You know you are no longer a Nervious Nellie when:

[denise42]

You know you are no longer a Nervious Nellie when:

You horse spooks while you are into a turn on the forehand and she turns into a reiner and continues to " spin " all the way from the end of the arena to the center line...you are spun to the side of the horse ( picture the carnival ride " Twister " ) hanging on for dear life..and when all is said and done..you say ..hey that was kinda fun..now lets have a canter... :D

Your turn.... :p

[ajhainey]

Hmm..nothing as impressive as that (how DID you stay on? I hope you got a round of applause at least!) but lets see..

You get the giggles (instead of a panic attack) when your horse decides to semi-bolt through the forest over some jumps the kids have put up? (I haven't jumped in 15 years!!)

OR

You can hold a conversation about which way to go with the others in your group while dealing with a horse that is napping, spinning and generally very determined to go THAT WAY, preferably at high speed...My only comment aimed at the horse being 'oh for gods sake stand still will you, we'll be off in a minute'?

As long as I am out and about (i.e not in the school) and I trust the horse I've become suprisingly tolerant recently...unless there are hills of course in which case I'm a wreck!

It's a great feeling isn't it?

aj xx

[mayS]

My first hurdle was when my horse had an unexpected spook. I remained calm, stayed on and balanced, and I didn't immediately want to end my ride once he stopped.

I'm still a Nervous Nelly on other peoples' horses, but on my guy I feel like I can ride anywhere anytime.

[Alle]

When you're leading your frisky, silly mare who decides to practice her lateral moves and then spook and all you do is give a stern look and say behave, expecting that she will...and she does! Heh.

[Drummers mum]

When you ride up the orchard in the semi dark, pony feeling like a coiled spring acting like a giraffe, the adrenalins pumping and you laugh and wish that there was somewhere for a good gallop! :eek: :D

(We came home before there was an accident, lol! :D )

[cazrider]

You suddenly realise you're preparing for your ride and you're not feeling sick. Oh, and when you're riding you realise that for the first time in a very very long time, you're not shaking. :D

[Trewsers]

Hee heehe, you know you're not a nervous nellie anymore when your horse has been happily trotting around the school for some time and then suddenly decides it doesn't like the look of a pink jumping block (you weren't even jumping at the time) and it just cat leaps sideways and bolts towards the wall, and all you can say to OH who is watching in horror is "never lose your temper with your pony"!!! "its not her fault"!!! oh, and losing your stirrups isn't a big deal nor is hanging on literally by skill of thigh and material of jodphur........ :D :p

[horse__obsessed]

When you are riding a horse no-one else wants to ride. Everyone else has done their canters, and your instructor tells you to "Do whatever Glory's going to do", whereupon she takes off around the school in the fastest canter possible, and you keep her to the edge of the school so you can enjoy it for longer, and then almost die laughing when she stops!

[pedantic]

Plodding along with reins like washing lines in one hand nattering to someone riding next to you and dealing with a spook with only the amount of fuss necessary then straight back to nattering.

[NoviceNic]

You suddenly realise you're preparing for your ride and you're not feeling sick. Oh, and when you're riding you realise that for the first time in a very very long time, you're not shaking. :D

I ditto that sick feeling. I remember the first time I had Captain at home. I could of physically vomitted everytime I got on him only to walk. But I dont get that any more. Just my knees trembling sometimes. ;)

[Mary Poppins]

I took the lead on a hack today with a rider who wasn't sure of her pony and was nervous. I had never ridden my pony at the front before but he was an absolute star. At one point the horses next to the field we were riding past started to canter and both our ponies spooked, but it really didn't bother me and I was able to carry on without a second thought - I have finally got over my hacking nerves.....

[joang863]

When I saw my instructor come up to me with a beautiful, strange horse that I had never ridden, and I couldn't wait to get on him! Then I hated to get off! I dont know if Im less nervous, or more stupid!

[Retty]

You get annoyed when weather is too bad to ride rather than feeling releived!
You look for places to canter
Your horses spooks whilst in canter and surges forward and you not worried at all
trotting one handed whilst chatting to mates
putting horse on feed that has a bit more "go" in it!
Taken ages and ages but boy is it worth it! However, I am only like this on my trusted steed and think I would be nervous nellie on someone elses horse! :D

[lisae]

When you are out walking your normally sedate mare down the road and to her right is a 5' ditch. Coming at you suddenly down the road is a large diesel truck pulling a 20' aluminum livestock trailer that's rattling. Mare decides it's coming to eat her and starts to jig and thrash about in place and before she can have a complete freak out you pull her tight, stick your bony elbow into her neck and say "pay attention - your biggest problem right now is me!" and SHE BELIEVES YOU! and stops the misbehavior. :D

[Wobblydeb]

When you get a fast, slightly outta control canter..... and SMILE :D

[momofsix]

Just yesterday also for me--
When I was saddling up Abby, I realized I forgot my girth at home. I was thinking about just putting her away and going home. I have never ridden her bareback--and I haven't ridden without a saddle in months.
But I wanted to ride so bad--so I climbed on bareback, rode forever and ended up cantering her fast, with my hands in her mane and hair flying in the wind. All of a sudden I thought--this is what I thought having a horse is all about. If you would have told me even a month ago that I would ever canter my TB without a saddle outside, I would have never believed it!

[alliecatalex]

When you are able to laugh while riding your horse at a canter bareback letting go of the reins and stretching your arms our like you are flying...

and

When you ride a green boke horse, you get bucked off (summersault over the neck of the horse), have a good laugh, then get right back on ready for more.

[pedantic]

Your all making me jealous with this cantering about everywhere :p

[Mary Poppins]

When you are able to laugh while riding your horse at a canter bareback letting go of the reins and stretching your arms our like you are flying....

I would slip straight off if I tried that. My version would simply be laughing while having a normal canter complete with saddle!

[hackedoff]

........when you're in Colorado on a strange horse riding in Western tack sans hat sans body protector galloping across an arena chasing down two steers with pointy horns.............. LAUGHING!!!!!!

[ANN H]

. . . when you've just hacked for 40 mins. to get to your destination (open fields and hills) and say 'shall we have a gallop now?'

[SupaTania]

When your horse trips to his ankles, tries to rebalance immediately trips to his knees, then trips again attempting to rebalance, all the while you're on him as quiet as can be so he can compose himself without having to compose you as well.

(normally I'd want to die at this point, and ask to jump off, but i gave him a pat, appologized for not having the farrier out to trim his toes, and carried on trotting. )

[coverblown]

when you enter your first clear round competition ....... go clear, and then


ASK to do the next class up!! And go clear in that too!