getting back in the saddle

Question
a few years ago i had a bad horse accident. i ended up coming off my horse and he stepped on the back of my upper arm and crushed all the bones. it has healed and i have full use of arm now which they didnt think i would have. when i was in the hospital my husband got rid of all my horses and trailer. since that time i have left him and have gotten back into horse ownership. i have a 5 year old appendix quarter horse who looks like she is all tb. she is laid back but every once in a while a little attitude comes out. the problem i am having is i am a little nervous to be around horses. i am a lot more jumpy that i used to be. i think of the what if scenarios and i can see that my horse is reacting to my nervousness. do you have any suggestions on what i could do to build a good relationship with my horse and to finally put the bad accident behind me.

Answer
Hello,
Funny this question should come to me on the eve of being kicked by a horse I know very well. All horses can be unpredictable. The best advise I can give is to take the issue on as an assignment. Take a stick and tie a plastic bag to the end, start slowly and bring the bag towards the horse and then take it away. When working on teaching a horse to understand new things we use the method of approach and retreat. When the horse looks at the new object, just before they decide to run from it, take it away. If your horse is too terrified to look at the bag hold the end of your lead rope walk away and as you do move the bag from side to side. Where ever your horse runs to keep turning so they are behind you and keep this up until they can follow you confidently and then stop. That release shows the horse that if they are nervous about something the answer is to look at it and be still. Then you can incorporate the same idea with a tarp on the ground etc. It is our job to show the horse, and get them used to, all the strangest things on the ground so once we get on we know we are on a thinking, soft horse.
Write me and let me know how it is going for you.
Best Wishes