𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞

Imagine yourself being asked to do things that hurt your body. Maybe even with force, or with a lot of frustration the same questions come over and over again. You're moving your body but there is so much discomfort. You're asked to give more but you feel your body failing on you.

You have two options.

Starting to scream back NO NO NO, or mentally shut yourself down and try to feel as less as possible and just undergo the same questions again.

𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑑𝑜 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢?

Rehabilitation is not just a simple case of retraining the body. Very often this also comes with psychological issues. Either the horse is shutdown, unwilling to move, unresponsive to aids and very unmotivated to do anything without force. The other horse is fleeing, bucking, kicking out, rushing and not waiting for your aids. Of course there are also plenty of horses in the middle of this.

𝐒𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬?

💚 𝐵𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒.

If you feel you're too full with life in your mind, leave your horse alone that day. Approach your horse with compassion and understanding that the body has been aching and there might be lack of trust. In the body, in the trainer, or both.

💚 𝑅𝑒𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.

If you ask a question you want a response. But be helpfull and encouraging not frustrated and disappointed. Reward every tiny attempt as if your horse just won the Olympics.

💚 𝐿𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠

Stop expecting anything from your horse and take each day on it's own

Once trust is restored, confidence will come back and you both have overcome one of the biggest challenges you could come to face together. Softness and relaxation can come back and training will become so much more fun for the both of you.