Can I tell you about my morning?

[jenbleep]

Had a lesson booked for Frankie - I have to hack to the school, about a 20 minute hack so not far at all.

We have been having issues at the moment, with both our confidence

he has just been moved (about 3 weeks now) and hasn't settled in properly. Everytime we hack out, he is very tense and spooky, and I can't handle it!

I have been walking him out in hand to keep the pressure off.

He hadn't been worked properly for about 2 days, but he seemed quiet so i just got on him and thought i'd walk him around the 'school' (its not good, very unlevel and stoney) and he bucked about 4 times

and was generally an @sshole

I got really upset - I didn't know how to ride him, whether or not to keep him going on try and relax him, but in the end when nothing was working and I got wound up

so I decided to jump off and lunge him. I even rang my instructor to cancel my lesson, but put the phone down

because i thought how dramatic it sounded! I know I can ride him, but my confidence has taken a battering lately

So lunged him for about 15 minutes, and he actually started to relax and stretch - the first time in 3 WEEKS

so I thought, right, I am NOT going to cancel, and got on him and hacked to my lesson.

He was a good boy

still slightly tense, but no jogging AT ALL (first time since he moved!!!) and he was good on the road, and when he had to stand and wait for me to open the gate to the yard

Had my lesson, I cried in front of my instructor

soooooooo embarrassing, but I just had to let it all out

But after 10 minutes in the lesson, he was really sort and really started working across his back - he was lovely and bouncy

rather than tight and tense.

And he was good on the hack back as well - i actually turned him out relaxed which i haven't done for a while either

Sorry it's long - I just got upset about him this morning, and i thought I really couldn't handle him at all

He hasn't been that 'tightly wound' since I have ridden him, but I tackled it head on and hacked out and had a lesson with no mishaps

So it can be done!!

Do you think I am a wimp, and I should stick to riding plods?? Truthfully now......or do you think lungeing him was the best idea??

A very relived jenbleep xx

 

[jacksmum]

Well done you! Focus on the positve, you worked through this. If when he is like this some days lunging works do it, pat yourself on the back, you done well today!

 

[dianchi]

You have proved you can do it just keep on at it!
He is just being silly you know it!

Crackinmg lesson tho keep up the good work!

 

[mickey17]

I think you have done well and should keep going my confidence is shot to pieces but today i jumped a jump!!!! long way to go but ill get there and so will you!! I dont think you should give up on your horse a move is very stressfull ive had similar experiences with moves and have been in pretty much the same situation ( my horse went wild, so spooky and up tight and stayed like it for 6 months ) i did sell her as didnt want to ride anymore ( having previously done a lot of bsja with her) i regret sellimg her every day as it was the yard that was not suited to her . Luckly she seems to have a nice home and i have a lovely boy on a really nice yard and all is well!! dont give up just persist

 

[Nosey]

You don't sound wimpy at all - you have confronted your fears and worked round them. Its hard in this weather at the mo too! Take confidence from what you have acheived today!! Well done.

 

[jenbleep]

thanks guys, this means a lot

It's not the fact that i am not confident enough to get back on him again - its my confidence in my ability to handle him thats the problem

i do tend to put myself down a lot, and when he bucks (which he never normally does!) and has been very tense i do wonder if i should just hand him over to someone that isn't going to cry everytime he is like that

and breathe.

i do get in a wreck sometimes - i also worry that i will ruin his lovely soft mouth if i keep hawling it about when he is naughty.

well i will remember next time to lunge him before i get on him lol

 

[Grumbledor]

Well done Jen, glad you worked through it, and thats the most important thing! Norm likes to buck when he can't be bothered to work and once I tell him actually you DO have to work he accepts it and goes nicely - we had that issue this morning actually!

I don't think you're a wimp at all and I also don't think you should be riding plods, we all need these situations to make us realise actually we CAN do it!

Sorry - started writing this message about an hour ago then had to go and actually do some work - sorry if I've echoed something someone's already said!

 

[jenbleep]

I think I would get bored of a plod to be honest - just when i get days like this morning i do wonder if thats all I'm suited for

hey ho it worked out in the end - i just have to STOP GETTING SO WOUND UP AND UPSET over this - grrrrr!

(I'm mad at myself lol)

Just had a phone call from Frankie's owner and told her all about it.......apparently the owner of the yard told her i was rude to him, because i asked him not to watch me ride when i was in the school this morning with F........oops

 

[Cop-Pop]

Well done

I often lunge my TBx before I ride her - it gives her time to have a strop and buck before I get on her and ask her to work.

 

[_April_]

Aww honey. WELL DONE for not giving up and for going to your lesson!
He's just been moved, you are doing all that you can and you are having lessons, there's no more you can do!! My old horse was very spooky but when she was PTS I hacked a ploddy type out and whilst it's very safe, it's a little bit boring too so I think you would get bored after the novelty wore off.

I am there today too, I have a jumping lesson tonight and I am so nervous!! April was fab last time but I also fell off so I think it has made me nervous for tonight.

 

[jenbleep]

thanks April - i am so glad i didn't cancel, it was just he was so wound up this morning - literally i would put my leg on and he would hump and try and canter off round the school

i did do a fair bit of hawling as well

But we got there in the end - i just have to take confidence from that

and stop being so dramatic

Good luck today - at least you are having a lesson and not just jumping in 'your own time' if you know what I mean.......I always ride better in lesson time!!

we can do it!!

 

[debradley]

Well done you - you did completely the right thing. Keep thinking positive and if that bit of lunging just takes the edge off him ready for you then it can only be a good thing. Keep up the good work.

 

[SirenaXVI]

Well done you - it takes guts to carry on when you are scared - it's easy to be brave when you feel no fear!

Carry on lunging him till you feel that you don't need to - what does it matter? Have little goals - and keep going - am sure you will get there

 

[jenbleep]

thanks - i feel much better now, I was worried that i wasn't good enough but i managed to pull myself together in the end!! Must remember this next time

Don't know why I have started feeling like this now though..........I was talking to my friend about it today and I used to ride her young tb......I remember it went nuts on the road with me one time, span round and round for no apparent reason and when she stopped spinning i was just like 'what was that about?'

and kept going!!

My nerves aren't what they used to be

but i'll keep going hehe