Shadowfox
New User
Well since my last post on the subject a lot has happened. On my first lesson after I had posted (last Wednesday week) I was on one of my regular school horses that I've been getting on well with. Guess what happened?, he managed to get me off. This time though he sort of peeled me off him as he was quite fresh. Truth be told the whole ride were quite sharp.
It had been a glorious day weatherwise but 2 hours before the lesson the temperature dropped quite quickly and a real peasouper of a fog enveloped the yard and the surrounding countryside. The horses seemed unsettled by this, but it could have just been the cold alone perhaps. We switched horses in the lesson and even then the normally lazy pony who I've ridden before was flying around full of beans, but we survived. That lesson was still being talked a week later !!
Fast forward to last Friday and I was on my way down to Co Offaly (I'm based in Dublin) for a hack I had booked 6 weeks earlier. If ever something was at the right time this was it for me. I hacked for the first time in 6 years. Cantered through the fields, rode through the river on the property and (amazingly) had a very fast canter on the gallops they have. It restored my self belief as a rider in that I know now I can do more then I give myself credit for.
Last Sunday then back at my home yard for my lesson I rode the lad who threw me off. Yes I was nervous but I did it which was the most important thing. I rode him a second time that afternoon when he was his usual loveable lazy self.
Last night I had my regular lesson and I rode the original horse who fired me off. I kept him in walk for the whole hour but my instructor was cool with that as I had told her my confidence needs to be rebuilt. Over the next few months shes plans for me to be on the steering jobs in the yard so I can get settled again and get the confidence back.
So after all that I've learnt that I have more courage then I thought and that I have a lot of work to get back mentally to where I was. But theres no way I'll ever stop riding cos I love it too much. We have a show in the yard tommorow night and I intend doing the 40cm class which is tiny but a great confidence booster. My only concern now is for the dressage competition in 4 weeks time as I'll have to figure out which schoolie to ride as my original choice was one of the boys who threw me off. But I'm up for it cos it'll help with the confidence.
I think I'm on my way back
It had been a glorious day weatherwise but 2 hours before the lesson the temperature dropped quite quickly and a real peasouper of a fog enveloped the yard and the surrounding countryside. The horses seemed unsettled by this, but it could have just been the cold alone perhaps. We switched horses in the lesson and even then the normally lazy pony who I've ridden before was flying around full of beans, but we survived. That lesson was still being talked a week later !!
Fast forward to last Friday and I was on my way down to Co Offaly (I'm based in Dublin) for a hack I had booked 6 weeks earlier. If ever something was at the right time this was it for me. I hacked for the first time in 6 years. Cantered through the fields, rode through the river on the property and (amazingly) had a very fast canter on the gallops they have. It restored my self belief as a rider in that I know now I can do more then I give myself credit for.
Last Sunday then back at my home yard for my lesson I rode the lad who threw me off. Yes I was nervous but I did it which was the most important thing. I rode him a second time that afternoon when he was his usual loveable lazy self.
Last night I had my regular lesson and I rode the original horse who fired me off. I kept him in walk for the whole hour but my instructor was cool with that as I had told her my confidence needs to be rebuilt. Over the next few months shes plans for me to be on the steering jobs in the yard so I can get settled again and get the confidence back.
So after all that I've learnt that I have more courage then I thought and that I have a lot of work to get back mentally to where I was. But theres no way I'll ever stop riding cos I love it too much. We have a show in the yard tommorow night and I intend doing the 40cm class which is tiny but a great confidence booster. My only concern now is for the dressage competition in 4 weeks time as I'll have to figure out which schoolie to ride as my original choice was one of the boys who threw me off. But I'm up for it cos it'll help with the confidence.
I think I'm on my way back
