Any mature nervous riders ?

You must remember that if you are nervous and spooky your horse will be nervous and spooky. Where the horse is looking to you for leadership and finding non he will make his own decisions and that can be what people perceive to be bad behaviour.

Using someone else as a crutch abdicate your leadership role to them or their horse, leaving you as a nervous passenger nothing more.

Plenty of time in the saddle whether in company or alone, if you can safely will improve your confidence and ultimately result in s more harmonious relationship between you and your horse.

Horse riding is meant to be a pleasure not a nervracking chore. As I say the more you do the better it gets.
 
What a good idea Sue maybe if we pick day time and say a 15min walk out see how we get on.
funny enough i don't feel very nervous on ponies, think its because i know i can just get off and on again always had them this is the only horse i've had ,and if i get off i can't get back on hes too big and horrible to lead, nips and turns! also hes very noise sensitive and can hear a rattley trailer a mile off and starts preparing for it with jigging about and ears all over the place.
Best bet for me is to try and get a quiet horse and rider to go out with.:confused:
 
Hi Brandy, i know just what you mean , i seem to feel guilty all the time...not riding enough, he looks bored, should be doing more etc, and really wanting to but not quite getting there, i think we put too much pressure on ourselves to do the right thing by them. An old instructor i had put it into prespective really, she said if he looks bored its means hes happy and content ,just think of all those flighty horses over worked and nervous always feeling pushed...that kind of made me feel ok. Trouble is don't know about you but it seems to be all i seem to think about...not healthy ! I have set the summer goals too ...ride the bridleway with husband very very early morning so i dont meet anything...oh no theres the what ifs again ! but i am determined , cos dont like the alternative another awful winter wishing i had'nt wasted the summer !!!
 
You know what I find helps? Having a chat.
Get a friend to go with you on foot, or even walk their dog, take you up the bridleway and just chat. Forget about your surroundings (obviously if its safe enough). Its little things like that that make you BELIEVE you can ride and TRUST your horse :)
If you get a bit nervy your friend can tell you to look up! Keep your leg on! Or even grab hold of his reins for 2 seconds until you take deep breaths.
It works.
Even get your instructor to give you a bit of a lesson out hacking so you forget you are out hacking. Things to distract you and by the time you are finished you will think "Bloody hell I just went down the bridleway!!" :)
 
I keep telling myself that I should stop reading and listening to scare storys. As i always think that will happen to me. Is ignorance bliss?
 
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