Training Tip: Beat Fear

When a horse respects you as a leader and uses the thinking side of his brain rather than the reactive side, you can stop worrying about getting hurt or not being able to handle a dangerous situation. Horses are big animals, and it’s only natural to be scared of them. A lot of people come up to me and say, “Clinton, I’m afraid to ride, I’m frightened to fall off, or I’m scared of getting hurt.” All of those feelings are very real and very healthy. Fear is your brain saying, “Hey, if you don’t stop doing what you’re doing, you’re going to get hurt.” I never tell people to ignore fear. In fact, I encourage them to listen to it and then learn how to control the situation. You’ll gain control of the situation by educating yourself and learning how to control your horse’s feet. When you can control your horse, you gain confidence, and if you have confidence in your horse and in your ability to control him, you can relax and have fun.