confidence gaining?

steph91

steph91

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More advise needed please :)

I'm not the most confident rider and try not to ride horses i don't feel confident on as i know the importance of confident riding, I've gotten better recently and ride all but 2 horses at home (out of 7) but can't but feel i'm crippling my riding ability and have always been told the best way to learn is riding different horses and i feel like i may be ruining my own horse.
When i first got her 3 years ago she always felt 'wonky' so always found myself sitting to the right with her, but yesterday i rode my sisters new horse and really felt unbalanced like i was sitting to the left and now worry i have compromised my riding position to suit my horse and may be ruining her back.

So i guess two questions now...

1. How to get more confidence with riding?
(no idea how i ever lost my confidence, never had a serious accident but both my dad and sister are very gun ho riders and have seen them have their fair share of accidents and breaks)

2. How do you correct your position after losing it?
 
Hello. Sorry to hear you aren't feling confident about riding. Firstly, I think all the riders I know (myself definitely included) have felt wobbly about riding at one time or another. You aren't the only one, and confidence can be rebuilt. If it couldn't, only the fearless (or stupid ;) ) would ride. Don't answer if I'm probing too much, but is it the actual horses you are worried about (afraid of being out of control etc) or is it more to do with what others will think of your riding?

I wonder if your concerns over your position and your lack of confidence are two sides of the same coin? Without a secure, balanced seat it is hard to feel safe afterall. Could you maybe have some lessons where you work on your position, maybe spending some time without stirrups, with someone on the ground able to let you know whether you are sitting straight or not?

Lunge lessons can be really helpful as you can focus precisely on what you are doing, with no fear that the horse will become out of control . If you are worried about what people will think of you and your riding (when I have a confidence crisis it usually stems from this) then you could go anonymously to a riding school where no one knows you.

Please don't beat yourself up, or worry that you are damaging your horse. It sounds to me as though this problem stems from her way of going rather than your riding. However, if you can sit evenly and get her working more evenly then I think this would really help you both.
 
I don't think its anything to do with other people as its only family horses at home. I've never been the most confident person get the wobbles at nearly everything but always had confidence riding, used to love jumping and xc but with my current horse i just don't do any of that kind of thing because it will blow her brains (ex hunting horse) and i have tried. She is 100% safe with me but i think i must have hidden doubts about her :(

Will definitely try schooling with no stirrups and have a word with my instructor over position worries, she's so good with my confidence she knows when to push me cos i can do something and when not to.

Thanks for you're kind words its just me worrying because this is what i do
 
For a horse to be 100% safe with you she is showing a lot of trust in your riding and leadership. She allows you (and you are effectively a predator) to climb on her back, to take her away from the safety of the other horses, to keep her safe from the horse eating tractors / puddles / fanged daisies. You must be doing something right! Try not to worry :)

Edited to add: there is a kind of game that an instructor taught me years ago. Every time you have a wobbly moment and think 'what if?', you counter it with a sentence starting 'if she'. So if you are getting stressed, thinking 'what if she runs off with me?', counter it with 'If she runs off with me I'll sit up straight, put my heels down, bridge my reins and circle her until she stops.'
 
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Steorra thank you so much for those really kind words, i trust my horse completely just wish i could do more things with her and hopefully got more confidence :)
 
steph91 said:
also in norfolk
Click to expand...

come with me to a 3 day confidence course... in suffolk... you take your horse, have lessons etc and also they have one of those mechanical horses (which has a computer that analyses your position) and really focus on improving position and confidence! genuine offer. i'm hoping to go in october, it'd be more fun with another person! the instructor comes highly recommended on here.

PM me if you're interested and i'll send you the link. :D
 
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