horse senses that nervousness. They think that the rider is nervous because of a threat and the horse starts looking for the threat so that it can run away from it.
So, if you aren't riding because you are afraid of being bucked off or getting hurt, but you don't want to get rid of your horse(s), what do you do?
There are some fields of thought that say that the only way to overcome the fear is to just get on the horse and ride through it. Some also say that it is best to start from the beginning, as if you are a complete novice. Those ideas/techniques may work for some people.
But, what if they don't? What if you are so uncomfortable that you can't get over the fears? What if you concentrate so much on the fear that you can't get involved in the ride or the training? What then?
There are several alternative techniques available to you. One is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), an energy psychology process that has been used by thousands of people to overcome many types of fear.
When we experience a physical or psychological trauma, our bodies react in a certain way. Our autonomic response prepares the body to either fight or run away. We get an adrenaline surge, our bodies redirect the flow of blood to the major muscle groups, and we tense up, causing a disruption in the flow of energy. After the threat is gone, our bodies then relax. But, sometimes our systems adopt a reaction to a certain set of stimuli. So, when we re-experience the stimuli, or something very similar, our minds think that the event will re-occur and trigger our physical systems to react the same way, even if nothing happens.
EFT is a process where you tap energy meridian points on the body while concentrating on a particular upset. The tapping stimulates the energy pathways and "dislodges" the block in the energy flow, in effect, re-programming our system to recognize a real threat rather than the possibility of a threat.
This process will not create in you a sense of invulnerability. You will remain aware of your surroundings, but you will no longer be paralyzed by fear. You will still know your limitations and be able to make rational decisions on what you are willing and able to do, without irrational fear or anticipation of danger getting in your way.
If you have any questions or comments, you can reach me at 303-884-3566, or JohnOMMTech@aol.com