new horse to ride and im nervous

[nf ponies rock!]

Hi i was wondering if anybody could give me some advice on nerves.

When i go for a riding lesson at my stables and i am riding a horse i have never ridden before i get really nervous!:(

I get nervous and i think the horse picks up on this because in my last lesson i was riding a new horse and for half the lesson he was playing up and not keeping to the track(probably my fault!) But half way through the lesson i relaxed and had a really good time on the horse

any tips on getting over the nerves cause i fell as if im wasting half of my lessons if im riding a new horse!!!:(

[kedwards]

First, let me assure you that it isn't a waste. Yes, it may slow your progress for that particular lesson, but it can help your skills as a rider in the long run to ride a variety of horses.

My best advice, is to give yourself plenty of time to collect yourself and relax before you get on and again just after you get on. Perhaps develop a routine that works for you. For example, you might find it helps to take a few moments while warming up to tune everything out for a moment, take slow steady breaths, and really feel the rhythm of the horse. Once you've taken some time to relax yourself and the horse, and you've got a good sense of his natural rhythm in walk, begin to test out each of the aids to see how he responds. For example, how does he respond when you still your seat and ask for a halt? How does he respond when you slowly take up the rein? From the halt, how does he respond when you relax your seat and give an extremely light leg aid?

Remember, at first, you're just getting to know him (and he you). You're just asking him questions and seeing how he answers. This initial assessment during warmup will give you a good sense of how he's likely to respond later on, and what things you may need to work on.

[horseygal90]

Like Kedwards said, you need to ask them questions at the beggining, then see how they respond. Try walking a figure of 8 or some circles (if you are allowed to do a free warm up) and lots of downwards transitions. Try and get used to their stride.
Do you think that the hieght differences may have something to do with it? If the new horse is bigger than the one you rode last time, then take a little more time to make sure you can stop him, and you'll feel more confident.

[Wobblydeb]

:) I know exactly how you feel!!! Horrible isn't it? You turn up for your lesson looking forward to it because you had a good time before, then out of the blue you're faced with an unknown quantity (and the poor horse is probably feeling the same way!).

I get nervous too, and I know it makes me tense up, so my riding gets worse and I am more likely to fall off. So it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and becomes a bad lesson :rolleyes:

Anyway..... one thing I have found that helps is to get someone to give me an honest but positive description of the horse I am about to get on. I know that there is nothing to beat riding a horse to understand how it will go for you, but having someone tell me a bit about them makes me more confident about actually getting on in the first place! ..... It doesn't have to be a long conversation, just a simple "so what is this girl like to ride then?" can help. That way you find out if they are fast, or slow, need sensitive handling, or a whip to make them listen. And if they do have a potentially scary habit (like bucking when you go into canter) at least you are prepared for it!

Even a good instructor may not say anything, simply because they know that the horse is safe, but forget/don't realise how scary a strange horse can be for us learners! :)

[nf ponies rock!]

thanks wobblydeb at leats i know im not the only one
and my mums family live near nothumberland!

[laura jeanne]

I rode 9 different horses in my first year of lessons because every time my instructor got a new horse, she would have me ride it. I wasn't always happy about it because my husband almost always got to ride the same horse and I felt like that was an advantage.

But now I can see that it was really good for me and feel like it was a good opportunity to get used to riding different horses. I liked some of the horses a lot and didn't like 2 of them. On my last lesson there, I rode a horse that knew so much more than I did that I accidentally did a perfect shoulder in and a flying lead change because I gave the aids for that without knowing it!!

My instructor would always tell me something about the horse but sometimes it was something like, "this horse only knows neck reining" -- well, thanks, but I don't!!

I agree with Kedwards tho, just take each lesson and horse and you will learn a lot.