A bit scared!

[Bones]

I am ment to be riding a pony in a jumping class next week. I have only recently started jumping and the pony I am going to ride I was very nervous of up until a few months ago. I am fine riding him on the flat, and fine hacking him (I fell off him once on a hack- he bucked me off- that is why I was nervous of riding him) I have never jumped him but have heard that he can be a bit stroppy when he jumps. No one has said exaclly what they mean by this. If it is simply running out and refusing then I can handle it, but if he starts bucking and trying to cart me then I'm not so sure! The area that we will be having the lesson in is not enclosed and is along side a stubble field, so I'm a bit worried that he will cart me into the stubble field (which leads to the cross country course and I'm definatly not ready for cross country!)
I did ride him in a dressge comp not that long ago and we did really well. My instructor even comented to some one that she thought we had really bonded and looked really good together. So I'm hoping that this is the case and he will take care of me when jumping and not muck about!
Does anyone have any tips for how I can calm myself down and stop having these day dreams about how he's going to buck on landing and send me flying over his shoulder onto the frosty ground!
I will ahve the choice of a few other ponies to ride, but my friends are going to be there (I know this sounds childish, I should be over peer preasure by now!) and I dont want to wimp out infrount of them. And I want to proove to myself that I can do it! But there's no way that I will if I feel scared!

Please help!!

Bones,

[FreedomStar]

well, first of all, how well do you know this horse? Ask around, watch someone else jumping him. By stopping, I think they mean he runs out, of flat out balks at a jump, but with some encouragement he should be fine. Do not start over big jumps!! Start with some ground poles trotting them, then put them up to a small crossbar, then a small vertical. Just do a little bit each lesson.

[Bones]

freedom star- I have known him from the ground for about 4 years. and have had the odd hack on him until this summer when I loaned him and rode him about three times a week. Hence how we have a bit of a bond now.

The lesson will be a one off as I dont ride at the stables that he is kept at. I just help there. (but there is the posibility that we will be getting lessons over the winter as the stables is only open during the term time)

I have never seen him jump, and none of my friends have ever jumped him. (I was hearing things from the instructor who will be teaching us. hearing them second hand mind!)

But the lesson might not go ahead as the weather is so awfull and we would have been jumping outside.

If we do do it and I'm on him I will start slow. I have never jumped higher than my knee so wont be jumping higher than that anyway!

And when it comes down to it. When I'm there and doing it I have a tendancy to know when to quit so wonldnt go on and jump silly heights!

I just have to be calm and not think silly things.

I am perfectly capable of controlling him!

I just dont have much faith in my own abilities!

[FreedomStar]

well, first of all, DON'T JUMP HIM IF YOU DON'T FEEL YOU'RE READY. Sometimes people need a push, but if you don't feel you are ready, no one will force you. Just take it at your own pace. I'd suggest doing a bounce line. Set up 4 standards with poles in between them. Then put up the last one to a small crossbar. To get to the crossbar, you'll have to trot through the poles. The put up the third jump to a crossbar. Then the second one, then the first one. Or you could just put up three jumps and leave the first one. What this will be doing is making you concentrate about going over the bounce line correctly, instead of the horse you are riding. So worry about how you're approaching the jump, if you're coming in right, etc. not how the horse will respond to the jump. The thing is, you need to have an I can do it attitude. If you don't think you can do it, you can't. If you can, then you will do it. So go out there and just do it!(nike...:))

[mikka]

It's really a shame that you've been given information about this horse's "stroppiness" without knowing exactly why he's earned such a reputation. Now you don't know what to expect except that it might be bad. Can you talk it over with your instructor to get some pointers on how he behaves when jumping? Perhaps concrete information will help you to plan your response if his acting up repertoire is established. Having to face the unknown will, understandably, make you dread your class because your imagination will be taking you to all sorts of awful places.

Get more details and, as others have said, don't do anything you're not comfortable with.

[As an aside, I've noticed a marked reluctance on the part of school staff to be candid about vices and behavioural quirks. I wonder if they fear legal repercussions if it can be proven that a given horse was known to be problematic?]

[NIKKI YOUNG]

I've had a lot of experience with young and fresh horses and have a farly good idea of what they can do when it comes to jumping!
If your horse is going to have a stupid attack and throw u off then you will know in plenty of time, it sounds like youve been riding this particular animal for quite some time so he wont surprise you if you get on well otherwise!
The best advice i had was when i was ridding a 4year old for the first time, and trying to teach her how to jump;
" keep straight, look forward, and keep your legs on hard!"
this does not however mean kick, when jumping squeeze with your legs it has a much better effect in my experience!!
you will b fine as long as you remember this as a horse jumps naturally with out a rider so you just concentrate on the approach.
The only other thing that your horse may do is go flat out at the fence and stop at the very last minute,,,,,it caught me by surprise the first time it happend to me because i relaxed thinkin that the horse i was riding loved jumpin but really she just loved to watch me fall off!!!!! so if this happens keep a firm contact on the horses mouth and keep your leg on.
Dont forget to tell it to take off aswell, if you cant use your legs to do this use your voice, u will find your horse has a preferance to one of these!
GOOD LUCK!!!xxxx;) ;)