abbijay
Well-Known Member
Following on from the nervous horse thread I would really appreciate any tips to help me relax. I'm particularly talking for showing classes, usually without a ride judge.
I never used to have this problem (always a bit of nervous adrelin rush but nowadays it's really affecting my riding when we're out). I know a lot of it stems from a bit of a crisis of confidence but it's got to the point where I've decided not to enter any more of the bigger showing classes this year as I frankly can't handle the pressure.
I have had a boss at work who frankly hates me (senior management are aware and are structuring a move for me) and is repeatedly calling my confidence into question which is now turning into a selfserving prophecy. At the same time I booked a lesson with a different instructor who specialises in showing and promotes herself as being very good at giving people confidence - well she turned up and tore strips off both my riding and my horse. We're well aware we're far from perfect but I was hoping it to be framed positively not getting the video camera out because "you need to see how awful you look, I'll send it to you on facebook later." When my normal instructor gets the camera out it's because "you have to see how fab this is going". Then to top it off there is a fellow competitor who is frankly vile about almost everyone she competes against and spends so much time trying to get everyone to gossip about each other. She actually thinks she can tell the rest of us what we should and shouldn't be doing, and has a reason to slate every horse on the circuit - unless she wants something from them.
What can I do to ignore all of these outside thoughts and just get on with enjoying riding the best horse in the world - sod the judge, sod the other competitors just beam with pride at being a riding school nervous-novice on her big daft trekking centre cart horse loving being out for a day together?
I never used to have this problem (always a bit of nervous adrelin rush but nowadays it's really affecting my riding when we're out). I know a lot of it stems from a bit of a crisis of confidence but it's got to the point where I've decided not to enter any more of the bigger showing classes this year as I frankly can't handle the pressure.
I have had a boss at work who frankly hates me (senior management are aware and are structuring a move for me) and is repeatedly calling my confidence into question which is now turning into a selfserving prophecy. At the same time I booked a lesson with a different instructor who specialises in showing and promotes herself as being very good at giving people confidence - well she turned up and tore strips off both my riding and my horse. We're well aware we're far from perfect but I was hoping it to be framed positively not getting the video camera out because "you need to see how awful you look, I'll send it to you on facebook later." When my normal instructor gets the camera out it's because "you have to see how fab this is going". Then to top it off there is a fellow competitor who is frankly vile about almost everyone she competes against and spends so much time trying to get everyone to gossip about each other. She actually thinks she can tell the rest of us what we should and shouldn't be doing, and has a reason to slate every horse on the circuit - unless she wants something from them.
What can I do to ignore all of these outside thoughts and just get on with enjoying riding the best horse in the world - sod the judge, sod the other competitors just beam with pride at being a riding school nervous-novice on her big daft trekking centre cart horse loving being out for a day together?
