Not sure why I bothered today

OwnedbyChanter

With out my boys life would be bland
Apr 16, 2009
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Raininghamshire
First lesson on Ginger for a month and feel like we are back to day one.:banghead: My shoulder aches for his constant leaning, he would not bend or give and argued for 45 minutes.

I can honestly say sometimes riding him makes me feel like a complete beginner all over again.

I then got ask to ride one of the other Ex racers on the yard and to my complete shame I rode him really badly as well. As Ginger was so heavy in my hands today I took up to much contact with T and he did not like it at all. When I finally realised what I was doing and soften he went nicely for me but man I felt like crap and a complete failure.

having such a down moment and again doubting my ability to re school a horse to the level I want.:cry:

Sorry very self indulgent post
 
I'm sorry to hear your feeling like this and your lesson didn't go as you hoped.
All I can say having read your threads is you are a great rider and do a fantastic job with your boys and are more than capable.
I wish a had half of the experience,patoence and confidence you have and yours boys are very lucky to have you.
 
Oh ObC, I am sure Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin also have crap days. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt! You are a fantastic horse owner and an excellent rider, and you are allowed to have an off day once in a while. Your horses do, why not you?

Chin up :biggrin:
 
Agreed - we all have bad days when things just don't go well. The only thing I can say is try not to worry too much about it. The natural thing to do when riding is not going well is to get stressed, stiffen up, go wooden. This in turn goes straight along the reins and through your seat to the horse, which in turn has just the opposite eaction to what you want!

It may help to dismount for ten minutes if possible and do some deep breathing exercises and also some stretching - really stretch your arms above your head, shake your arms, wriggle your shoulders. Don't worry about looking stupid.

If you cannot dismount and take ten, try to do some deep breathing whilst mounted and riding. Try to think about your arms and in particular your wrists and shoulders, which are areas of extreme tension. Remember safety first, so only do this if safe to do so.
 
I think horses are like us - sometimes we have times when we are happy to learn and have our 'workish' heads on, and sometimes it is just all a lot of effort - Ginger was probably just having one of those days - I know just how he feels having had one at work myself today!!!
 
Every ride is a step nearer to that light bulb moment OBC!!

As the others said some days are just sh*t and they do play up, but then its the great days that make it all worth while!!

If it makes you feel any better Finn was being a total twit this evening, not bending to the right and being very stuborn! :poop:

Youngsters can be very hard work cant they?? Almost like an uphill struggle some days, but as i said light bulb moments where they suddenly realise what your after make it all worth it!
 
Don't take it too much to heart, I'm pretty sure anyone who has ever sat on a horse, from Joe Bloggs to Carl Hester, has "off days" when nothing seems to go right!

I had one Saturday, I rode like an absolute numpty, I couldn't seem to stay balanced and get a good feel down the rein or even find a canter transition. I don't know what the reason was, it was just one of those crappy days I try to ignore, a planned flatwork session changed into a good grooming and fuss-fest instead!
Chin up :)
 
I hate moaning about riding, I love the boys dearly and just begin around them makes me feel a better person.

CK I think that is the base of the problem today I just could not get the feel down the rein at all it was either to much or to little and I know my left leg was rising up and under me and I just could not keep it long and round him. I am waiting for a physio appt on the 24th to sort my pelvis out again.

I always feel like I have let the boys down when I ride :poop: and that they deserve better but hey they have me and know one else
 
having such a down moment and again doubting my ability to re school a horse to the level I want.:cry:

Nope, nope, nope. I won't hear of you saying that!!! :redcarded:

As everyone else has said, cut yourself a bit of slack, there will always be off days.

You do a sterling job with your boys, despite juggling a demanding job, they are never left wanting for anything. You always do your best for them, ok so you've had a day where you haven't felt at the top of your game, but you're thinking about the little things you want to tweak to feel better next time. They are lucky boys to have you.
 
Ah no no no OBC!!! You are a brilliant rider and a devoted mum to those boys! Don't put yourself down! I would love to be able to ride as well as you on a bad day lol!

"Those who will never improve are those who never try."

I'm sure tomorrow will be a better day x
 
We all get days like that, especially me! I am never all that good at riding, you would think I would be an expert with all my years but no, I can stay on (mostly) and point the horse in the right direction and that's about it lol.

May be Ginger was having an off day too.

Better luck tomorrow:smile:
 
Yup we definitely all have days like that, just that some of us (me) are not very good to start with so the bad days maybe don't seem quite so bad?
You are a super rider/owner I would love your skill with horses and if you think you are rubbish maybe we should all give up!
Is it just that you are so good that the difference between good days and bad days is much bigger for you than the most of us?
Cut yourself some slack, tomorrow is another day. :) maybe both of you were just having an 'off' day.
 
I
I always feel like I have let the boys down when I ride :poop: and that they deserve better but hey they have me and know one else

What rubbish! You are a great rider and the best owner your boys could wish for. Just make sure you give yourself the same level of care and attention that you give them, Mrs!

I hope your physio sorts you out. Be kind to yourself.
 
I often wonder what I would do with NR and the 'friends' I have made.

My so called mate didn't give me one word of encoruagement yesterday or after the horrid hack on Saturday yet you lot have really lifted me thank you so much.

But have to say I am sooo not sure where you all get the opinion that I can ride I think they term stick or stay on is more accurate.
 
Think we are all having down moments at the mo with one thing or another.

You are brill rider and very able to school horses, don't beat yourself up, tomorrow is another day! :wink:
 
I wouldnt even think of it as an off day.
Life isnt really a question of being right all the time or wrong all the time. The way we analyse our riding and the lack of success entails picking out what we did wrong. Or what we might have done differently.
So it was natural to bring a bit of tension from your first horse to your next ride. A mark of human intelligence to diagnose the problem and then correct it.
We live from one mistake to the next. You were lucky to get the softness before you had to stop riding. I ended my lesson last week without getting it and then have to wait a whole week for the next chance to canter in a school. Very similar situation. I had to battle with RS horse to keep her in canter as long as I require for a dressage test. She is not used to it and I felt guilty I was horrid to her. RI told me it was horse's fault, not mine. But then when horse was listening, I should have softened.
RI said lots of people do as you have descirbed -we react to the horse, we carry tension from one exercise to the next, but it doesnt mean you arent a good rider? RI even remarked I had a good seat, so could manage that softness. So riding a horse and unintentionally doing something that isnt as productive or as kind as we might want, doesnt mean you are fundamentally a bad rider at all.
I'd like to think now about Ginger. It is a month since your last lesson but physically and mentally that month has been quite eventful for Ginger. He has had dramas out hacking, may have strained something spooking? Has had the vet. So the horse you take into the lesson is not a blank sheet of paper reflecting your skills - more of an ongoing process in which a young animal grows up and you help him? He isnt doing lessons for you. He is doing it for his good? Or at least that is my view and if a child comes to class after a break and finds it hard to remember the spellings you dont suddenly castigate the teacher? You'd be more likely to ask about whether the child was feeling well that day? Whether it understood the test and how not to discourage the child?
And since you are an excellent teacher of both horses and people and may be feeling less good about that today, please could you remember that I too am learning from you, look at my lesson diary and explain what you meant about using the wall of the school.
 
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Skib, What a lovely post and what a kick up the ass that I needed. You are right on so many levels I am lucky to be able to work on issues on a nightly basis and I should be able to understand that Ginger is still young and learning.

I am having lessons on Ginger for Ginger to help him build and learn.

I will take all the comments given and ride in a more positive way tonight. I think I will ride Ginger first so that I don't get off Chanter after enjoying every easy minute of it and then get frustrated that I can't get the same level of Ginger.

Thanks again
 
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