It's Only the Wind: Anticipatory Anxiety and Equestrians

 I am continuing to suspend in-person hypnotherapy sessions with me in my office. However, phone, and Zoom consultations ARE and WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE! 

 

(This blog was originally posted on January 15, 2014)

 

Photo courtesy of Sara Fogan

 

One of the first things people learn about horses is that these animals (can) shy or “spook” at anything and everything—but wind is Public Enemy Number One. Even if it is just an errant breeze rustling the leaves in a tree overhead on an otherwise still day, the breath catches in our lungs and our heart pounding in our chest. If the Santa Ana Winds snaps a tree bough nearby, all bets are off: we instinctively prepare our bodies to make an unscheduled dismount in case (when) our horses bolt and head back to the security of the barn. We tighten our grip and/or shorten the reins (to get better control of the horse’s head and try to prevent him from looking at anything), collapse our ribcage and assume a “fetal position,” as described by Sally Swift, look down at the ground (ostensibly to choose the perfect landing spot, just in case) and tighten every muscle in the body as we prepare to hang onto our panicked steed (if we can) as soon as he takes off.

Your subconscious mind is likely to send these kinds of instructions to your body if your subconscious mental script and previous experience, knowledge and expectations tell you that this is how your horse will react in a specific situation. Consequently, your anticipation of a possible problem, or “anticipatory anxiety,” will virtually guarantee that your horse will act like there is really a problem because your body has told him that there is one. Here are some suggestions and visualization exercises that I provide for equestrians to override this automatic fear response so you can both enjoy the ride.

1. Be sure to eat some protein before you ride/work with your horse to help reduce anxiety and stabilize your mood. (For more information about the role of nutrition and anxiety, see my blog titled Nutrition and Development of Phobias).
2. Spend a few minutes practicing deep-breathing exercises before you go out to work with or ride your horse. While you are relaxing in an area of peace and quiet, visualize, imagine or picture the kind of ride you want to have with your horse. Sit up straight and tall in the saddle. This posture enables you breathe deeply and easily, which will help you to relax. It also tells your subconscious mind that you are relaxed and confident.
3. Think about/reflect on a very good ride or time that you recently spent with your horse. Bring up the positive images and emotions associated with that experience and then anchor that association by pressing or rubbing together the thumb and index (pointing) finger of either hand. You can activate this anchor any time to remind yourself how good, enjoyable, etc. it is to ride or be with your horse.
4. Send/think only positive images and expectations about the ride you are about to have: “I am confident and relaxed when I am on my horse. I am having a great ride.” Only use adjectives and emotions in this imagery that will increase your confidence, sense of control, etc. for and during the ride.
5. Reassure your horse that you are in control and are your horse’s leader during the ride. Give him plenty of ­physical/vocal rewards such as pats and praise, etc. to let him know that you are there and will take care of everything; all he needs to do is listen to you and do what you ask him to do. This physical and vocal contact isn’t just for your horse; it is also a way to comfort and reassure you, and reinforce your role of the brave, confident herd leader in your subconscious mind.
6. Practice some simple mounted exercises such as figure-eights, lateral work, etc. so you must focus on riding and interacting with your horse and your horse must focus on you (not what is going on around him).
7. Activate your finger-press anchor throughout the ride, as needed.

I hope these suggestions help you to relax and enjoy the time you spend with your horse, regardless of what is going on around you. I am not a riding instructor, and I encourage everyone to consult with a trainer or instructor to resolve riding and horse-related issues. However, I have found from personal experience as well as my hypnotherapy work with other equestrians that setting positive expectations for a good ride is the most effective way to achieve that goal. For more information about my hypnotherapy work with equestrians, please contact me via my website at www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com.

 

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. Sara has been voted the Best Hypnotherapist in Santa Clarita, California, four years in a row (2019-2022). For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/

© 2022

To All the Horses I Have Loved Before

I am continuing to suspend in-person hypnotherapy sessions with me in my office. However, phone, and Zoom consultations ARE and WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE! 

(This blog was originally posted on September 27, 2016)

Photo courtesy of Sara Fogan

Me and Galhoso (“Gally”), the horse who brought me back to riding.

 

 

 

This blog is dedicated with love to the memory of Galhoso (“Gally”), the Lusitano stallion who reignited my love for horses and riding. Rest in sweet peace, dear boy.

When I started my hypnotherapy training, an important focus of my original business plan was to help equestrians improve their communication and relationship with their equine partners, including overcome anxiety around horses and achieve competition goals. Of course, not all of my practice focuses on horses and riding. Smoking cessation, weight loss, overcoming fear of public speaking/performance anxiety, grief resolution and dealing with stress/anxiety are just a few of many other self-improvement goals I help my clients achieve. But I named my hypnotherapy practice Calminsense Hypnotherapy® in homage of my special interest in horses and riding. “Common Sense” is a colloquial expression that means “horse sense,” and I use the word “calm” many times during every hypnotherapy session. Recent queries about my work with equestrians inspired me to pay tribute to some of the horses that have been so special to me over the years.

• Paent (pronounced “Paint” and probably named because of his coloring). I rode him on a trail-ride during my one-and-only summer camp experience. He was probably an average-sized horse, about 15 or 15.2 hands high, but I was very little at age eight and he seemed huge. He was a gentle giant—i.e., he didn’t run off or try to dump me during the ride—and I begged my parents to let me take him home with me when I went home.
• Renege. I rode this grey gelding for a few years between the ages of about 11 and 15. My first-ever riding instructor owned him and his doppelganger, a gelding called Charlie. Trivia fact: Clint Eastwood is riding Renege in the first 10 minutes of High Plains Drifter. The gelding was very dirty in this scene, but he is definitely in those scenes. My trainer’s husband worked in the movie industry and owned the horses—or bought them right after the movie, I can’t remember. Renege was a little smaller than Charlie and rarely used in jumping lessons—which made him less popular in lessons—but I really bonded with him. I can still remember how slow and smooth Renege’s trot was; in fact, it was probably better categorized as a Western jog. His canter (lope) was also comparatively slow compared to the bolder stride that is desired in dressage. My memory of how wonderful his canter felt probably created the subconscious mental script that my subsequent trainers and I had to work hard re-write so I would feel comfortable riding a true medium (bold) canter.
• Galhoso (“Gally”). One of my dear friends co-owns a Lusitano stallion called Galhoso. Sadly, he passed away last week at the very respectable age of 31. His death may not have been completely unexpected, but it has been keenly felt by everyone who loved and cared for him. I am grateful that I was able to visit Gally a final time at the beginning of 2017, and he was as impressive and sweet as the first time we met about 15 years ago. At that first meeting, my friend asked if I would like to sit on him after their training session. She knew that I used to ride when I was a teenager and loved horses. The opportunity to get on a horse again and even trot him around on a lunge line for a few minutes was too good to be true. I admit that the idea of riding a stallion (!) was thrilling, and it still tickles me that I had that experience. That ride also was the beginning of my re-introduction to horses and riding as a passion and life-style. The following year I started taking regular riding lessons again and bought my first-ever horse. I now own a Lipizzan/Arabian gelding named Galahad whom I affectionately nick-named “Gally-had” a few months before Gally died. I don’t know why I started calling my boy that, but I will continue to do so in loving memory of that tremendous stallion who brought horses and riding back into my life all those years ago.
• Geeves. I bought him from my trainer at Silvergate Farms when I turned 35. As I liked to say, I knew I loved him before I ever met or rode him. Having lived in England for seven years I was a fan of the Jeeves and Wooster novels and television series. As soon as I heard there was a horse with that name at the barn I knew I had to meet him. My trainer was surprised when I asked to ride Geeves, but we soon became recognized as a kind of item at the barn: “Sara and Geeves.” At 16.2 hands high, the dark-brown gelding was (and remains) one of the biggest horses I have ever ridden. He was always very gentle with and even protective of me, as I was of him. He taught me how to enjoy every aspect of loving a horse—not just riding but grooming, hanging out on rainy days and worrying about every little thing that horse owners worry about, often unnecessarily. Geeves and I were together for nearly eight years and it’s nearly six years since he passed away. I still miss him every day, and I remember every lesson he taught me.
• Candy. I leased this sweet part-Arabian mare for about a year after Geeves died. I had actually been riding her at the end of Geeves’ life because his arthritis was getting worse. I wasn’t ready to own another horse yet, but the schooling mare and I were a good fit as far as size and my riding goals/ability. She took me to my first horse shows, and even though I knew she wouldn’t be a permanent part of my life I am grateful for the time I got to spend with her while I was grieving for my horse.
• Galahad. I met Avalon’s Galahad in 2011. Our introduction was similar to how I discovered Geeves. A friend (now current trainer) owned a training barn and Arabian-horse breeding facility; when I finally started looking for a horse of my own, she gave me a DVD of some of the horses she was offering for sale at the time. My interest piqued the instant Galahad appeared in the frames. Learning about the horse’s part-Lipizzan pedigree was like a dream come true. The dancing white horses of the Spanish Riding School symbolized the ultimate of classical dressage training, and I could have a chance to become part of that story. The first time Galahad was brought out for me to watch him work at liberty, even my trainer agreed he seemed to be flirting with me in a way he didn’t behave with another prospective buyer. The first time I got on him for a ride, the gelding cocked a hind leg and dropped his head, waiting patiently as I adjusted my stirrups. “Well, he’s made up his mind!” My trainer said with a laugh, noting Galahad’s relaxation with me on board.

So had I, and we’ve been together ever since.

 

 

 

Special Discount for Military Personnel & 1^st Responders

 

Special Offer: 25 percent discount off the first hypnotherapy session for all active/retired military personnel and first responders (police, fire-fighters, EMT/paramedics, ambulance personnel, emergency dispatchers, ER physicians and nurses, COVID-19 Ward staff).

*Not to be combined with any other promotions or discounts. Offer not redeemable for cash.

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. Sara has been voted the Best Hypnotherapist in Santa Clarita, California, three years in a row (2019, 2020, 2021). For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/

© 2022

  

It's Only the Wind

 In compliance with current WHO and CDC recommendations to minimize risk of exposure to and spread of the COVID-19 virus, I am temporarily suspending in-person hypnotherapy sessions with me in my office. However, phone and Skype/Zoom consultations ARE and WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE! 

 

 

(This blog was originally posted on January 15, 2014)

 

 

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

 

 

 

One of the first things people learn about horses is that these animals (can) shy or “spook” at anything and everything—but wind is Public Enemy Number One. Even if it is just an errant breeze rustling the leaves in a tree overhead on an otherwise still day, the breath catches in our lungs and our heart pounding in our chest. If the Santa Ana Winds snaps a tree bough nearby, all bets are off: we instinctively prepare our bodies to make an unscheduled dismount in case (when) our horses bolt and head back to the security of the barn. We tighten our grip and/or shorten the reins (to get better control of the horse’s head and try to prevent him from looking at anything), collapse our rib-cage and assume a “fetal position,” as described by Sally Swift, look down at the ground (ostensibly to choose the perfect landing spot, just in case) and tighten every muscle in the body as we prepare to hang onto our panicked steed (if we can) as soon as he takes off.

Your subconscious mind is likely to send these kinds of instructions to your body if your mental script and previous experience, knowledge and expectations tell you that this is how your horse will react in a specific situation. Consequently, your anticipation of a possible problem, or “anticipatory anxiety,” will virtually guarantee that your horse will act like there is really a problem because your body has told him that there is one. Here are some suggestions and visualization exercises that I provide for equestrians to override this automatic fear response so you can both enjoy the ride.

• Be sure to eat some protein before you ride/work with your horse to help reduce anxiety and stabilize your mood. (For more information about the role of nutrition and anxiety, see my blog titled Nutrition and Development of Phobias).

• Spend a few minutes practicing deep-breathing exercises before you go out to work with or ride your horse. While you are relaxing in an area of peace and quiet, visualize, imagine or picture the kind of ride you want to have with your horse. Sit up straight and tall in the saddle. This posture enables you breathe deeply and easily, which will help you to relax. It also tells your subconscious mind that you are relaxed and confident.

• Think about/reflect on a very good ride or time that you recently spent with your horse. Bring up the positive images and emotions associated with that experience and then anchor that association by pressing or rubbing together the thumb and index (pointing) finger of either hand. You can activate this anchor any time to remind yourself how good, enjoyable, etc. it is to ride or be with your horse.

• Send/think only positive images and expectations about the ride you are about to have: “I am confident and relaxed when I am on my horse. I am having a great ride.” Only use adjectives and emotions in this imagery that will increase your confidence, sense of control, etc. for and during the ride.

• Reassure your horse that you are in control and are your horse’s leader during the ride. Give him plenty of ­physical/vocal rewards such as pats and praise, etc. to let him know that you are there and will take care of everything; all he needs to do is listen to you and do what you ask him to do. This physical and vocal contact isn’t just for your horse; it is also a way to comfort and reassure you, and reinforce your role of the brave, confident herd leader in your subconscious mind.

• Practice some simple mounted exercises such as figure-eights, lateral work, etc. so you must focus on riding and interacting with your horse and your horse must focus on you (not what is going on around him).

•  Activate your finger-press anchor throughout the ride, as needed.

I hope these suggestions help you to relax and enjoy the time you spend with your horse, regardless of what is going on around you. I am not a riding instructor, and I encourage everyone to consult with a trainer or instructor to resolve riding and horse-related issues. However, I have found from personal experience as well as my hypnotherapy work with other equestrians that setting positive expectations for a good ride is the most effective way to achieve that goal. For more information about my hypnotherapy work with equestrians, please contact me via my website at www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com.

 

Limited-Time Offer: Free Phone, Skype or Zoom Consultation

This is a great opportunity to find out why hypnosis is so effective and how hypnotherapy can help you achieve your self-improvement goals. Call/send me a text message at (661) 433-9430 or send me an e-mail at calminsensehypnosis@yahoo.com to set up your free, 30-minute phone, Skype or Zoom consultation, today! (Limited to one consultation per person.)

Offer valid through September 30, 2020.

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. In July 2019 she was voted the Best Hypnotherapist in Santa Clarita, California. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2020

 

               

To All the Horses I Have Loved Before

In light of the current WHO and CDC recommendations to minimize risk of exposure to and spread of the COVID-19 virus, I am temporarily suspending in-person hypnotherapy sessions with me in my office. However, phone and Skype consultations ARE and WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE! 

(This blog was originally posted on September 27, 2016)

Photo courtesy of Sara Fogan

Me and Galhoso (“Gally”), the Lusitano stallion who brought me back to riding.

This blog is dedicated with love to the memory of Galhoso (“Gally”), the Lusitano stallion who reignited my love for horses and riding. Rest in sweet peace, dear boy.

When I started my hypnotherapy training, an important focus of my original business plan was to help equestrians improve their communication and relationship with their equine partners, including overcome anxiety around horses and achieve competition goals. Of course, not all of my practice focuses on horses and riding. Smoking cessation, weight loss, overcoming fear of public speaking/performance anxiety, grief resolution and dealing with stress/anxiety are just a few of many other self-improvement goals I help my clients achieve. But I named my hypnotherapy practice Calminsense Hypnotherapy® in homage of my special interest in horses and riding. “Common Sense” is a colloquial expression that means “horse sense,” and I use the word “calm” many times during every hypnotherapy session. Recent queries about my work with equestrians inspired me to pay tribute to some of the horses that have been so special to me over the years.

·         Paent (pronounced “Paint” and probably named because of his coloring). I rode him on a trail-ride during my one-and-only summer camp experience. He was probably an average-sized horse, about 15 or 15.2 hands high, but I was very little at age eight and he seemed huge. He was a gentle giant—i.e., he didn’t run off or try to dump me during the ride—and I begged my parents to let me take him home with me when I went home.

·         Renege. I rode this grey gelding for a few years between the ages of about 11 and 15. My first-ever riding instructor owned him and his doppelganger, a gelding called Charlie. Trivia fact: Clint Eastwood is riding Renege in the first 10 minutes of High Plains Drifter. The gelding was very dirty in this scene, but he is definitely in those scenes. My trainer’s husband worked in the movie industry and owned the horses—or bought them right after the movie, I can’t remember. Renege was a little smaller than Charlie and rarely used in jumping lessons—which made him less popular in lessons—but I really bonded with him. I can still remember how slow and smooth Renege’s trot was; in fact, it was probably better categorized as a Western jog. His canter (lope) was also comparatively slow compared to the bolder stride that is desired in dressage. My memory of how wonderful his canter felt probably created the subconscious mental script that my subsequent trainers and I had to work hard re-write so I would feel comfortable riding a true medium (bold) canter.

·         Galhoso (“Gally”). One of my dear friends co-owns a Lusitano stallion called Galhoso. Sadly, he passed away last week at the very respectable age of 31. His death may not have been completely unexpected, but it has been keenly felt by everyone who loved and cared for him. I am grateful that I was able to visit Gally a final time at the beginning of 2017, and he was as impressive and sweet as the first time we met about 15 years ago. At that first meeting, my friend asked if I would like to sit on him after their training session. She knew that I used to ride when I was a teenager and loved horses. The opportunity to get on a horse again and even trot him around on a lunge line for a few minutes was too good to be true. I admit that the idea of riding a stallion (!) was thrilling, and it still tickles me that I had that experience. That ride also was the beginning of my re-introduction to horses and riding as a passion and life-style. The following year I started taking regular riding lessons again and bought my first-ever horse. I now own a Lipizzaner/Arabian gelding named Galahad whom I affectionately nick-named “Gally-had” a few months before Gally died. I don’t know why I started calling my boy that, but I will continue to do so in loving memory of that tremendous stallion who brought horses and riding back into my life all those years ago.

·         Geeves. I bought him from my trainer at Silvergate Farms when I turned 35. As I liked to say, I knew I loved him before I ever met or rode him. Having lived in England for seven years I was a fan of the Jeeves and Wooster novels and television series. As soon as I heard there was a horse with that name at the barn I knew I had to meet him. My trainer was surprised when I asked to ride Geeves, but we soon became recognized as a kind of item at the barn: “Sara and Geeves.” At 16.2 hands high, the dark-brown gelding was (and remains) one of the biggest horses I have ever ridden. He was always very gentle with and even protective of me, as I was of him. He taught me how to enjoy every aspect of loving a horse—not just riding but grooming, hanging out on rainy days and worrying about every little thing that horse owners worry about, often unnecessarily. Geeves and I were together for nearly eight years and it’s nearly six years since he passed away. I still miss him every day, and I remember every lesson he taught me.

·         Candy. I leased this sweet part-Arabian mare for about a year after Geeves died. I had actually been riding her at the end of Geeves’ life because his arthritis was getting worse. I wasn’t ready to own another horse yet, but the schooling mare and I were a good fit as far as size and my riding goals/ability. She took me to my first horse shows and even though I knew she wouldn’t be a permanent part of my life, I am grateful for the time I got to spend with her while I was grieving for my horse.

·         Galahad. I met Avalon’s Galahad in 2011. Our introduction was similar to how I discovered Geeves. A friend (former trainer) owned a training barn and Arabian-horse breeding facility; when I finally started looking for a horse of my own, she gave me a DVD of some of the horses she was offering for sale at the time. My interest piqued the instant Galahad appeared in the frames. Learning about the horse’s part-Lipizzaner pedigree was like a dream come true. The dancing white horses of the Spanish Riding School symbolized the ultimate of classical dressage training, and I could have a chance to become part of that story. The first time Galahad was brought out for me to watch him work at liberty, even my trainer agreed he seemed to be flirting with me in a way he didn’t behave with another prospective buyer. The first time I got on him for a ride, the gelding cocked a hind leg and dropped his head, waiting patiently as I adjusted my stirrups. “Well, he’s made up his mind!” My trainer said with a laugh, noting Galahad’s relaxation with me on board.

So had I, and we’ve been together ever since.

Special Offer!

Save 15 percent on all a la carte (individual) phone and Skype hypnotherapy sessions, including the 2-hour introductory First Session!

*This offer may not be combined with other promotional discounts/session packages and is not redeemable for cash. Offer expires on June 30, 2020

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. In July 2019 she was voted the Best Hypnotherapist in Santa Clarita, California. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2020