Lost my confidence jumping!

[Carolynmac]

Help!!!

I've had my mare Corrie, for about 4 years and though never done 'serious' showjumping, was always quite confident about popping over jumps up to about 2ft6, and no issues and was quite happy with that, we had fun!

Then decided we needed to have some lessons - and it all went horribly wrong! Had about 6 lessons with a BSJA instructor, didn't feel like he really taught me and the jumps just went up and up!

Had a few falls (my fault, far to in front of the movement and if she put in an extra wee stride I went out the front door!). Since then I have steadily got more terrified by the week, and Corrie is sensing it and she is rushing at the jumps or running out - because my hearts not in it!

Have had a couple of lessons recently from a new instructor who is great, starting right back at basics and things were going much better and I started to feel a bit more confident, then I fell off again! Now I have cancelled last lesson and wondering if I will have the courage to jump again! Though I do really want to and Corrie does seem to love it (when I do!)!

I honestly feel petrified when I even think about jumping but I don't want to be like this. In other areas I am confident and also feel OK doing XC. Just got a real block about show jumping!

Any advice about confidence building - I feel like I am in a negative cycle and just can't get out of it!

Feeling like a right numpty!!!

[punxmafia]

I have a friend that even the slighest mistake over a fence and her confidence drops dramatically and we have to take a few sessions to bulid it up again.

What she does is messes about, nothing serious having a bit of fun over a small course of jumps. She will jump them all in her own time in no order, just what ever she feels like. Then maybe her confidence will go up and she will try a few in sequence and then after a while of that she may ask me to put a single one she finds easy a slight bit higher, no pressure its all up to her. Sometimes she may even ask a jump to differ maybe a spread (She has a dramatic fear of them).

its been about 6 months weeks and her confidedence is steadily improving, shes even jumped a water tray, big achievement! I even take the fun method with my horse who is learning to jump.

You will get there, good luck and don't forget no pressure just have fun!

[Painting Horses]

Something you can do is take three ground poles and put them on top of each other. You can work over those and wont have to think too about about how high you are going. You can also try sitting canter poles or two point over the poles to get use to timing. Also while your loping down each end of the arena count your horses strides and soon you can count them and see if you should be ready for a extra long stride or a shorty. Hope this helps :D this is just some easy stuff :D.