I have quite a few people who contact me because they have lost their confidence around horses. Sometimes there is no direct cause and effect; no single event or incident that they can point to. To me, confidence is as slippery as a fish and it can be knocked by life events well away from the horse - just growing older, having children, dealing with grief or pressure can be undermining - it may well be the brain's way of protecting us from further risk. Sometimes it takes an outsider to make the connection. I was helped by an airport book that told me that only the good feel guilty and that we are not in control (of everything). That day a huge weight shifted off my shoulders and I have felt better ever since. Kelly has just published a book which looks specifically at confidence around horses and it's reassuring to know that even people like Kelly have faltered from time to time - she was really worried about driving her horsebox (but then I would be, it's quite posh!).
