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Wednesday, December 14 2016 / Published in General

Overcoming the Fear of Riding After an Accident

Margie Sugarman
Photo by Lauri Foster

By Margie Sugarman

Margie Sugarman is a leading board-certified psychotherapist and sports consultant based in New York. Margie’s desire is to enhance performance through the connection between the mind and body, and her current client list includes Olympic, professional and amateur athletes across the country. Her experience employing various therapeutic modalities has helped equestrians win classics, junior medals and Grand Prix. Do you have a question you want Margie to answer? Send questions to editor@sidelinesnews.com.

I recently recovered from a very bad horse-related injury. I love my horse; we get along very well. We’re like two peas in a pod! However, now that I fell off, I’m a bit hesitant to get back on and I’ve been experiencing some flashbacks. I’ve tried to be around my horse and feed her but when it comes time to actually ride, my feet feel like they’re glued to the ground. My mind tells me it’s okay to ride yet my body doesn’t agree. Is there a way to get my mind and body to become in sync and ease my way back into riding?

  • Anthony, 19

There are a few techniques that you can use to help change your focus and ease your way back into riding: Relaxation & Visualization; EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization/Reprocessing); and Visual Reinforcement.

Relaxation & Visualization involves learning how to relax both your mind and body. Learning this technique requires working with a professional who can teach the specifics of guided relaxation. They’re used to relieve stress and anxiety, improve self-esteem, feel fantastic in mind, body and spirit and develop a positive mental attitude. This approach includes lowering one’s brain state to that of calmness and receptiveness. In doing so, there’s a mind/body connection that occurs that allows the individual to ultimately visualize, reframe and alleviate negative thoughts and responses to stressors. Although learning these techniques might take some time, their impact can truly help to alleviate stressors that were previously crippling to the individual.

The Relaxation & Visualization technique is not to be confused with what’s seen on stage as hypnosis. Progressive relaxation is something that naturally happens to all of us, every night, as we go through the brain stages of wakefulness to sleep. In a situation such as the one described, the goal is to help the rider relax, ultimately visualize riding comfortably again (this might take a few sessions) and be able to do whatever you choose to do with your horse while feeling calm and confident.

Eye Movement Desensitization/Reprocessing (EMDR) is another approach that can prove useful in situations like this where there has been trauma. EMDR is a therapeutic approach that accesses and reprocesses traumatic memories and brings them to an adaptive resolution. After successful treatment, stress is relieved and negative beliefs are reformulated along with reduction in physiological arousal. New thoughts are formed between the traumatic memory and more adaptive information. This is somewhat similar to Relaxation & Visualization. However, EMDR must be performed by a trained professional.

The last technique that can be useful is Visual Reinforcement. Visual Reinforcement (in this specific situation) refers to watching videos of you riding and doing the things that are presently problematic. It can be used to help re-imprint (on the unconscious mind) success where there is presently fear. Again, this is a technique where professional intervention is helpful to initially process and ultimately override the negative memory.

Remember: You haven’t lost the physical ability to ride and enjoy your horse … your mind is the culprit. These are some suggested techniques to help clear out the negative thoughts and return to doing what you love.

 

 

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Tagged under: Sports Psychology

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The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
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Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

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We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on o We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on our socials where we share some of the lovely stallions, and their breeders featured in each month's magazine. Our first feature on this #STUDSunday is...

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