How to Overcome Your Fear of Horses
If you're afraid of horses, it might take a lot of patience to overcome your fear, but you can do it if you're persistent. Start desensitizing yourself by looking at pictures or videos of horses. Once you start to feel comfortable with the idea of a horse, find somewhere that you can observe a horse in real life. Watch the horse from a distance, but don't go any closer than you feel comfortable with. When you feel ready, ask someone who handles horses if they can introduce you to a calm, gentle horse. However, if you're still struggling with your fear, consider talking to a therapist.
Look at pictures or videos of horses to begin desensitizing yourself. Start with small, actionable steps to begin gradually desensitizing yourself towards horses. Choose a method that makes you feel slightly uncomfortable but that you are able to handle. You could look through books with photos of horses, watch videos of horses online, or pick a movie with horses featured in it. Don't rush yourself and only work at a pace that you feel comfortable with. If there is a specific type of horse that you feel afraid of, try to gear the desensitization towards this type. For example, you may be scared of small ponies if you were bitten by one as a child or you may feel fearful of larger horses if you have had a particularly traumatic fall. There are many different ways to begin the desensitization process. You could draw pictures of horses, look at stuffed animal horses, or view horse-themed art. Observe a horse from a distance. Once you feel comfortable with the idea of horses without being physically near one, move on to being within the same vicinity as one but at a distance. You could watch a horse grazing in a paddock, visit a friend who has a horse or observe a horse at a local stable or show. Keep your distance from the horse at first and don't go any closer to it than you feel comfortable with. Try calling a local stable and asking if you can tour the facility and watch people ride horses during the stable's business hours. Gradually you can begin to get closer to the horse as you feel more confident. Make sure that you are with the horse's owner and that the horse is a calm, reliable type. Spend some time just watching the horse first to see how it behaves. Then, start to get closer when you feel ready. Depending on your level of fear, this may mean just taking a few steps closer at a time or it may mean approaching the horse if you feel comfortable. While you are observing the horse you will hopefully feel yourself beginning to relax. Spend the time just watching the horse's behavior, taking in the environment, and noticing how you feel. Simply just being around the horse for as long as you need may help immensely. Pet a calm, gentle horse when you feel ready. As you begin to feel more confident being within the same vicinity as horses, you will start to feel more comfortable with the idea of touching one. Make sure that you are with someone who knows the horse and who understands your fear, as they can help to guide you through the process. Let the horse sniff your hand first. Then, gently place your hand on the side of the horse's neck. If you feel very anxious or uncomfortable at any point, simply step away. Go back to a point in the desensitization process where you felt comfortable and work up from there again. You can return to the horse at a later stage when you feel ready. Seek help from a therapist if you are struggling to overcome your fear. Some people find it too difficult to overcome their fear of horses by themselves and a little help can go a long way. A professional counselor, sports psychologist, or psychotherapist will be able to work with you towards overcoming your fear of being around horses. They may work through exercises with you or suggest a specific type of therapy such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT can provide you with many effective tools like exposure therapy to help you to cope and gradually overcome your fear of horses. Get a riding coach that you trust and who understands your fear. A competent riding coach will be able to guide you through the process of riding and creating a positive experience out of it. Spend time with different riding coaches until you find one that you gel with and who you feel can adequately support you in your goal of overcoming your fear. The riding coach will also help to adjust your riding, as your anxiety may be hindering your position and aids. Your riding coach will also be able to match you with a horse that is suitable for helping you to overcome your fear. The riding coach will find a horse for you that is reliable, safe, and experienced. You will learn to enjoy riding again with the right horse and the right coach. Take riding gradually and set small goals to accomplish. When you feel anxious about riding, it's best not to push yourself and to work at a pace that you feel comfortable with. Don't push yourself during lessons and set small, achievable goals that you can work towards. For example, spend a month or two building up the confidence to canter rather than launching straight into it. Alternatively, practice with trotting poles first if you feel afraid of jumping until you feel fully confident in you and your horse's ability again. Build up your physical strength to help you to feel secure when riding. If you feel physically stronger, you will feel both more confident in the saddle and in your riding ability. Practice balance , strength , and flexibility exercises. Riders who are physically fit are less likely to injure themselves if they fall. Practice positive self-talk while you’re riding. Many riders are plagued by negative self-talk if they feel anxious about riding, which hinders their confidence and continues the cycle of fear. Identify the negative self-talk that you give yourself while you ride, such as, “I'm a bad rider,” or “If I try that fence again, I'm going to fall off and get hurt.” Replace these negative statements with positive ones such as, “I feel anxious right now but I can keep riding while I experience this feeling,” or “I feel more confident in the saddle every day. I can do this.” Changing negative self-talk to positive self-talk can take a while. However, practice it as often as you can and you will notice a remarkable increase in your confidence and a decrease in your fear over time. Visualize yourself responding positively to difficult riding situations. Visualization is a powerful tool which you can use to create a new, positive experience for yourself while riding. Create a mental video of what you correcting a particular problem looks like. For example, perhaps in the past your horse spooked and you fell off, causing you to be afraid of falling again. Visualize yourself remaining relaxed, confident, and stable in the saddle so that you are better prepared if your horse spooks again. While you are visualizing yourself riding in the way that you want to, try to relax your posture and be mindful. You can do this both in and out of the saddle. Practice relaxation techniques to remove tension while you ride. When a rider is nervous or anxious, their body will become tense and the horse will feel tense in response, which only increases the rider's fear. Practice a deep, steady breathing pattern that follows the rhythm of your horse's stride. Try to relax any areas of your body that feel tense. Not only does breathing calmly and relaxing your body in the saddle help to reduce your anxiety, but it will also make you a better rider. You will be able to make the most of your ability and skills when you are relaxed. You will also be able to communicate more effectively with your horse. 
Look at pictures or videos of horses to begin desensitizing yourself. Observe a horse from a distance. Pet a calm, gentle horse when you feel ready. Seek help from a therapist if you are struggling to overcome your fear. Get a riding coach that you trust and who understands your fear. Take riding gradually and set small goals to accomplish. Build up your physical strength to help you to feel secure when riding. Practice positive self-talk while you’re riding. Visualize yourself responding positively to difficult riding situations. Practice relaxation techniques to remove tension while you ride. 