Confidence issue discovered today

emma'n'zak

emma'n'zak

Member
Dec 5, 2008
63
0
6
Aylesbury
Sorry this may be a bit long. Last July I finally had enough money to get my first horse aged 26 :) So started the search saw a few none really sutiable. Then viewed this lovely tbX mare who was amazing rode in the school no problems lovely paces top of my budget but thought she would be worth it. Took her in a field (the school wasn't great) saw her rode in there before i got on walk, trot all good started to canter then she fell :( I thought i was OK but decided not to buy incase this is a common occurance. The day after i couldn't walk went to casualty all not good with the inside of my left knee swelled to 3/4 times it's size and half my leg went black with the bruising. Now in january and my knee still hurts a bit. This didn't stop my search for a horse and found a lovely balck gelding Zak, we have only been walking and small trots due to my injury but now it's feeling a bit better decided to canter him for first time today and couldn't I just froze :confused: and carried on trotting. I don't know what to do I have never been scared of cantering before my RI says just do what i'm comfortable with for now and the canter will come, but it's frustrating I really want to canter but when the opportunity is there I can't take it. I don't know how to overcome this, any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Maybe you just need time you say your knee still hurts a bit maybe once that has cleared up and you've had a bit more time it will come...(it has been said that a niggling injury and subconsciously hamper you so it my not just be the fear but the underlying 'i can't risk making my knee worse thoughts')


ok that sounds like a load of waffle when I read it back, I know what I mean tho hehe.

My RI always says the more you try and force things to happen when your not ready the less likely it is to go well don't punish yourself just take things as they come naturally
 
My advice would to be continue as is but with the addition of doing 1 transition from trot to canter and limiting the number of strides to maybe 5 at which point you return to trot again not matter how well it went. Stick to doing transitions work and begin increasing the number of this per session only when you feel happy to but doing at least one each time.

From the number of transitios per session you can then move onto doing more strides before effecting your downward transition.

Getting back into the habit is a basic form of NLP and I hope it will help you :)
 
Give yourself lots of time to have fun and bond with Zak. Don't pressure yourself. When you feel ready maybe ask your riding instructor to give you a lunge lesson on him and let her control the canter whilst you just sit back and enjoy yourself.
Do this as many times as it takes and move on only when you feel the time is right.
Your reaction is perfectly natural as is the healing process. It will come right with time.
Good luck x
 
You are probably not scared of cantering but because you are subconciously worried about your knee hurting. it should have got better by now after 6 months. You may have torn something inside from the sound of the injury. Did you go to the doctor at the time? Go to the GP and say that it still hurts. They may suggest physio or to have an arthroscopy which is keyhole surgery to assess the joint then if anything is torn or injured they can smooth it off. (I am a theatre nurse in orthopaedics which is why I am suggesting this!) If you keep on working your knee and it is injured you may end up with a long term problem and make it worse. if you can get it sorted by physio or a small operation you can get on and enjoy your horse in the summer. At least you found a lovely horse by the sound of things. Good luck.
 
I agree with everything said above. Be careful of your knee, if you do feel uncomfortable then just take it easy. If your ok now then why not start to plan your schooling sessions. Think of doing your normal schooling making sure Zak is listening to you so you get a clean, tidy transition then for the first few sessions just do one canter for a few strides. Only saying this as this is how I started! When you are more comfortable riding it - you'll naturally start to ask for more without really thinking about it.

Just remember to not give yourself a hard time - we all sometimes have our confidence dented for one reason or another and it takes time to pick yourself up again.

Zak sounds like a nice sort so trust him and relax.

If only I could take my own advice! :rolleyes:
 
Thanks for all the advice. I have had my knee checked by MRI scan and it was just a lot of bruising which is now turning into fatty tisue or something don't quite get all the medical terms. I know I just have to go slow but i'm not a very patient person :eek: Thanks again i'm sure it will all come good in the end.
 
same feelings

I too had a fall, and borke a rib last sep. Have been gradually been building my confidence and bloody fell off just after christmas and broke my wrist, not the horses fault but my less then grt balance. Im still in plaster but have it off next week, and already feel nearvous at the prospect of getting back on. so i know how your feeling, your brave just geeting back on.x
 
You have now stored a memory, which contais a lot of emotion in it. This will do 2 things.. It will make any injuries remain painful for longer, and also unconscously interfere with your future riding. It is easily solvable, you just need to see an NLP practitioner, thats it period. Have someone who is use to doing this work on the memory with you, and yo would probably be over it in about an hour or so... Anything else will just be hard work...just get it sorted..:cool:
 
I've had confident issues with jumping, when i never had them before.. Jumping isnt really a big deal to me, so I just decided that if/when the notion took me, then I would.. but the jump would have to be nice, on level ground, and be really inviting for me to consider it, then, without thinking about it too much, pop over.

A biggie came when I had my horse up the pentland hills one day. there is a big log up there, and I have many times cantered past it, and let everyone else jump it... one day in a nice collected canter, I thought, it's now or never... we flew over it.. it felt fantastic... but i've never jumped it since!

it will come, but do not push yourself into one.. get your knee settled first, then get your trot going nice, the better and forward your trot, the better your canter will be. Remember you do not have to do more than a few strides at any one time. If you are having a lesson, your RI will not expect you to canter the full circuit, just down one side will be plenty for your first go.

Incidently I had a horrendous fall 16 years ago, in which I broke my hip. I was told I'd never ride again, but I did, and have taken part in some fun shows and Novice novice jumping too, then my confidence in jumping began to wane....
 
Have you been back to your dr, about your knee?? might be worth a referral to an orthopaedic surgeon to have a look and see what's going on. It might be that you chipped a bit of cartilage off.. that is most painful, but can be treated.
 
grounded?

:):)Sadly there seem to be lots of people just now who are grounded due in their own pesonal injury. At times like this most people are worried that the horse needs riding every day (although I believe that the horse is fine turned out in a field having an unshedueled holiday occasionaly). This is a good opportunity to learn "Join-Up" and some ground work games with your horse. It will open up a new dimmension to your relationship with your horse and you will both have fun. :) French
 
One of my biggest issues with riding was canter. For years I would not canter. Like you froze and paniced if anyone suggested it. Started off in short bursts. Then rode a lovely thb who had a lovely canter and she brought me on. There were times when she would not stop so had to go with her. But amazing thing was she was safe and I trusted her. Since then canter has come on in leaps and bounds.

Now to conquer the fear of jumping
 
A quick update. Thank you everyone for all the advice and support. I stoped beating myself up about this and rode in walk and trot which has helped his fitness more than anything else I think. Then Last night in the school I was really impressed with his trot and he was going so well I asked for canter :D I only managed a couple of steps before coming back to trot but I did it. I know next time it will be a for bit longer so just going to keep it short and sweet until confidence is restored fully, but that first step was definality the hardest.
 
Well done emma keep it up. I tried Jumping Peter the other day. Wasvery worried coming into the jump then he took two steps of canter, I froze and he went "oh so you dont want me to jump, ok" pulled round the jump and I nearly fell out the side door :eek: Not his fault poor lad
 
Well I have done it. Yesterday I managed to whole school in canter on both reins, don't know what changed but I have been so happy since. From here it is only onwards and upwards. Can't wait for the summer now and lots of long hacks with canters! Thank you everyone for the support.
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back