by Amanda Ines

Created on: February 01, 2011   Last Updated: February 04, 2011

Apart from the possible physical damage of it all, a horse riding accident can very often traumatize the mind of any budding new student rider for good, and at times even an experienced rider, unless of course some steps are taken in order to reverse the damage both physically and mentally.

It is often said that one should get up onto a horse again immediately after a fall precisely in order to avoid fear or traumatization from setting in but of course in some cases, due to injuries sustained, this may not be possible until some weeks or even months after the event.

Assuming that the injuries are severe and need their time in which to heal hindering the rider from getting up again onto the horse in question or any other horse for that matter, psychological help must be given early on apart from the medical help .

The first thing to bear in mind is that unfortunately many people have car accidents but as this is their means of transport hardly any of them decide to never get into a car again because it just wouldn't be practical. In the same light there are millions of people that ride horses all over the world, whether it be for work, for sport or for pleasure, but neither do most of those that have had riding accidents decide never to get up on a horse again.

Admittedly riding has extra dangers to be taken into consideration in that a horse does not behave or respond exactly like a car where there are commands of stop, start, left, right and brake! With a horse one also has to take into account a whole load of other elements such as whether the horse has been frightened by some thing, whether he or she is in a bad mood or whether it just boils down to the fact that you are not riding a horse that is suitable for you.

When one mentions 'suitable horse' in riding terms it means that horses and riders should always be matched according to their capacity. You are not usually going to put a 10 year old girl who is learning how to ride on a three year old thoroughbred colt who has been broken in just enough in order to race!

This colt would not be a suitable horse for a young girl, unless of course the girl was extremely gifted. A suitable horse for a young novice rider would be a 16 (and over) year old horse that had mainly been used for quite hacks in the country, had had extensive schooling in obedience and was virtually bomb proof!

This author knows of a case where a father of his12 year old daughter, who was just starting to learn how to ride, decided that

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