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Mathilde Andresen
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Many equestrians experience anxiety in their time as riders. But what is it exactly? Where does it come from and what can you do about it? Heidi Sahl Thomsen dealt with this kind of anxiety for many years, which inspired and motivated her to start the company Rideangst.dk where she helps other equestrians face their fears. Here she gives you an insight into her methods and useful tips that can help you turn anxiety into joy.
Heidi's own anxiety probably started after an accident she had, when she was around 12-14 years old. Since then, she has had some degree of anxiety.
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“Many people have experienced simi-lar anxiety or know someone who has dealt with it, and I have often met people who can recognize the certain emotions connected to anxiety. All of your feelings and experiences shape your thoughts - both thoughts of what you are able to do and not do,” she explains.
After Heidi's own accident, one of the challenges she faced was that she didn´t really have anyone to talk to about it. This is why she is very motivated to help others deal with all of the emotions and thoughts that can appear when you get riding anxiety.
You have to deal with anxiety, because if prevents you from doing something you really want.
“Knowing what to do with your feelings can make a big difference, and luckily, there is a much bigger focus on the issue now and people are more open and willing to talk about it,” she states.
According to Heidi, this anxiety is almost always tied to a specific uncertainty or doubt - which can be towards anything and everything. Whether you have doubts about you balance, if your horse runs off with you or if you fear that a motorcycle races by, while you are out on the road.
“The term anxiety covers many feelings; being nervous, feeling uncomfortable, uncertain, fearful or anxious. All of these feelings have one thing in common, they all become an obstacle for you, and you have to work on it. Because it prevents you from doing something you really want to do."
“It is a puzzle, and it varies from person to person,” Heidi explains.
“Each person experiences the feelings and anxiety in completely different ways. Even though you might experience or even just witness the same situation, then you can experience it in different ways. So, you might feel that it is easy to cross a road on your horse, but your friend thinks it is one of the most uncomfortable things to do on a horse. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge that anxiety doesn't come from one specific thing - but can be rooted in many different experiences.”
Heidi does acknowledge that it often stems from a specific incident, for example an accident or a bad experience. It doesn't even have to be something you yourself have experienced. It can be something you witness or even just a video you see on Facebook. Besides the bad experiences, it can also lead back to a pivotal moment in your life.
“It can often happen at a time where you are given more responsibilities in your life, for instance when you have kids, or if you get ill, stressed or when you get older,” Heidi says.
“But no matter who experiences riding anxiety, it is almost always with the same kind of symptoms. Therefore, it can resonate with other riders, when you choose to speak up about the issue.
In her therapy work, Heidi puts a lot of focus on how to think of and talk about your anxiety. It can quickly become a thing you have to fight, which Heidi wants to avoid; "You shouldn't fight your anxiety. You have to work with it,” she emphasizes.
In relation to this, Heidi argues that the worst thing you can do, is to pretend that the anxiety isn't there. When you ignore it, you just keep pushing and pressuring yourself.
“It is not about pressuring yourself, but instead about taking a few steps back. It is just like a dressage test. If you can't make an exercise work, then you go back in order to figure out where the problem is. You try the different elements of the exercise and discover what the problem is. For example, if your horse doesn't react prober to a certain signal. Then you work on that. The same thing goes for your riding anxiety. Go back and figure out, where the problem comes from.”
In Heidi's opinion, the stable, and being with your horse, is a safe haven and should stay that way. So you should not pressure yourself into uncomfortable situations, but instead focus on doing things you like and feel comfortable with. By doing this, you can continue to keep the stable a safe haven and a place where you love to spend time.
“This can help you gain more courage and confidence, which you can bring into the areas you don't feel comfortable in. We have to find courage in the things we can do - and use that courage in the things we can't do yet.”
When Heidi had her own accident, she ended up breaking her arm, but she says that at the same time something happened inside her - she got insecure. It can be easy to forget the psychological aspects because we can't see them, the way we can see a broken arm.
“People simply have an easier time dealing with a broken arm,” she explains.
“It is something we can see, and we know what to do in order to fix it. But we do not focus enough on fixing the issues in our mind - the thoughts and feelings.”
Heidi points this out in relation to the mentality of equestrians, as many probably have heard; equestrians are tough and cool.
“The problem is that this kind of think-ing can make it even harder to open up about insecurities and fears after a bad experience,” she concludes.
When you ask your horse to do something, you send out intended and unintended signals. For instance, if you are nervous that your horse might run away with you when you ask it to go a bit faster. Then you might send out unintended signals that will confuse your horse. So, even though you think you want your horse to go faster, the horse can also feel your nervous signals. That is why, it can be a good idea to take it a bit slow. For instance, if you get nervous when you have to cross a bridge. Then dismount and walk with your horse instead. When you have crossed the bridge this way many times, it probably won't feel as scary.
Think about how to work through your anxiety with your horse. You might even consider to work in the same way you would if it was your horse who was scared. It is often a lot easier for us to help our horses, than ourselv-
Pay attention to how you deal with the anxiety and how you think about it. You should especially focus on how you speak to yourself, and you should stop blaming yourself.
Get to the bottom of the issue; find the real reason. It is often one certain thought that makes an equestrian insecure. For instance, it can be rooted in an insecurity about your balance, or a fear of getting hurt if you fall off. So, you really have to get to the bottom of your riding anxiety, because a specific problem leads to a specific plan of action.
You must remember to make it somewhat enjoyable to work on your riding anxiety. You become more motivated if it feels good. If you can't seem to find the motivation yourself, it definitely makes sense to get some outside help. We pressure ourselves, when we forget to listen to ourselves. Everything has to be faster and better - and that is why we get worn down and fragile."
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