Confidence Workshop - or something else?

[buddylove]

Afternoon all. I am looking for a bit of advice, specifically if you have ever felt the way I do and have conquered it.
I love my horse, he is as safe and well behaved as any 7 year old. He can be a bit of a sod on the ground, but no issues under saddle.
My problem is that I dread riding. As soon as I know I am riding that day I feel physically sick, and spend far too much time on the loo! I feel shaky and not in control of my body. It's horrible.
Bizarrely, as soon as I am in the saddle the feeling disappears, no nerves, I just get on with it and I am back in control.
I cannot pinpoint why I feel like this. I am not consciously thinking "what if" it seems to be on a deeper level.
I have not had any major accidents. I can only really attribute the change to the break I took from riding when I had my children (approx 4/5 years and 3 kids).
I am desperate to conquer this. I want to look forward to riding, not dread it. So is a confidence workshop the way to go or should I be looking at other options?
Thanks for reading this far, any suggestions welcome 😊

 

[Ceriann]

I am currently dealing with confidence issues - whilst mine is due to an accident it's very similar in that I can get nervy beforehand though fine when on. I don't dread riding but I don't look forward to it. I can also tense up when riding, particularly in canter. I'm having lessons and today's was brilliant - lots of activities to keep my mind off the nerves and to relax me. It really worked. Can you have a lesson your or at a riding school? I am also currently looking into an intensive riding course for confidence - I'm not sure yet whether it's the right thing for me but I too am desperate to beat it!

 

[Suechoccy]

If you can afford it, then the Centre for Horseback Combat in Herts run a one-day rider-confidence workshop (it's a combination of hypnosis/relaxation/mindfulness techniques, plus practical lessons in how-to-fall-off-correctly, first on a gym horse onto mattresses and then off a real horse about 14.3hh (in walk, you are led, it's all very controlled and safe and reassuring), then practical rearing, same horse, you give it the cue to rear and sit the (very wellbalanced low rear) and feel what a rear feels like and what to do, and then finally you lay down with a horse laying down and they talk you through what you need to do if you and the horse fall together, how to extricate yourself. Very very very good value for money. I went on it about 3 yrs ago and highly recommend it.

 

[LD&S]

If you can afford it, then the Centre for Horseback Combat in Herts run a one-day rider-confidence workshop (it's a combination of hypnosis/relaxation/mindfulness techniques, plus practical lessons in how-to-fall-off-correctly, first on a gym horse onto mattresses and then off a real horse about 14.3hh (in walk, you are led, it's all very controlled and safe and reassuring), then practical rearing, same horse, you give it the cue to rear and sit the (very wellbalanced low rear) and feel what a rear feels like and what to do, and then finally you lay down with a horse laying down and they talk you through what you need to do if you and the horse fall together, how to extricate yourself. Very very very good value for money. I went on it about 3 yrs ago and highly recommend it.

Wow, that sounds amazing

 

[hairycob]

Second that course even though I only managed the first hour before I got a call to say my horse was seriously ill & I had to leave. I only did the group hypno bit but even just that has really helped. I would love to go back & do the rest.

 

[laura_nash]

I had about 6 months of feeling very similar after I bought my cob. Like you I would get physically sick and shaky on the way to the stables if I knew I was riding, particularly if I was planning to hack out, but feel okay once actually in the saddle. I had no idea what caused it either, he hadn't done anything really wrong and I had been riding friends horses and at a RS and experienced worse there.

It got better with time and also some lessons with a really good instructress. She really pushed us both and I felt very positive after my lessons with her, plus I had homework that I could understand and work on when hacking out etc so I was focussed on that and began to look forward to riding.

The nervousness before riding only went away completely though after I had my daughter, I'm not sure why but I did have hypnotherapy sessions for childbirth so I do wonder if that helped. Also I had been forced to do a lot more groundwork and general fussing with my horse whilst pregnant and not riding, and we had developed a much better relationship on the ground.

 

[chillipup]

If you can afford it, then the Centre for Horseback Combat in Herts run a one-day rider-confidence workshop (it's a combination of hypnosis/relaxation/mindfulness techniques, plus practical lessons in how-to-fall-off-correctly, first on a gym horse onto mattresses and then off a real horse about 14.3hh (in walk, you are led, it's all very controlled and safe and reassuring), then practical rearing, same horse, you give it the cue to rear and sit the (very wellbalanced low rear) and feel what a rear feels like and what to do, and then finally you lay down with a horse laying down and they talk you through what you need to do if you and the horse fall together, how to extricate yourself. Very very very good value for money. I went on it about 3 yrs ago and highly recommend it.

I want to go...Now

 

[LovesCobs]

My dad has paid for me to do the course. I'm waiting for the march dates! I'm 44!!

 

[buddylove]

Wow - it looks amazing, and it's had some great testimonials. Certainly something to consider!

 

[rachk89]

I did something like what was mentioned but it was with Riders of the Storm near Perth, so if you are further north that might be better distance wise. I had issues getting onto horses, fine once in the saddle, but useless at getting on. I practiced vaulting onto their 'gym horse' (a large barrel) and then was getting onto a 17hh horse. I got on that horse while it walked past me, and was able to stand in the stirrup as it walked around the arena. Before that was impossible for me. They do courses (I had a private lesson). They help with any issues, and do more fun stuff like archery on horse back and learning to vault. Its really beneficial, so go to something like that.

 

[PollyP99]

If you can afford it, then the Centre for Horseback Combat in Herts run a one-day rider-confidence workshop (it's a combination of hypnosis/relaxation/mindfulness techniques, plus practical lessons in how-to-fall-off-correctly, first on a gym horse onto mattresses and then off a real horse about 14.3hh (in walk, you are led, it's all very controlled and safe and reassuring), then practical rearing, same horse, you give it the cue to rear and sit the (very wellbalanced low rear) and feel what a rear feels like and what to do, and then finally you lay down with a horse laying down and they talk you through what you need to do if you and the horse fall together, how to extricate yourself. Very very very good value for money. I went on it about 3 yrs ago and highly recommend it.

I did this last summer, they don't routinely do the falling from a walking horse now and tbh I would not have wanted to do that, I have a back injury which meant the falling from the static model horse was enough for me! I loved the controlled rearing, the horse was beautiful and the feeling of sitting and controlling such a movement was fab. The hypno was great, the best but for me it really helped me dispel the what ifs. I loved it - it worked for me.

 

[indiat]

I feel exactly the same as you, OP. I've not had an accident, my pony is an angel but the "what ifs?" make me sick with fear and coming up with all sorts of excuses not to ride. I am doing a workshop on Saturday and I am praying it works as the whole situation really gets me down.

 

[buddylove]

I feel exactly the same as you, OP. I've not had an accident, my pony is an angel but the "what ifs?" make me sick with fear and coming up with all sorts of excuses not to ride. I am doing a workshop on Saturday and I am praying it works as the whole situation really gets me down.

I can only attribute it to having the kids and subsequent heightened sense of self preservation. It is so sub conscious I have no idea how to conquer it!
Good luck! Let me know how you get on!

 

[On the Hoof]

The centre for horseback combat course is amazing ..I did it last March, but you could also look up Amanda Kirtland Page ..she has a confident horse rider web page and she does unmounted one day workshops .there is one in Yorkshire in mid March . I did her online course which was enough for me but the face to face workshops are supposed to be very good.