Dealing with nerves/ race horses

[Horseperson432]

Any one got any tips for improving rider confidence? I’ve always been pretty brave when it comes to riding, would give anything a go, could fall off and not give a sh*t and would just think eh if it goes wrong ill deal with it in the moment. I’ve ridden racehorses in England every day for the last yr and a half and absolutely loved it. I’m now in Aus riding flat horses and to be honest I’ve never been so nervous in my life. I sit up the night before worrying about it. It’s all so different and the horses provide me with no sense of trust at all. I’m at the point now where I actually think if I were to go home and ride the horses I used to love every day and never think about getting on I’d be scared. It doesn’t help either when people who work there currently are saying very unhelpful comments. I don’t know whether I should leave the job or whether there’s any way to manage my nerves? Thanks

 

[Barton Bounty]

It sounds like you are now doubting yourself because you are in a new environment , when the truth is you sound more than competent! I think you should definitely have more faith in yourself. If your employer didnt think you were competent enough they wouldnt have employed you

 

[tristar]

you said yourself there the aus horses give you no confidence.

is it the way they are trained.?

i`d be out of there quick, trust your instincts, experience, they sound pretty good to me

 

[Wizpop]

Yes, there is a way you can manage your nerves! But also be kind to yourself- you’ve had so much change both environmentally, with the horses and the people you work with. It sounds to me as though you have a lot to cope with and it’s really no wonder you are feeling the way you are. If you can find yourself a reputable NLP practitioner- ideally one who also practises hypnosis, you will be amazed at how you can change your mindset. Also, there are many of these practitioners who work online so don’t feel limited to looking locally. All best wishes- you can do this!

 

[Abacus]

Perhaps you don’t trust them because they are trained differently and respond differently to you? Do the others riding them feel safe and confident? Have you experience of other yards out there and the way they train their horses?

It reminds me of occasionally riding polo ponies - they are so well behaved but because the aids are so different I have to think about it and can’t be instinctive - it doesn’t feel natural (and that’s not even at high speed).

I suppose if it’s down to different training the question is whether you can adapt to their different ways or whether you would rather not try. Is there anyone supporting you there?

 

[Jellymoon]

Is there anyone you can talk to about it? Sounds like they are trained/managed differently and this is why they feel unsafe to you. If you could get some tips from someone, that might help. Or failing that, watch really closely how the others ride them.
Also, the unhelpful comments you’ve been getting, did they come before or after you started worrying and feeling nervous?

 

[Jellymoon]

Just to add, I rode Marwari horses in India many years ago, and it took me ages to get used to them, I seemed to wind them all up! They were used for punters to go out hacking on, so not even racehorses, supposedly anyone’s ride, but I would do my usual thing of taking a light contact and put my legs on and they would be like springs about to explode! They guys would tell me to drop the reins take legs off completely and they would calm down.