26/ JUNE 2023 THE RIDER Confident Horsemanship:


it’s a common question. As riders, we all feel scared some


times. Fear is a good thing when it’s working to keep you safe from a po- tential danger or threat. But when fear happens when you’re not in immedi- ate danger and it’s stopping you from doing what you love doing - it’s doing more harm than good. That type of fear is anxiety and it deals more with the future rather than something that is actually happening in the present. If you struggle with inappropriate


By Anne Gage. “I get so angry with myself for


being afraid to ride. It takes me so long to get the courage up to get on. Why is that????” This question came from a rider in a Facebook group. And


riding fear or anxiety, you have prob- ably tried to use logic and rational thought to stop it. Perhaps you’ve even told yourself (or been told by someone else) - “Just get over it”. You feel frustrated, angry, embarrassed. But none of those emotions will help you overcome that inappropriate fear. And neither will logical, rational thinking.


3 Reasons You Can’t “Logic” Yourself Out Of Horse Riding Fear Here are three reasons why logi-


cal thinking doesn’t work to stop horse riding fear or anxiety:


1. Fear is not logical. If it were ra- tional, no one would be afraid of snakes, spiders, balloons, or public speaking. Humans would only feel fear when we were in actual immedi- ate physical danger. 2. The intense fear overrides logical thinking: It’s a primitive part of the brain that controls emotional re- sponses; the amygdala and hippocam- pus. When triggered into fear, the brain focuses on escaping from an im- mediate threat. 3. Fear is learned. Human babies are born with only 2 fears - falling and loud noises. Many fears are learned through experience and the behaviour of other people. As we get older, fears are developed through association. In


the case of horse riding, fears become associated with negative experiences such as bad falls, injuries or even see- ing someone else fall.


So how do you stop being held


hostage by inappropriate riding fear if logical thinking won’t work? 1. Acknowledge how you are feeling and accept that it is simply an emo- tion. 2. Rate the level of fear or anxiety on a scale of 0-10 (with 0 being no fear and 10 being panic). Then decide what number you would like to be feeling. 3. Turn on the calming parasympa- thetic nervous system by focusing on your breathing and making your ex- hale longer than the inhale. 4. Become more present and mindful by noticing 3 things you can see, 3 things you can hear, and 3 things you can feel right now.


The more you practice these


steps, the more natural it will become to feel less anxious. If you’re tired of feeling anxious


about horse riding, you don’t have to continue to struggle on your own. Change is possible. Help is available When you get help, you might


find answers to the reasons you feel fearful that even you haven’t been aware of up to now.


Author Bio: Anne Gage, The Horse Riding Confidence Coach, shares ad- vice and tips for horse riding women of a certain age. From managing rid- ing nerves and anxiety, understanding your horse's behaviour, building a deeper partnership with your horse, and more. Whether you're a lifelong horse rider, just coming back to riding after time off, or just starting out, learn more at www.rideconfident.com


Equine Foundation of Canada AGM


People Helping People Helping Horses


The Canadian Mor-


gan Horse Foundation was the vision of busi- nessman and horse enthu- siast George Wade of Kentville, N.S. and it was enthusiastically supported by fellow members of the board of directors of the Canadian Morgan Horse Association. They applied for incorporation Decem- ber 13, 1979 and after several delays began op- erations February 1, 1983. The name was later changed to the Equine Foundation of Canada, this registered charity for the Health and Welfare of the Horse has been oper- ating for 40 years in Canada granting funds to equine causes, Operated by a vol-


unteer board of directors LongRun’s TB Star of June


Prince of Passion is looking for his forever home! This flashy 4 year old is full of chrome and


personality, and would excel in the hunter ring! He is quite green,


yet is willing to please and a fast learner. He stands at least 16.1h,


yet he is all leg and therefore will suit a smaller rider, as his barrel doesn't take up much leg! Prince of Passion


please contact LongRun!


money has been raised to support many different causes. Money for EFC is raised from donation by persons and organizations with a major interest and passion for the health and welfare of the horse. Most of the money raised has come as small donations of $10, $25, $50 or $100, but there have been a few large


donations of


$100,000 and upward. Some of the larger dona- tions have come from the estates of deceased horse lovers who willed funds to the equine foundation. Three of the five


major veterinary colleges in Canada have received gifts in the form of en- dowments for scholar- ships


for veterinary


students who are special- izing in equine practice. To date scholarship fund- ing was made available to


Agency. Many of the


smaller donations are from people wishing to remember friends or animals through the Book of Memory. The donors receive a tax de- ductible receipt for all dona- tions over $10. It has become harder


nearly 100 veterinary stu- dents across Canada. Prior to the 21st century EFC granted 63 scholarships in small amounts of $1,000 di- rectly to students. In the new millennium EFC was fortunate to attract some larger donations and were then able to set up endow- ments with ongoing annual scholarships. Other funding has been used for various equine research projects at the veterinary colleges, ed- ucational youth projects and miscellaneous things such as livestock rescue trailers and horse mannequins for fire departments and other worthwhile projects as the


board saw fit. Of special note was a donation of ven- ture capital to a new com- pany


to start up


manufacturing synthetic horses for equine students to study the internal workings of horses. This company has expanded into manufactur- ing other animals besides horses to serve the veteri- nary colleges and students. Their company can be viewed online at Veterinary Simulator Industries Ltd. All money raised is de- posited into a general fund and grants approved by the board are done so within the rules approved for charities by Canada Revenue


Longines Continued from Page 25


champions at Thunderbird took the win, Canada was second, the USA rounded out the podium in third place with Mexico in fourth and Australia in fifth. At the conclusion of the North American series, USA and Mexico have se- cured the two spots in the Longines Nations Cup Final in Barcelona, Spain this October. Celebrating its 50th


Call (416) 675-3993 ext 3440 www.longrunretirement.com • info@longrunretirement.com


anniversary, Thunderbird has hosted the FEI Nations Cup of Canada since 2016. Founded by George and Dianne Tidball in 1970, the prestigious facility is widely considered one of the top venues in North America, but more impor- tantly is well-known for its


welcoming and warm hos- pitality lead by tbird CEO Jane Tidball. Everyone can agree that it was a great day of show jumping


in Langley. For more information


and full results, visit https://tbird.ca/daily-re- sults/


and harder to attract dona- tions due to COVID shut- downs, competition from other charities and a tighten- ing of the economy. To carry on with our work of People Helping People Helping Horses we need do- nations, large or small. Contact and inquiries


can be made through The Equine Foundation Face- book Page equinefounda- tion@outlook.com.


Donations can be sent to: Susan Nelson, treasurer 326 Dyke Rd., R.R. 2, FALMOUTH , Nova Scotia B0P 1P0


Amy Millar and Truman Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley


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