uncomfortable ride = nervousness

[bonit]

Help - anyone got any advice on how 2 overcome my nervousness. i'm 31 been riding for 3 years - my Thoroughbred passed away (on whom i was doing well) and i now ride a Friesan (native to the Netherlands - big bulky horses used mainly for driving). He has huge strides and the first couple of steps in the trot it feels as if he is going off like a rocket under me - lets not even talk about his canter!!!! I came off quite badly last year June (loosing consciousness) but have been walking since (his name is Boesman and he is a real rock - doesn't budge for anything)..... funny thing is he started bucking (all over the arena) and i managed to sit through it - its when it stopped that i came off????? I Now ride Oro Nero (same breed). Problem is i tend to get nervous and lean forward - obviously my boy picks it up!. He is trained in dressage, driving and apparently hacks out without a problem - although when i ride him out he tends to panic at the slightest thing - even a bird taking off from the bush!!! i am desperate to regain my confidence and even more so to ride Boesman again - I would give anything to be able to trot without loosing my breath and oh - to canter again!!!:( :(

[Wally]

To become confident you need help from a kind, steady forgiving horse. Once you have regained your confidence then you can go back and ride horses of mettle like Fresians.....who are known for thier ability to turn heads in the show ring. What you need to get back to confidence is a real confident horse with no issues of his own.

Horses often look to their rider for leadership, if you are not confident enough to ride a forward going, spooky horse he will be worse and a vicious circle will develope and you will be on the losing side.

Find a complete stodge to ride, one who has level, gaits and will not launch you. Fresians are known for their extravigant gaits and huge action. They are not for the faint hearted.

His bucking does concern me, horses don't usually start to buck for no reason, it could be saddle, teeth, bridle or even confidence in him self or lack of it. But there must be a reason especially if it is out of character for him.

First thing is find a kind old pony who can get the smile back on your face, once you have the smile back then you can work up to the "silly grin"....which usually comes with doing things that a grown woman should know better about!:D :D :D

[Miriam]

Originally posted by Wally


Fresians are known for their extravigant gaits and huge action. They are not for the faint hearted.



Wally I used to think that Fresians were not for the nervous riders and actually refused when I was offered a Fresian to ride in the riding school. The week before I had been watching a lesson when someone jumped this Fresian over a fence and the rider fell off. However I was persuaded into riding him with the 'He is a gentle giant and if you don't like him once you have rode him then we can exchange him for something else'. Ok I thought trust you instructor they know the horse. I have to admit that I asked for him every week until he was sold along with his partner. I loved ridng him out as he never seemed to put a foot wrong. I did not look forward to learning to canter or jump him though (at the time we were only at the trotting stage) but as he was sold before I ever got this far I guess I had nothing to worry about. I just wish that I had got the chance :(
I have to agree about the trot though it did take time to get used to it.

Many years later I rode a Fresian X whcih I did get a chance to have a slight canter on when he took off after the other horse we were with spooked at a rabbit. He had such a lovely canter.

[bonit]

thanks to you both. Wally - i thought about it long and hard re the bucking episode (after reading your comment) - all i can think of is perhaps it was because i had asked someone else to hold my horse while i assisted a child - when i looked again the young lady was riding Boesman into the arena - i did not think anything of it until i mounted him - he felt a little strange and i now recall her saying something about doing up my girth - do you think the girth could have been too tight and thus caused him discomfort??? I spent the whole of friday going through your site - and wow - so many of the questions were answered. I particularly enjoyed putting into practice the weight aids (using the seat bones) Oro - the second of the Friesans i ride - was an absolute dream on Saturday - i managed to ride him for an hour solid without a problem - on a long rein - he even halted no problem.... so the problem is definitely with me and not my horse!!! i spoke to his owner as well and she tells me that he was used regularly for riding for the disabled and would take blind people and people with one arm or leg out on outrides and they all seemed to love him..... Its just this old girl that must get right..... all your comments on nervoursness state that things should be taken slowly ... so i have decided to go on an outride but take it as far from the stables as i feel comfortable and then come back when i start feeling a little "iffy". I really love Oro and he really is a gentle giant but i will take your advice and look for a school with a large docile ride for myself to help me come along on the courage side...... i really have to thank you guys - its great to find a site that is so encouraging, informative and fun!!! (pitty we don't have any of this in South Africa - there are so many horse-mad people out here and so many wide open spaces in which to enjoy them.......:) )

[Wally]

Miriam, you have put my point across better than I did, they look intimidating, they have flair and may be more of a mental off put for the rider than an actual one.

The ones I have seen have been reliable but not daisy cutting plods.

[galadriel]

Originally posted by bonit
i managed to ride him for an hour solid without a problem - on a long rein - he even halted no problem....

Sounds like you're relaxing some, anyway :) Great!

... so i have decided to go on an outride but take it as far from the stables as i feel comfortable and then come back when i start feeling a little "iffy".

I mostly replied to encourage you; this is a great way to go about building confidence. Just do as much as you feel comfortable with, and stop. Get off and lead if you don't feel all right about riding back! Riding when you're tense will only be painful to you and the horse. Relax, enjoy yourself. Don't push to accomplish (what's the deadline?)

Glad you had a good ride on Saturday :)

[bonit]

Thanks galadriel - generally speaking i do tend to push myself a bit - and get frustrated when i don't see results straight away (bit of a bad trait i know) - its taken a long time but i think i am getting through to my boys a bit. On Sat the older of the two (Boesman - which is Afrikaans for Bush Man) allowed me to touch his face, really touch it, stoke it - which he doesn't normally do - he is very head shy. Oro was hillarious - i was busy bathing him and was soaping up his rear - he turned around as was very interested in watching what i was doing - when i was finished (and he was all dry - Jeeze those manes take long to dry!!:D he put his head on my shoulder. What noble animals we are so blessed to have. Not a day goes by (even the days when i have an absolutely awful ride) that i am not grateful for these prescious gifts:)

[Miriam]

Originally posted by Wally
Miriam, you have put my point across better than I did, they look intimidating, they have flair and may be more of a mental off put for the rider than an actual one.

The ones I have seen have been reliable but not daisy cutting plods.

Why thank you Wally what a nice thing to say. I was only passing on my experience with a few Fresians. I would have loved to have bought a Fresian, but there are not that many in my area. Ben was a bit of a plod but Fresco was not exactlya plod but he would not take off for no reason either. Maybe they were both just so well trained as I hear a lot of people say that Fresians do not make very good first time horses.

I do think the bigger horses do have a flair for putting some people off. I have a freind with a lovely 17hh who I hated the thought of riding but again she is just a gentle giant (or so I thought until the other day when I heard she had spooked, took off bucking and bronking :eek: ). Mind I have to say even this has not put me off ever geting on her back again :D

[bonit]

Just thought i would keep u posted - went on an outride with Oro on Wednesday evening - a ride that usually takes 50 minutes was completed in 30 (i'm sure if any other horse was with us it woudl have had to trot to keep up to him) my groom accompanied me on foot (his idea and for that i idea i am ever so grateful). He did stop at some of the higher walls not wanting to go on and spook at a drain pipe (after we passed about 6 of them - strange boy) but other than the turbo charge it was fun..... When we got back Oro's numnah was drenched!!! Anyway i felt a bit better after that and have managed to find an instructor who is prepared to come out to us (it just happens that she is a BHS II instructor who has just immigrated - goes by the name of Sara Hogg) she seems to think that she'll have me riding side saddle in no time (lol) :confused: (right now all i'm worried about is staying in my own gp saddle:D