confidence

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christy

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hi i know this may sound silly but does any one have any good confidence giving tips, i had a bad accident about 3 months ago and i have completley lost my cnfidence any suugestions gratefully recieved!Its very hard because i get angry woith myself because the things i once would of thought nothin gof are now a big deal? HHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP
 
you need to realise you have to start small, set a small goal and when you've acheived it make it a bit bigger. You'll soon be back to your best but its important not to rush it, if you do something to quickly and make yourself lose more confidence you will really go backwards!!
 
thanks for your respnse i have started to do that i just wanted to get some tips from people who have been in the same boat im just finding it real difficult im sure it will come back slowly and surely thank youxxxx
 
Hi. I started a new topic on this forum myself titled Lost Confidence Hacking. Ive had some great pieces of advice. I have, for the moment, given in slightly, by loaning a bombproof 14.2 pony, for me to try to get back some of the fun i used to have whilst hacking. Hopefully once I have got back a little confidence, I might be happier riding my own horse again. In the meantime though I will try out some of the things I have been advised to do on here.
Why don't you do what I have done and take a step back. Just go back to whatever level you are comfortable with, and do whatever it takes to feel comfortable. As I have been advised, take things slowly, and at YOUR OWN SPEED. Not literally, but I mean only progress and do things that you are happy with. Even if it means not riding at all. Just catching grooming, lungeing etc etc can help build up your relationship with your horse, or try some groundwork like Roger and Joanna Day, or Parelli type things. Anything as long as both you and your horse get enjoyment from it.
 
thanks alot yeah im trying things like that at the moment i took my horse for a walk in hand which may sound silly but she enjoyed it and i felt rlaxed i just feel that the longer i leave riding the more aggitated she and i will be ?xxxx
 
If you have a school then lunge her. Even lungeing can be made interesting for the horse. If she gets fizzy when not ridden then this might help take the edge off her. Also do you have lessons? If not, it might be worth finding a sympathetic instructor. Many specialise in teaching nervous riders. Or even if you keep her on a yard, do you have any sympathetic, sensible, friends, who inderstand your predicament, that would lend a hand. If your horse is sharp (which mine is) have you tried a supplement to quieten her a little.
 
I know it sounds corny but time is a great healer! Even though im an experienced rider I have lost my confidence a couple of times due to various problems) Give yourself the time to improve how you feel - it could take a few months! But just start off small and make each time you ride an acheivement, no matter how small, how about getting confident doing school work first? B xx
 
We have all been through this is guess so don't beat yourself up. TIME helps and taking the pressure off yourself.Help from friends or perhaps more importantly a good confidence building instructor can help. They know when to push a bit and when to back off and how to gradually rebuild your confidence
 
Don't tell everyone on the yard how nervous/worried you are. If you make out you are confident and even pretend to yourself that you are it will help. The worst thing to do is to go round telling everyone how you are worried about riding though. I found my confidence improved loads once I stopped doing this. Take your time as well - there is no rush and you don't want to overface yourself. It will come back in time
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I totally lost my confidence jumping was chucked off into a fence. My instructor took me right back to the basics, with poles on the ground, and built up from there.

So my suggestion would be to go right back to basics. OK, you don't have to learn all over again, but how about trying some schooling exercises in walk, and then work your way up? You don't say if there's anything in particular that you've lost confidence doing, so I am assuming everything. Are you ok in walk? If not, then the best thing would be to get a friend to lead and lunge you.

Another thing to do might be to take some time off from riding, and just work on your horse from the ground. Maybe some loose schooling, or lungeing or long reining?

Hope this helps, and don't worry too much about doing it all quickly, these things take time!

Isabelle
 
thannks everyone for all you comements , i have been doing alot of groundwork and playing parelli games etc but the nervousness comes from riding even though my horse is fine i lost my confidence on another horse this is what makes it worse for me because its not my horses fault, i just worry that the longer i leave riding her the more she wont want to do it if that makes sense?
 
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