I've just realised - I'm scared to ride my horse.

[NuttyMare]

Basically.

I'm happy in walk, and can get him walking really nicely, but trot I go to pieces, and my position is terrible :o I feel dreadfully out of control and almost guilty for being so terrible on my horse's back, so I always come back to walk. I can never get him to come back to walk, and so I panic and feel out of control.

Canter? I've only ever done about a circuit of it on him!! :eek:

How can I improve my confidence? Its very hard, as I constantly have overshadowing from certain people! When I was riding at a riding school I would be cantering, trotting, trying everything, no problem, on a certain horse who was my favourite. Then I stopped having lessons when I was bought my first horse and my riding has just gone to the ground :(

[Little Dolphins]

I'm often scared, too. Most of the time, really! It's all very different when you have your own horse, for some reason.

What I decided to do was simply to ride at walk until I got bored, and which would mean my confidence had improved. It's taken me months, but you know, now when I'm riding with another livery on a little hack, I'll trot. I'm feeling much happier.

Some folk urge me to get jumping and showing, as they probably imagine I'm not doing enough. But I am, for me and for my spooky horse;)

Listen to your own best instincts, if you can.

Good luck!:)

[Pink's lady]

Get lessons asap before you loose all confidence. Find a nice instructor who understands you're nervous. Try to got on twice a month, and in between ask for some things to practise.

A fully qualified instructor would be your best bet, but if you can't afford it, maybe a friend you trust and, most imptotantly, understands your nerves and doesn't try to push you too far.

Whatever you do, don't let your sister give you lessons;)

[BeachRiding]

Lessons! The best 'cure' for confidence problems!

[Guest]

Hate to echo but lessons, that is basically what happened to me with Grady in a nutshell. Sorry to be a wet blanket:(
So whats the update with Woody then?

[l7oopys]

If i were you i would get lessons!! asap!

Also join the pony club/ riding club is poss, as they hold group lessons for cheaper! and various training sessions!

[No_Angel]

woody is an ex racer right?
When i first got maddie who was an ex racer I couldnt do her trot at all, I was all over the place, wobbly legs, kept getting left behind, the works. I had a jumping saddle and found if I leant forward a little and jacked my stirrups right up I wasnt being left behind so much, but my legs were everywhere. I put up with this for over a year. I just didnt trot, hardly ever trot out on hacks and things, as she just got faster and I felt all wobbly and out of control, changing her bitless to her a happywheel from a dr cook helped aswell, I felt as to tho she understood what I was asking her and she didnt fight it. I then decided I was going to trial a different saddle, a fhoenix. It really made a difference to my riding, I no longer had wobbly legs in trot,I had a lovely secure position and I can trot for miles, instead of fighting her lovely powerfull trot I can go with it.
Id say get yourself a better saddle, maybe trial a fhoenix (so you can actually ride) and see if it helps at all. If his saddle isnt fitting him he most likely running away from the pain. Lessons probably would help you, but I think getting your horse sorted and kitted out properly first will help alot more than lessons.

[domane]

Some riding whilst being lunged will help you too. You can then concentrate on your own position and balance whilst you lunger has control of your horse. But I echo what everyone else has said... a good instructor and a few confidence-boosting lessons... they really help to boost the morale.... :)

[NuttyMare]

Here you go Bobbin :)

http://www.newrider.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=85667

[jenren!!]

Oh i can very much sympathise with you. I havent got on my horse for about 2 months. No chance. I just cant, and i wont, cant really explain why, i ride her fine, but she is opinionated and silly, and i hate it. So my friend rides her, and she is now for sale.

Lessons helped me, but even with lessons i got on the next day feeling no better. The 'click' just didnt come. Get lessons and see how you go, and try rescue remedies, confidence books, breathing etc.

Jenny xx

[KateWooten]

hmmm... sounds like priority number one has to be to get out from under the influence of 'whoever' is undermining your confidence.

When my pony was newly backed, I had my DH to come out and take pics. It was joePony's second ride ever. Just the day before I'd hopped on his back when nobody was around. DH took the pics and joe was doing great - we were on the front lawn and learning all about steering. I was focussing hard on the horse. Suddenly he started backing up. Wouldn't go forward, started acting 'disobedient'. I looked up and there on the lawn my evil neighbour had showed up to spit and be scornful. She was saying nothing, just standing with her arms folded looking daggers at the pony. Needless to say she 'was right all along, that horse is worthless and should go straight to the slaughterhouse'.

Nobody can relax under the influence of malevolent people, their influence is huge - even young ponies pick it up straight away. I hope your rotten influence person isn't as bad as all that - I don't know your story.. but if you can't relax and smile, and sing a silly song, and giggle a bit, then the horse will be tense and all over the place at a trot and so of course your lower leg will be unstable - which will make you less relaxed, which will make him tense and choppy ... etc etc etc you can't win on that one. You have to break the cycle.

Why not swing by here and we'll go go out and fool around on trails in the Smoky mountains and fall off a lot in creeks and rivers. It'll be fun and we'll get you trotting along in a silly fun happy way :)

[Daneva]

I know what you mean I was/am expericing similar problems but after going through abit of a panic I decided to just relax and stop worring. Just go with what you are comfortable with at present and just spend some time with him not necessarly riding just walking in hand maybe. Your horse isnt going anywhere so you have plenty of time to learn. Your confidence will come and you will want to move on with your riding skills.

Yesterday I had a breakthrough I managed to get into canter !! no real control yet but I dont mind it will come, afterall I didnt think it would ever happen.

[Lyndz & Siners]

i would definitly start taking lessons agian, see if you can get an instructor to come to your house if you keep it at home or just start taking them at the stable your boarding at if your boarding. But you really need to start taking lessons, if things dont improve you may want to look for a different horse

Also, you just need to gain each others trust, let him loose in your riding ring and run around with him, like a game, and do this alot, luike everyday, and lunge him sometimes, and just do stuff with him a lot,

this happened to me to, the horse i had on loan, bucked me off the second time riding him, because he had bucking problems, and whenever i cantered him, i would be so tense, because he would only ever buck when i cantered, and so i just kept riding him and didnt give uop, and then just on day that i got on him, i didnt tense up at all and we trusted each other completely and i was so glad i didnt trade my loan for a differnt horse, so dont give up until youve tried almost everything, but definitly start with lessons and maybe even take a couple lunge lessons and things just to get you more comfortble, but the main thing is you have to have confidence in you and your horse

[DeirdreBarlow]

If you think lessons would help then they'd definately be high on suggestion list :) and it does sound like you felt better when you were having them (I think theyre worth a shot at least). But I don't agree that theyre always the best way of dealing with confidence issues.

If ever I'm feeling a bit low in confidence, the absolute best "cure" is to concentrate on just having fun! If it's jumping I'm having problems with, I don't do the "work at it till you feel better at it" lark, I do the opposite and just forget jumping altogether. Usually, as soon as the pressure is off, my confidence returns.
Lessons can be fantastic fun of course, but lots of people are much better left to their own devices with this sort of thing.
You know you, you're the best judge of what you need - if you need an RI, then fine, if you need to stick at it, then do it, if you need to leave things for a while, then that's ok.
The only stipulation I'd make is you may want to consider asking someone else to work your horse some of the time (you don't want to add to your problems by having a horse who starts to get confused and/or naughty :rolleyes: ).
You might also want to think about having a ride on a different horse to see if it's an issue of other problems (ie, horse being unsuitable for your needs or the bond between you and your horse not being quite there yet).

[Tizer]

Agree with everyone if lessons work for you !

Me personnaly if I feel worried/nervous of something I just do a lot of what I am happy with and then just push my comfort zone slightly and finish on a good note, this can take a long time to overcome particular problems but hey ho what is the rush. There is always tomorrow !!!!:)

[toohorsemad]

I would advise getting a lunge lesson on your horse at first then you can move onto normal lessons just to improve your position. I lost my confience with competiting because my so called "friend" told me it was going to be low key so I went along with my YOUNG horse and it turned out to have x mas music blasting when you where doing your sj round and they're was tinsel, very scary jumps and x mas trees all over the arena... it was the spookiest course Ive ever seen and Vic freaked (which doesnt happen a lot) and we went to pieces! My so called friend helped design the course so she knew that it was going to be like that and she knew that it was my first show with Vic. I was in tears by the end and I got 32th out of 33 :( so I know what it feels like to lose all trust and confidence in your horse and its not nice. The only reason I didnt give up riding after that was because of Vic because even though he lost trust in me he knew I was really upset and was so sweet the next day! So Im sure your horse wont cart off with you or anything :) you just got to learn to trust him

[iluvhorses28]

I feel your pain! I too suffer fromt his.. now that I have my own horse...I feel like I would actually avoid riding her at times unless I have friends riding with me because I felt alone and helpless and UNSURE ...presence of others, such as in a class really does wonders for your confidence!

I took lessons again after I got Savannah, and even though I am just at ease at a walk ,trot situation in the arena (hacking is another issue!) I feel content even if I walked for half an hour in circles,changing directions... I think that all we need is time ON the saddle to get comfortable with our horses.

[jenren!!]

If you think lessons would help then they'd definately be high on suggestion list :) and it does sound like you felt better when you were having them (I think theyre worth a shot at least). But I don't agree that theyre always the best way of dealing with confidence issues.

If ever I'm feeling a bit low in confidence, the absolute best "cure" is to concentrate on just having fun! If it's jumping I'm having problems with, I don't do the "work at it till you feel better at it" lark, I do the opposite and just forget jumping altogether. Usually, as soon as the pressure is off, my confidence returns.
Lessons can be fantastic fun of course, but lots of people are much better left to their own devices with this sort of thing.
You know you, you're the best judge of what you need - if you need an RI, then fine, if you need to stick at it, then do it, if you need to leave things for a while, then that's ok.
The only stipulation I'd make is you may want to consider asking someone else to work your horse some of the time (you don't want to add to your problems by having a horse who starts to get confused and/or naughty :rolleyes: ).
You might also want to think about having a ride on a different horse to see if it's an issue of other problems (ie, horse being unsuitable for your needs or the bond between you and your horse not being quite there yet).

Couldnt have put it better myself :).

Are you feeling any better about it?

Jenny xx

[kryspyg]

I have to say its such a relief that other people have worries like this as I have felt recently like I'm alone in my fears! Not that i wish feeling unsure on anyone of course! ;)

I have always been a happy, confident rider who will try anything and any horse. I started a share last September and gradually become more and more anxious as I realised this mare was pretty uncontrollable. If she didnt want to stop she really wasnt going to! She had her nervy, spooky moods too and i tried every method to help her, including really relaxing myself and giving her a loose rein. Ended up falling off twice whilst riding out alone (riding with others would wind her up sadly) and the thought of hacking her out made me feel quite sick then!

All the right stuff has been said before but I would say take your time and don't worry about other people. I have stressed myself out before comparing myself to others and feeling like i'm being judged all the time until i snapped myself out of it and realised the most important thing is that i am enjoying what i'm doing. You dont need to be the best at what u do but u cant make urself unhappy.

I wish you all the best. I have only recently discovered this website but I am so pleased I have as its such a good support network! ;)

x

[Trewsers]

Oh dear, sorry to hear your having a bad time confidence wise. Finding a good instructor has got to be the answer - it was the only thing that helped me at first with Storm. :)

[Trewsers]

hmmm... I looked up and there on the lawn my evil neighbour had showed up to spit and be scornful. She was saying nothing, just standing with her arms folded looking daggers at the pony.



Golly your neighbour sounds dreadful:eek: Some people eh?!