Lost my bottle last night!

[nicolamary]

Hi - I had my 5th lesson yesterday evening (not previously ridden for 17 years but it's going well) and I feel like my confidence has been knocked.

I have ridden the same horse for all my lessons (she is 16.2h, the biggest horse they have) and last night whilst doing rising trot round the school she kept stumbling! No one else seems to have a problem with their horse doing this and my instructer tells me she does it quite a bit and that the indoor school needed raking!

However, on the 3rd stumble I got scared and completely tensed up, I started to image the what if's and my bottle went.

I wasn't out of sync and was the most advanced beginner in the class, my instructor didn't have any complaints about me last night but how can I stop this happening, is it my fault and what can I do to correct her when she does this?

:eek:

[katieB]

Hi NicolaMary,
Ive just started riding again after a break (only 2 yrs) and I know what you mean about confidence getting knocked. Ive found that i think "what ifs" sometimes. Thankfully this has become less frequent as ive progressed. Some horses are prone to tripping in the school, it could be just cos she's being a bit lazy and not picking her feet up properly (most likely) so make sure you have the horse marching forward rather than dragging her feet. A horse at the school used to do that and that was because she had trouble with her. Hope this helps.
Kate

[sallym]

Don't worry, this is quite a normal reaction. You must be quite well balanced to have coped so well. Did the horse stumble in your previous lessons? If not, it could be the arena surface and hopefully they will get it raked. Horses do sometimes stumble if they are being a bit lazy and just slopping along. Just realised I am cross posting with KatieB so I'll stop on the stumbling bit!

Best wishes

Sally

[Santorium]

The horse I ride trips all the time and it still worries me - less than it once did though 'cos she's never fallen after a trip (yet).

[Piaffe]

My horse does this even out on a hack! - he's just lazy in walk - trot canter and gallop he's fine (thank god!).

If you feel your horse is dragging his feet, take up a bit more contact with the reins and put your leg on a little stronger to make him walk forwards into your hands. This should help him to 'track up' and pick up his feet instead of dragging them!

Your instructor should be helping you with this really - if you are worried, have a word.

Agree with the others, if the arena hasn't been raked for a while, it will cause deep and shallow parts which doesn't help the horses way of going!

[nicolamary]

She didn't do it in the last lesson but she has done it before in canter.

When she stumbled last night on three consecutive occasions (hence the scardy cat me) we were in a fairly fast trot. Its as if she is dropping her shoulder (or at least that's how it feels to me).

I just sort of scooped her up and used plenty of leg which seemed to bring her back up but it really is denting my confidence. My instructer said something about that fact that she is so heavy in her stride (well I think this what she said but I could be wrong - I was scared and not taking much in at this point).

[sallym]

The most important thing is to sit up straight, then you won't fall off even if she trips quite badly. The natural temptation when you tense up is to curl up or lean forward.

[Piaffe]

Are you able to ask for another horse next lesson? I feel you need to be able to make a comparison.

You could well be right, she's dropping her shoulder - she may need shoeing, may have an injury in the shoulder etc.

If you could ride another horse next lesson, you could see if that horse stumbles too - in which case it is most probably the arena.

[nicolamary]

Come to think of it one instructor on my 2nd lesson told me not to turn her too sharply as she has a tendancy to put her shoulder out. Maybe she does have a weakness.

Thanks for all the advice.

[CityGirl]

OT but I love the phrase "lost my bottle" Much better than "I'm scared s#*@less" which is what I usually say;) :D
"Losing my bottle" makes it seem much - better somehow!

[DorsetMartin]

Canter @ your 5th lesson!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, I've had 12 lessons & canter was suggested last time. Perhaps next lesson.
Oh that's 13!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nicolamary]

DorsetMartin - don't be disheartened

I rode a lot as a kid so that's probably why I'm now cantering so soon (they even had me cantering on my bloody first lesson.......suppose I react well to being thrown in at the deep end).