Overcoming the Fear

Fear, this is something that strikes us all in many ways, but it can be easily overcome when we face it head on.  

Each time my daughter climes on top of a horse, I have a small sense of fear. I know now what I put my parents through as I was always taking off on one of our horses for a trail ride alone. Although I worry about my daughter, I know when on the back of our well-trusted horses she will be safe.  

Although I hide my fears each time she climbs into the saddle, sometimes she lets hers show. A couple of weeks ago, Macie, my daughter, climbed into the saddle on one of our tallest horses in the pasture. As she sat on top of our horse, Annie, she became somewhat fearsome due to the height, but with my kind words and encouragement she faced her fears and finished the ride.  

At the end of the ride she did not want to dismount and was ready to take off riding outside of the round pen alone. Watching Macie that day made me proud. Watching our children overcome something so quickly and become so determined and brave is a great feeling.  

I encourage all parents/guardians to encourage children to find the bravery that Macie did that day. If you have children and horses, encourage your child to spend more time riding. If not, allow them to take local riding lessons with an experienced trainer. When children connect with and find passion with horses they will learn from the horse as you will learn while observing.  If you let a horse teach you, you will find things out about yourself that you didn’t know before.