Fear Factor - You are NOT alone and how to Free Yourself from Fear and Anxiety

Whether you have a twinge of insecurity or feelings that border something akin to overwhelming fear and anxiety, I want you to know you are NOT ALONE AND YOU ARE NOT BROKEN. It’s a common human response and YOU can OVERCOME these fears and ENJOY the horse you love like never before! (If you don’t experience fear, keep reading because I am sure you know someone who can benefit from this.)

We just need to train fearful amygdales, (part of your brain responsible for fight and flight) especially if you have experienced past trauma.  We use small steps that build CONFIDENCE so your brain doesn’t think it needs to kick into overdrive to keep you both safe! 

If you think about it, that’s exactly how we use positive reinforcement/reward-based training and/or clicker training to help horses overcome severe lifelong traumas PERMANENTLY. We can help horses learn to LOVE things that previously meant certain death in their minds – such as trailers, fireworks, guns, hoses, injections and more. We do this every single day in CHC.

In this video, I outline the steps to overcoming your (very protective) brain’s fear factors, and its strong sense of self-preservation, which has helped you make it through life thus far. (Be thankful for that!) It can be done in a way that keeps you building confidence through a series of steps that CALMS your brain and body while growing toward the equestrian experience and relationship that you've always wanted. Imagine feeling confident and comfortable in a variety of situations...

• from liberty to loading,
• cantering to jumping,
• sauntering down the trail 
• mounting in the tack or
• slipping up on your horse bareback.
  
  Steps to Success

1. We set up circumstances that you can learn in WITHOUT fear.
2. We teach you to read and understand your horse’s motivations, behaviors, communications, until you feel you know your horse so well that you can PREDICT what it is feeling. And you know what it is about to do next and why with a high degree of certainty. 
3. We help you establish a COMMON LANGUAGE of mutual consent. 
4. We move to a relationship model of request instead of command, which really helps horses’ BOND to their humans and builds TRUST and CONFIDENCE between the two of you. 
5. We teach you to interact with your horse in a way that “feeling the need to control” isn’t a constant challenge or even something you need to concentrate on anymore because you UNDERSTAND and KNOW how to help your horse love saying YES to your requests (in a way that you both find rewarding). 

I encourage you to GET STARTED ON THE PATH TO A BETTER LIFE WITH YOUR HORSE on your own today. Let your amygdala have a look at this path to freedom that has worked for so many women in our program, and tell me what you think and how you feel when you do?
 ~email [email protected] 
~find me on FB https://www.facebook.com/VictoryLandDressage and send a PM
~text or call 910-471-5445

to share your thoughts or find out how we can help you become comfortable and confident with/on the horse you love.)

Remember, your amygdala is FOR you - not against you. It’s only trying to help, and it just needs some reassurance!

P.S. One young woman in our program used to have such a protective amygdala that she experienced anxiety attacks when she got anywhere near a horse. She would literally run away if the horse moved toward her even a few inches or moved quickly even to stomp a fly. Now she’s riding her horse in the ring and just started beginning to trail riding a bit too. In her words, “now she has no more fear than any other person would have with her level of experience.”

Compassionate Horse Click Style Training is positive reinforcement that works for horses and HUMANS!