Imp

[NoviceNic]

Imp I was reading in another thread that you had a lesson booked for this weekend just gone. How did it go??? How did you feel at the start of the lesson and then at the end??? I bet Megan was a little diamond...:)

[Imp]

Hi there, thanks for picking this up :D

I posted a short vid of my daughter, I think you saw it, as it was so bitterly cold and raining at the time our lesson was scheduled (4pm Sunday) that we postponed until Thursday morning :o Megan so hates schooling I wanted her lessons to be positive experiences for her so we did some in hand work in the school this weekend, lots of carrots for doing what she was asked. She absolutely LOVED it happily :D

To be honest, wimp, wimp, I was a bit relieved not to ride as I was sooo nervous I felt sick that morning :rolleyes: Stupid aren't I? I haven't ridden her since I've had her because I had a car crash in January and suffered whiplash injury which is why my daughter has been her only rider so far. The few weeks I've had out of the saddle have dashed my confidence to ride somewhat but I am committed to doing it on Thursday, even if we just walk around a bit, I have requested 1/2 day's leave from work that morning to make sure I actually go (it's my last 1/2 day until the next annual leave year so it's a bit committment all round) :cool:

:p :D

[Whatanejit]

Ooh Imp!

Good luck for Thursday - go for it and try not to think about it too much :rolleyes:

I really know where you are going from, though.

I was riding for a few years and then had a car accident under high winds where a tree fell on our car:eek: :eek:

I didn't ride for 4 years:eek:

Nothing to do with the horses more that I felt really vulnerable for the first time in my life and afraid of making the damage worse.

I missed riding and horses so much.:o :o

Husband persuaded me to buy us lessons for his birthday 2 years ago on Valentine's Day - once back on I felt like my user name.

Whatanejit:eek:

Why did I stay away for so long? - Hooked ever since and now I've go my own!!!

We'll be thinking about you and look forward to your post.

:D :D

xx

[NoviceNic]

I dont think you are an idiot Imp. I openly admit I am not the most confident of riders. I had lessons for 2 yrs but never really progressed as everytime they changed my horse it knocked my confidence. So I thought I would buy my own and ride more to get rid of those nerves. Well my 1st buy was a complete nightmare for 9 months. I swore I would never buy again and then I met Captain. He blew me away. When I first had him at home I used to make myself go up to the field and tack him up and sit on his back. Somedays I would only walk around for 5 mins. Somedays I would have a little trot. Others I watched my Non horsey son walk him around. I know what you mean about feeling sick. I would get all hot and sticky and start to cough. Sometimes I really felt as though I would be sick.:o My OH turned to me one day and said "Are you sure it's nerves and not just anxiety?". I thought about it and looked at anxiety as a positive feeling as I was so excited for things to work out that I felt sick. My advise to you would be to turn your feelings into a positive thought. That will help you get on. Other advise would be to get on Megan's back every day. Even if it only to sit there and give her a hug around her neck. Dont run, dont try being a hero. Keep Megan at your pace and just smile. This time next year you will wonder what you were worried about. I do wish we lived closer I would be able to help you with Megan. I think it is better for 2 nervous nellies to work through their fears than on their own. You can always PM me. I bet I have had the same feelings you are going through and maybe I can help from a distance. Sorry this is long...

[cazrider]

Very best of luck tomorrow Imp.:D I've been there too, with my mare before Sennie. Zero confidence, for various reasons. So bad I ended up paying someone to ride her.:eek:

Just take it at your pace, but do yourself a favour and don't let yourself get away with not getting on at all. I only say that as I could find ANY excuse not to ride (weather, too tired, you name it), and you have a lovely built in daughtery excuse if you wanted to use it.;)

Lots of hugs from here.:D :D

[Imp]

Aww, thanks for your lovely supportive messages, you really are all great friends :D

Novice Nic, I wish you lived nearer to me too, I'd love to have somebody to cling to and to nag me when necessary to just get on with it :rolleyes: What a sweet thing to say though, thanks :D

I'm feeling a bit nervous now, tomorrow morning - it's going to happen :eek: !!! I'll be fiiiiinnnneeee :p

[flump1967]

Imp, I will be thinking of you, but I am sure you will be fine. Think of all the people who would have ridden Megan at the riding school - she must be a good girl or she couldn't have been allowed to hack out.
I think you should set yourself a very small goal at first- just think to yourself "I will get on and sit on her for 1 minute and then I can get off if I want to" and I bet you won't want to.
Very best wishes,
Wendy

[RustyMary]

Good luck Imp and don't forget to tell us all about it.

[Imp]

Oh dear, I'm fillin' up here, I'm not used to such a supportive environment (family excepted - phew, just in time :eek: ) :p

Rusty Mary said:

Good luck Imp and don't forget to tell us all about it.


I don't think there's any danger of that I'm afraid... I'm fast becoming a Megan bore :rolleyes:

Thanks Wendy, good advice which I'm going to asign as my mantra for tomorrow "I can get off if I want to" Always the simple things which make us see sense... Of course I can, no worries (motivating self here :cool: )

[HairyCob]

I know where you are with the nervous/anxiety thing Imp.... been there, done it, still doing it!

Every time I ride Dolly it is with my heart in my mouth...the 'what if's' just won't go away:o

But, as others have suggested, I have set myself very small goals... tack her up, get on, get off if I want.... tack her up, get on, walk to the yard gate, (About 5 yards!), get off if I want...tack her up, get on...

Well you get the picture! I'm lucky 'cause I have my YO to ride out with, and I'm not so nervous riding with someone else, but the days that she isn't around or doesn't want to ride, I've STILL tacked up, got on, achieved my goal and a little bit more each time.

I confess that I haven't actually taken her off the premesis on my own yet, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I'd far rather ride for fifteen minutes up and down the driveway (half mile driveway- lucky!) and ENJOY it and FEEL SAFE than push myself to do the 45min hack round the loop and be terrified- she'd pick up on it, and I'd no doubt end up on my arse;)

But I will get there, and I know that by the summer I'll be happily hacking her out on my own for two or three hours..... may take me longer than that to pluck up the courage to ride her in the open fields though:rolleyes: :eek:

Keep going at YOUR pace... don't let anyone even attempt to bully or shame you into doing more than you're ready to do. You'll be fine, and will build up a fantastic relationship with the gorgeous Megan at the same time:D

Good luck for tomorrow:D

[RustyMary]

No chance of getting bored with Megan, all the Dollies or any of the other new horses - those of us who 'own' horses vicariously through you can't get enough of hearing about it!:D

[Kimo]

I used to get nervous before lessons, and they were really laid-back, too. Then one day, I looked forward to it. Really strange...

But nowadays with my horse I'm back to baby steps. They do work. Today I'll just saddle up. Today I'll just sit on her. Today I'll do two laps.

Some good advice I got once was to set a goal to walk, and only walk, for SIX MONTHS! Chances are you'll get bored and move onto trotting/cantering sooner. But if you have it firmly in your mind that you'll never go faster than a walk for SIX MONTHS suddenly a ton and a half of pressure has been lifted off your shoulders.

I'm done with one month of walking... Five to go! ;)

[Little Dolphins]

Hi Imp! My first go aboard HQ tomorrow morning(since my little problem in the first week), as the saddle is coming! RI is booked in to be there, plus all the yard peeps available to hold me on and walk round with me!!
I MUST get on and do riding; have become quite happy just looking after and doing groundwork. :p

Good luck, try to enjoy, know how you feel:)

[NoviceNic]

Have you got a guinea pig??? A guinea pig is a person who is more confident than yourself who will gladly pop on Megan first if in doubt. For my daughter's pony I have 2 guinea pigs. My nephew and my friend's daughter. They know they are guinea pigs and dont mind they are more confident than my 7 yr old daughter. They gladly pop onto Bonnie and walk her around and then say " There no problem". Then Jazz will get on smiling. I am my friends Guinea Pig. She has stopped riding all together over the winter. Fair weather rider only. Once it warms up I said I will get on her boy and walk him around and show her he is a complete Angel. I will of course be whispering in his ear to be a good boy or no extra tea for him..:p

Imp and LD I will be thinking of you both tomorrow. An update and piccies of course is absolutely essential..:D

[Imp]

Little Dolphins, I know exactly what you mean about loving the ground/stable work side of it.. I almost feel like there's no point in riding :eek: *sharp intake of breath* did I say that!!!?

Novice Nic: my daughter has been riding her and is doing so well, I really do feel like I'm letter her, Megand and myself down beign such a wuss :(

[horsey1]

How did the lesson go:D

[Imp]

horsey1 : How did the lesson go

I'm afraid it went like this http://www.newrider.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=74137 :cool:

Thanks for checking in :D