Getting Back on the Horse

Everyone has heard the idiom “Get back on the horse.” This advice is harder to abide by when you’ve fallen off a horse two days in a row.

As an equestrian, I’ve had plenty of falls. No matter how many times I’ve fallen off and been okay, it still sucks and my confidence takes a dive. Before this last week, I made it nearly three years without falling off. On Monday, I fell off in my jump lesson. My coach warned me that my pony didn’t see the jump we were approaching, so when he stopped and spun right, I was prepared. I couldn’t stick with him, but I was able to hop off and land safely upright on my feet. I got back on immediately and we proceeded to have a productive ride. Of course, I was a little nervous as we approached each jump, but I made sure to give Monkey a better ride and he was a good pony.

One day after my last fall, I had another fall. We were having a bit of a messy ride, and I was getting frustrated even before I hit the dirt. Towards the end of the lesson, I was just trying to keep it all together and not let things get any worse. As we were cantering on a 20 meter circle in the middle of the ring, Monkey spooked at only God knows what. He’s such a little guy that when he makes a quick change of direction, I’m gone. I flopped off his back like a sack of potatoes and landed hard on my hip joint. Monkey stood two steps away, looking down at me apologetically. Bless him, he just thought he was saving us from a monster. After a stretching session on the ground, I got back on and shakily finished my lesson, praying to stay in the saddle for the last ten minutes of our ride. I walked away from our lesson more than a little crestfallen that I had taken two spills in two days. It didn’t help that I was so sore and stiff from two falls 24 hours apart that I was struggling to walk.

We have a show coming up in two weeks, and it’s always discouraging to have bad rides before a show. A lot goes into preparing for a competition. I’ve spent countless dollars and hours in the saddle in preparation for spending five minutes in the ring to be judged. I only have two more lessons before the show, and I intend to make the most of them. I know that I’m going to be nervous before my next lesson, and especially nervous for my practice rides on my own. Until I have a few good rides to build up my confidence again, I’ll have to focus on pretending to be confident so I don’t psych myself out and set myself up for another fall. Monkey is a pony who derives confidence from his rider, especially over fences. When I’m not feeling great, he can tell. Fake it till you make it definitely works with him. I have to remind myself to take a deep breath and act like I’ve got everything under control. I saw a quote the other day that I absolutely love: “You may see me struggle, but you will never see me quit.” I can’t allow a fall to shake me up too badly. I have to get back on the horse and give it my best shot, even if I’m terrified. I’m forever grateful for the life lessons that horses teach us.