Rider Confidence

[NoviceNic]

I have owned Captain over 3 yrs. The first summer we went to loads of Shows and did loads of clear rounds. But the following Summer we had issues with him bolting. So that meant loss of confidence and control at home and at Shows. The 3rd Summer I fell off and landed on my head. The 4th Summer and I want to jump. I have had fortnightly lessons and had him schooled since last May improving Captains and I's flatwork, balance and control. ;)

I am mobile now. I go and watch other people at indoor jumping shows. I watch 7yo whizzing round on ponies. I walk away all excited and say I am gonna go to the next one, yet I just dont have the confidence to take him and have a go. :o

How do I get over this? How do I push myself out of my comfort zone...:confused: Have you been in the same situation and gotten over it?? How....:confused:

[xxxkristinaxxx]

Sounds like you have been throught a lot with Captain. If I was in your shoes I would hire out a showjumping course, maybe with a few friends and just have a practise and pretend you are in a competition.

I haven't been in the same situation, if I had the chance to take Samson anywhere I would though but we haven't got a trailer so we just stick to local things.

Sometimes it is good to get out of your comfort zone, you may really enjoy yourself! However if you don't feel ready then don't pressure yourself into it.
Good luck with whatever you do! x

[coyote]

is it his and your ability at jumping or is it remembering his behaviour last time he was bolting?? i would go and have a couple of jumping lessons as you suggested and take it from there,im not there yet but i bet when nelly is old enough to jump i'll be needing a nappy.:eek:

[NoviceNic]

You see I think half of it is the impulsion. It gives me the similar feeling to bolting. :eek: So then I haul him in with the gag...and then he cant get over the jump. :o

Kristina - You have a very good idea there. Thank you. I would never of thought of doing that...:o

[eml]

When I get in a corner of 'want to... not do' I revert to my old trainer who just scares me slightly. I trust him totally that if he says 'do it' I will be safe but he makes me get out of my comfort zone as I would never say 'no' to him.

Mind you he trained daughter for Stage 4 and had them jumping plastic garden chairs for fun! (apparently practice for skinny XC jumps :eek:)

Find an RI who makes you want to do it!

[thoroughlybred1]

Why not take him and NOT have a go? just go along and ride in the warm up, maybe pop the practise fence a few times - no pressure.

Then maybe try a baby class - HC if necc - just to gain confidence.

Do you have a riding club that organizes clinics? Ours did one a few months ago for people that used to "do it", but for what ever reason (having kids, falls, long break) think they can no longer "do it".

Among the participants (and yes i was one) were people that competed to intermediate eventing level in the past, and we ALL went back to basics. Some needed to go back to trotting poles in order to regain their past confidence - but that was OK! With a sympathetic instructor who had been given the correct directive everyone that attended came away with a sense of achievement. Some ended up jumping 3'6"" courses, others 2' cross poles. But EVERYONE had started at the same place........lack of confidence

[x.fat-pony.x]

Have you got a friend who can go with you and Captain to a show, let them jump on and do perhaps a clear round?
That way you can see if Captain still has a 'bolting head' or not.

x

[NoviceNic]

I do have a Guinea Pig. :p Although it wont be the same as having a go myself will it...:)

[Sam (aka SLW)]

If you can get someone lese to take him round you will be able to see what he is like and that will aid your confidence and encourage you to want to do it.

I would find a RI you really trust and just let them push you. With my teaching experience, people who tend to "grab hold of the horses mouth" coming into jumps, I take there reins away and make them hold their arms out like an aeroplane over small grids, on school horses obviously. This works everytime but will only suit some people depending on how much us RI's can push/scare them into doing it lol :D:D

[Tots N Dots]

maybe you need to practice "letting go"?
I have a similar issue
walk round and let the reins drop, just for a few seconds
then trot round and do the same etc etc
just push yourself that little bit, then you will be able to do it for a jump?
just a thought?

[NoviceNic]

I have jumped him without reins. Arms out like an aeroplane. Felt like I was flying...:D

[Tots N Dots]

I have jumped him without reins. Arms out like an aeroplane. Felt like I was flying...:D
then why do you need to pull him up at a jump? I am not quite sure i understand? :o

[NoviceNic]

cause he goes flat out gallop at the wrong jump hun...:D

[mu0ljk]

I reckon using your guinea pig could be a good idea ;)

That way you could go there ride him (if you wanted to) and then your friend could take him into the ring and do a clear round on him. And then see how you feel. It might make you want to get on him and try the clear round yourself? It might be the push you need?

Or just go up on your own with no plan of ridng the course but knowing that you have the option to if you want to. That way (in fact either way) you are not under any pressure to jump a round.

I did that with Dylan when I first got him. We went to an open show with the possibity of taking part in a showing class and clear round. I did the clear round (just about stayed on) but not the showing class as he was being rather strong and wanting to be with the other horses (didn't think it was a good idea to do a showing class where we had to all canter round together what with the mood he was in!).

Hiring a set of show jumps and just having a play might be a good idea too. Would probably be inclined to do that myself. :)

[KateWooten]

I've had a kind of similar issue with Summer - she gets fast, and tanks off with me, even in a walk. She just sets her neck, grabs the bit and hauls me around. I can always get her back within a few strides at slower paces ... but cantering round jumps, she could sometimes take me the length of the arena before I got her back (and it's a HUUUGE arena :eek: )

Well, what I'd found I'd been doing was gaining control over her, by always slowing her down. Which is fine. As long as you never need to go fast or energetically. Even though I thought I'd been adressing her issues, by always addressing them from within my own comfort zone (walk and trot, and only galloping outside of the arena), I'd never really tackled them at all.

So, last week, I booked a lesson in front of her old owner (with an instructor - her old owner is the YO there). Major Pressure - I've had her a year, and she should be under control by now, but she's no batter than when I first got her.

The day before the lesson, I took her to the arena and walked and trotted her around. She was high as a kite, calling, tanking off with me, not listening at all. After an hour, she was still high. So I had to 'up the pace'. Not listening, trying to take control all the time, fighting ... I can understnad why she's like it ... BUT it's now gone on long enough, and it had to stop.

And it did, but the solution was pretty ugly for a few minutes. I put her in a fast canter down the rail ... sat down and asked her to stop ... counted one, two, three ... and just on one rein, pulled her towards the fence. She stopped - she had to - she had nowhere to go - and the momemtum carried us round so we faced the other way ... up the fence, fast canter ... sit ... one, two, three ... and back round again. Up and down the fence. Over and over. Only the first couple of stops were ugly.

Then we went to work walking and trotting our 20m circles. Every time she chose not to, I'd bring her back to the fence...

The next day we had a very successful lesson, and a week later are raising the jumps, doing the bounce doubles and grids and stuff ... she's teaching me to jump - she's my reliable jump pony now. No fight, no spook, it's all gone. Yet just over a week ago, she was exactly the same tanking off pony that the YO threw at me in despair, in the same arena, with the same instructor, saying 'Kate, do you want to buy this as just a trail horse, I just can't deal with her any longer'.

I think what I'm trying to say is - Captain has to listen to you. It's not a confidence issue on your part to not want to jump a horse in public, who is liable to quit listening, and tank off with you. He has to listen. There are a bunch of things you can do, that exercise I did is called 'doubling' it's a western thing. It's about moving the horse's feet with high energy, and with no chance of a horse choosing to say no. Tanking off with you between jumps - I saw CA doing an exercise where he'd one-rein the horse after every jump and trot round in bendy circles each way, get the horse soft, before going on to tackle the second jump. It took minutes to break the horse's habit of 'taking control'.

[mu0ljk]

I think what I'm trying to say is - Captain has to listen to you. It's not a confidence issue on your part to not want to jump a horse in public, who is liable to quit listening, and tank off with you. He has to listen. .


No it's quite a sensible reaction actually! I agree - there is no point in pushing yourself into doing something if Captain isn't ready. I was going to do the clear round next month but yesterday's incident has shown me that we're not ready as a partnership to go and do a round let alone where there's lots of people and horses around to distract us.

Like you, I want to but I know it would be a bit daft considering the lack of control I have when jumping a the mo! :o

[Sammii]

I'm not sure what anyone else has wrriten because i've got a headache, but wanted to reply! :)

Would it help, do you think, to see someone else jump him round and then you'll get so insanely jealous and frustrated that you'll kick her off and have a go yourself? :D

[NoviceNic]

Would it help, do you think, to see someone else jump him round and then you'll get so insanely jealous and frustrated that you'll kick her off and have a go yourself? :D


God yes. Would you like to come and ride him round Sammii so I can get insanley jealous and come and kick you off....:p

[Sammii]

God yes. Would you like to come and ride him round Sammii so I can get insanley jealous and come and kick you off....:p

:o Firstly, I didn't realise how much it looked like I was hinting to come and ride...that wasnt my intention, i was trying to make it sound jokey - but i sounded cheeky instead :eek: Even so, I would feel honoured to help you Nic :D (which reminds me, I need to speak to you later, I shall PM or talk over MSN - exciting stuff ;))

[SO1]

is he ok to jump at home? i think i would not start jumping at shows again until you feel confident at home. If you don't have access to jumps at home is there anywhere nearby where you could go like a riding school where they have jumps so you could have a lesson.

Once you feel confident jumping at home then progress to shows and start with the clear rounds they normal start off at small heights like 1.3ft.

I used to jump a very speedy excitable horse and we went back to basics just practising cantering over poles and then jumping more often so it was less exciting and then at show making sure I sat very quietly and just letting her go.

I now have a youngster and he is not a very experienced jumper but less speedy have not jumped at a show yet but having lessons and practising. Steering is any issue so working on that again over canter poles and x-poles.

With confidence issues I find the best thing is to start small and remain positive about your achivements and don't compare yourself too much to others!

[Sammii]

Hey Nic,
Did you get my PM last night?
:)
x

[NoviceNic]

is he ok to jump at home?

With confidence issues I find the best thing is to start small and remain positive about your achivements and don't compare yourself too much to others!

He does enjoy jumping. We only have the odd jump up cant manage a course of them due to lack of room. And unfortunately it is too wet at the moment to practise outside in the paddock. Im sure that this will improve in the Spring.

I usually jump 2ft. Anything smaller and he just wont jump it. He just doesnt pick his feet up and drops the poles. :rolleyes: