Have you ever been in the ring and avoided going into a particular corner because you’d been bucked off there, or have you passed on going for a solo hack because your horse got spooked by something? According to Megan Pinfield, those are trauma responses.
Megan and Tilly.
Megan has her PhD is a therapist and the owner of Pinfield Counselling Coaching Consulting in British Columbia. She’s been working with equestrians for more than 20 years, helping them deal with the riding fears they have and understanding where they come from.
The topics we cover are deep, talking about how she prefers terms like Acute or Chronic Trauma, that a rider’s fears have more to do with who they were before the event than most realize, overcoming the stigma of asking for mental health help, and the keys to self-compassion.
Her own horse story is unique and helps inform us of why she so passionately invested the time to learn how she could help equestrians overcome their fears and be more confident in the sport they love. She looks at her work through multiple lenses, and knows just how lucky she is to work with any rider who comes through her door.
Megan Pinfield can be found online at pccc.ca, and she’s also on Instagram under the handle under_your_helmet.
Listen to the episode here:
