YAY!!!!...i fell off!!?!!

starrynight

New Member
Aug 13, 2008
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back from my lesson and it was really really good. I felt quite challenged and i think i faced some fears i didn't even really know i had until today! Sorry this might be quite long!!!! hope you've got a cup of tea/coffee or perhaps something stronger!

Got to the RS and was told i was on Jasmine (they got her passport the other day and found out thats not her name but i think they'll keep it anyway). I was really nervous because in our lesson last week she was very jumpy, racing round the school etc. And to be honest i just thought oh s**t i can't do this. Went round to her stable and saw her lovely face and huge eyes just looking at me, shes really lovely - 15h3 (i'm guessing) bright bay, almost black mane and tail...shes just stunning (and i must admit i'm not a big bay fan - no offence). I took her round to the school, sorted everything and got on and instantly she just felt quite tense - trying to walk off speedily etc. I just started thinking "i cant do it, i can't do it" and i really just panicked, nearly asked if there was anyway i could swap horses. My RI was being very supportive, told me to relax and be very light with my hands. Warming up i felt i was really stuggling, i felt like she was speeding up to much, tossing her head and i just had very little control. Eventually she settled down a bit and listened to what i was asking her. Honestly, when she was good she was amazing, in an outline, working from behind, all with me hardly using my leg and with a fairly loose rein!

So after we'd warmed up (i was still a bit worried but felt a bit better than i did when i had started) we go together as a ride to do some trotting work. Jasmine hated being at the bck of the ride and kept getting up the a*se of the horse in front. I did try to stop her but i found it difficult when i tried to half halt her, sit deep to slow her she just flipped slightly and sped up or jumped. Took a while but i did manage to work out that she responded better with lots of little half halts rather than one or two bigger ones but i still had to keep my seat really light. Then we started doing work in canter and canter circles (as individuals). SO after a couple of people had gone the rest of the ride stood and watched while i tried to settle jasmines trot in a circle, got there eventually, even with her napping towards the other horses, asked for canter (very quietly, giving even more with my hands) and she actually jumps into canter... and not just any canter - the pounding hooves, tanking off kind of cantering. I suprised myself by staying relatively calm, and gradually slowed her and did some pretty good circles considering!!! Once everyone else had a shot i went lead file with her and we changed rein fairly uneventfully and then did the same exercise. I went first and it was the same again, only a bit worse, finally settled her, asked for canter and then she stormed off!!! Thought i was just settling her down again when she spooked,jumped and sort of thumped her feet down and i went flying. I don't really remember much but putting it together it looked as though she got a bit tense as she was riding away from the rest of the ride and towards a few other horses standing outside the school and just gave herself a bit of a fright. It wasn't nastyness and i don't really think i did much wrong, i know i was probably sitting a bit too forward in trying to be light :confused: anyway i was fine so got back on and had her trot a few circles to finish up - felt i'd pushed her out of her comfort zone enough for the night!!! Plus i didn't want to fall a second time and for it to be worse!!!

I'm SOOOOOO sorry thats very long, i just had to share - none of my friends really understand, especially the fact i fell off but still loved it! I just thought that considering its my first time riding this sort of horse i did really well - i'm quite suprised at myself!!! I suppose i just wanted to share my joy (haha) and ask your opinions - do you think i did the right things with her, i flt i maybe should have tried to sit a bit deeper and sometimes i did but sometimes it felt like it was making matters worse. I so happy but a little curious!
 
You did everything right and TBH none of that was down to you. A horse as jumpy as that is possibly not quite ready to be in a RS just yet.

Make sure you dont always end up with her (unless you've fallen in love) in case you dent your confidence. Its easy done.

Well done for getting back on and finishing your lesson:)
 
Thanks :)

I was quite happy with what i'd done at the end of the lesson since i'd gone from being really nervous on her to gaining confidence, despite the fall. It wasn't really anyones fault anyway and i've fallen off so many times that i've stopped getting really upset over it and just get back up on the horse and try again! Its just as it was the first time i'd ridden a horse like that so i was really unsure about what to do, i have a much better idea now and i wouldn't mind being put on her again.

Skippys Mum - I have fallen in love - she is beautiful and just so sensitive. on the ground she's a bit nervous of people but once shes sussed you out she'll let you stroke her and she'll relax. I just love it when horses like that show they trust you. I probably won't be riding her all the time anyway - they tend to change horses every week so your always on something different!

Shes supposed to be about 12yo, she looks younger and sometimes seems to act younger but i think shes really scared to be honest. she was in our lesson last week and someone waved a whip (not at a horse, it was some idiot outside the school) and she was petrified of it, the noise just frightened her. Its just the way she acts, if you raise your hand to pat her, nudge her a bit too hard, pull on her mouth slightly she just loses it, makes you wonder whether thats just how she reacts or if there is a reason behind it. I haven't seen many horses who go into a perfect outline and work so hard without a bit of work and who are that nervous of "normal" things, to me it adds up to something horrible, like she was tugged and smacked into that outline or something. but shes at the RS anyway and they'll treat her well so hopefully that will help whatever the cause.
 
sounds like you did really well. But i do agree, if she is tanking or spooky etc then its best to sit down and ride her forward rather than taking the weight off her back and being 'light' in my opinion. The more you give her something to think about, eg- asking for a contact, asking for different variations within each gate etc the less likely she is to be spooky and jumpy. If you do just sit there and not use your legs because shes so forward going the more likely she is to forget your onboard and do as she pleases. Its great that you dont feel negative about falling off though, which is awesome, after all everyone falls off, its inevitabley going to happen at some point!
 
Not an ideal RS pony!

Glad it didn't knock your confidence :)

true but then i hate when you are wanting to try differnt types of horses or try jumping, dressage etc and the RS horses/ponies just won't do it or your constantly left kicking for dear life just to get a trot, it can be a bit irritating. Completely agree that shes not quite ready for it, but she isn't being used in beginners lessons or anything, i think only the people who work in the RS and the more advanced lessons get to ride her. and for me it was an experience, i certainly learnt a lot from it.
 
sounds like you did really well. But i do agree, if she is tanking or spooky etc then its best to sit down and ride her forward rather than taking the weight off her back and being 'light' in my opinion. The more you give her something to think about, eg- asking for a contact, asking for different variations within each gate etc the less likely she is to be spooky and jumpy. If you do just sit there and not use your legs because shes so forward going the more likely she is to forget your onboard and do as she pleases. Its great that you dont feel negative about falling off though, which is awesome, after all everyone falls off, its inevitabley going to happen at some point!

thanks, think if i ride her again i will be more confident in doing this, i think i was just really unsure and getting used to dealing with a new situation. I rode a horse before who hated people bouncing on his back in canter (i wasn't very good back then!) and ended up galloping around the school with me so i got it into my head it was better to keep a lighter seat. Its difficult when your only riding the one horse for and hour trying to work out how to ride them, still not quite go the hang of it!
 
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