Anyone elses confidence go out the window in winter?

[katie_southwest]

I love my mare dearly, but winter time with less riding time I just seem to lose it a bit
Once the clocks change and I can hack out after work I always feel so much better, and she is better once she gets out more regularly. We have a lesson on wednesdays so realistically she only gets out once or twice a week if weather is ok at weekends, by which time shes forgotten that shes ever been off the yard before
Anyone else feel like this? Or am I on my own

 

[attheponies]

Definitely! My enthusiasm (and confidence) increases and decreases with the weather and particularly the temperature, the colder it gets, the more my confidence ebbs away. I'm really not sure why, perhaps I'm just a fair weather rider!

 

[padderpaws]

Yep, I hate winter riding. That is why I am planning to move to Cyprus in a few years time.

 

[sophiebailey]

I hate missing out on riding lessons because of a frozen school and hate not being able to hack as often because of late nights so I guess my confidence has gotten a bit shaky too as i'm not out as often!

However today, as I couldn't hack out because of icy roads, I decided to be brave at the yard and felt quite good after 10 minutes of plodding around bareback

 

[Jackson]

The second the clocks change, my horse turns in to a demon Not entirely sure why, but it does nothing for my confidence

 

[katie_southwest]

Ah thanks everyone, glad its not just me
7 weeks til the clocks change though ...yayyyyyyyyy

 

[abitodd]

Confidence certainly increases with regular riding.
My horse lives out and is unrugged.
I feel the cold and hate the rain. So finding a day when he is dry and not too dirty is tricky in winter.
I did hack today. He has been in a frozen,rutted field and therefore not moving about as much as usual. So on his hack today he was on his toes,spooky and desperate for a 'bucknfart', It was nice to know that I have him well schooled enough to prevent the aforementioned acrobatics......but I did not enjoy my hack!

 

[BentleyBelly]

Yes absolutely. I've become a right nervous nelly of late, so much so that I have been avoiding riding . Decided this weekend to stop giving myself a hard time and to just wait until I feel like I want to ride, pony won't mind a few weeks off. I've been spending time grooming and doing a bit of ground work instead and rather enjoying it.