Desperately need jumping help, had a huge wobble today

[Pidge]

Ok so went with sister and friend to Somerford Park today for a fun time round the farm ride. Last time we went a couple of weeks ago I was in my dressage saddle but ended up jumping lots and bigger than before

Today however was a disaster

jumped the tyres, double of logs and then the big log at the start and then onto the winter part of the ride and jumped it in a fashion then had several run outs at a semi house jump that was on legs (sorry don't know proper name) then at the double of logs after this one we had run out after run out

did manage to jump one of the logs the other way though. then jumped the tyres again and had a gallop up the hill and jumped the tyres at the top. Then after the woods tried the 2 telegraph poles and stopped again

got him over in the end and then jumped the 3 telegraph poles doing pairs with sis. Then went to jump it again and ran out twice so popped the 2 again. Then had another gallop and jumped the tyres on top of logs fence and then tried a big log and another tyre fence all to no avail. Always running out to the left

I feel like it is me as I was either sat like a sack of potatoes or catching him in the mouth

nothing at all was going right so there were several stops and tears as we went round and then more on the lorry and when we got back to the yard, and now too

Feel rotten too as feel like I've spoilt the day for sis and friend too

I just feel so low after today as I was so looking forward to it and because of my crap riding, hells bells it wasn't even riding

I have not only destroyed my confidence but I have also destroyed Pidge's confidence too. He loves his jumping so much so that he carts me to a fence, yet today he wouldn't even walk over the really small ones let alone jump them

I feel like such a stupid person for ever thinking I could jump, and Pidge would be better off with someone who could actually ride but I really don't have the heart to part with him. I love him too much to part with yet don't know what to do

 

[moodymare1987]

I cant help as I am rubbish at jumping but have some (((hugs))) hope you sort it out though maybe he had an off day?

 

[Pidge]

hugs much needed thanks, it wasn't him having an off it was me I couldn't jump to save my life and now all I'm doing is ruining him........................

 

[nikkiportia]

Oh my, you have got yourself upset today. Poor you

|Couldn't it just be an off day for you both? We all have them, we all have days when we feel we're rubbish riders, and our horses would be better off without us. Thats just normal

You haven't ruined anybodys day I'm sure

Tomorrow is another day, and no doubt it'll be a better one, so chin up chuck.
Is it possible that your riding was fine, and that Pidge had a problem?

 

[Pidge]

doesn't help being time of the month

either

No Pidge was fine it was me that was the problem. Tried to jump that gappy house thing early on and scrambled over it twice and then wanted to jump it properly and it degenerated from there

 

[jnb]

Don't be too hard on yourself! Jumping isn't everything...you've been doing well at dressage too.
I go through these phases too, I'm not even an average rider and have an amazing horse, he makes me look better than I am.
Also I know it's hard, but try to see positive sides - your horse has recovered from his hock problem and is happy and healthy.
As someone else has said - tomorrow is another day.

 

[Pidge]

but he's so much better at jumping than dressage and I was looking forward to doing some HT's with him this year as did 2 at the end of last year after his hock, but after today's performance ...........................

I know he's healthy and happy but still do think sometimes he is too much for me as he is pretty fit now and full of beans. We gave sis and friend a headstart today of about 100m and he still caught them and overtook them easily, the power he has sometimes is scary

 

[Mbronze]

Sounds like an off day to me, i go round Somerford Park plenty of times and think perhaps next time you go you should either stick to the small options for a bit just to get you going.
Or
You could go to Smallwood, thats quite a nice course, its quite a bit smaller than Somerford but still a lovely place, i think its a nice confidence giving place.
Don't give up, i'm sure you haven't destroyed Pidge's confidence, infact by the sounds of it he was taking the pee a little and i think by the end of the ride you may of been anticipating the stops and the left hand run outs, sometimes horses sense when you are thinking 'oh no he may stop' and if hes anything like mine and i don't ride positively to the fence then he will stop.
Keep going, do a few different things first, have a hack, do some showjumps, then go back to the xc and relax...!

 

[Twilight]

Sorry you had a bad day out. Do you have any little jumps that you can play with at home? Just popping a few little ones (with some possitive mental attitude) might help you to get back into the jumping frame of mind. Just remember next time you go out to think of the last time you had a really good jumping session. Think of the feeling you had as you were going into the fences. The confidence that you had in yourself and Pidge. Remember how you put your leg on all the way into the fence and how he carried you in and then sailed over. Keep those thoughts in your head and completely forget what happened today. Negative thoughts will only cause the pair of you to loose confidence in each other. Hope it works and have fun with your jumping.

 

[moodymare1987]

I think you both was having an off day, I dont think it helps it being time of the month, I tend not to get too ambitious when I am on as I am so hit and miss and feel pants, so dont even school.

Try not to beat yourself up about it and dont be daft you arent ruining him at all. Chin up chick

 

[kerilli]

sorry to hear you had such a crap time. i think you really need some sessions with a good instructor who is very positive and encouraging but also tells it like it is enough to make you improve, if that makes sense. because you want to do it, and you have a good willing horse, you will improve. as long as you finished on a good note today, and ideally you go out tomorrow or the next day and jump a few tiny things really happily, i'm sure his confidence and yours will be fine. we all have s*** days!

 

[icestationzebra]

Sorry to hear you had a rubbish day. Take a step back and find a good sympathetic instructor to help you rebuild your confidence. You have a fit and healthy horse that loves his jumping - that won't have changed in one day - all you need is a little help build your confidence back up in each other.
Good luck!

 

[Asimmons]

Don't panic! Just one day! Go somewhere small and inviting...jump a few things well and STOP! William Fox-Pitt(blessed be his name and revered be his advice) says ALWAYS stop after it has gone well!!! Bank some small positive cheques in the experience bank account..don't go into overdraft! Re-build and enjoy. It will all come right for you. You are beating yourself up unnecessarily and setting yourself up for an angst-ridden next outing ...so lower the stakes and regain the upper hand! Have fun!

 

[dawnpetenathshir]

I can't jump a fence on or off a horse, but I love my dressage. When it's not going so well you need to take a step back do something fun that you are good at so you have a positive experience then try again but not so hard if that makes any sense. But I'll send you a hug as well xx

 

[Patches]

Is your left leg weaker Sue, giving him the chance to fall out and run to the left?

When we went with you last year, all of your run outs were to the left too I think...I remember especially you plonking sis and Sunny to the left of one fence to stop him after you'd had several attempts....but you just ran into them instead.

Perhaps when you've had one run out in that direction....or either for that matter, you ride more defensively expecting him to do it again and almost "think" run out which somehow Pidge picks up on?

I agree with some comments to stick to the smaller or more inviting fences for a few outings. Not riding anything too testy will be a great boost for yours and Pidge's confidence. You don't have to jump everything on these farm rides...it's not compulsory!

 

[diggerbez]

my horse hates that gappy house thing (i think its a pheasant feeder but could be wrong!) at somerford too and he's a pre novice eventer! every time i have a stop at it so don't be too hard on yourself. horses like to make us look stupid is the conclusion that i've come to recently!!

 

[Mooch]

Sorry hun, I missed your post last night.

Sorry, you didn't have a brill time yesterday

I spent a very grumpy day wishing I was with you guys! (even if Milly has far too much energy at the mo)

You really are very hard on yourself and I know how much you beat yourself up when things don't go to plan.

There is no need for you to be so hard on yourself, you can ride!! You have been through a lot of changes and troubles recently, especially with all the saddle troubles.

I would suspect that Pidge picked up on your uneasyness (is that a real word?) yesterday, you know how sensitive he is and he would only have wanted to do what he felt you wanted.

Today is a new day and yesterday was a learning curve.

You are more than capable of jumping all of those jumps, but it is early days with the saddle at the mo and you are not into a routine with your jumping.

As others have said, you need to find a comfort zone and boost your confidence for a bit. It will work wonders for you.

Chin up chicken!

 

[Pidge]

Masterbronze, thanks not sure I can face going XC again though after yesterday. Normally he is very much point and steer when jumping – I call him my cruise missile! We have had a lot of problems in the past though with a custom fit saddle that most definitely didn’t fit him (was lifting greatly at the back over a fence and banging back down!) and that caused quite a few issues with jumping. But when he is happy I struggle to stop him, yet yesterday we were grinding to a halt before the fence, so not like Pidge.
Twilight, thanks am not sure how to ride positively though as he is so sensitive and picks up what I’m thinking so easily. Think that may have been half the problem as I wasn’t sure on jumping that fence but the way he’d jumped the one before was fab so I thought I’d give it a whirl. Any tips greatly appreciated?
MissTT, but I do feel like I’m ruining him as my lack of confidence and riding ability is putting him off jumping, he wouldn’t even walk over the smaller fences, yet this is the same horse that walked over the first half of Eland Lodge HT last year for me as I was having a “ah what am I doing moment” before jumping the 2nd half!
Kerilli, I have tried jump lessons before but they all seem obsessed with jumping from a trot and tbh Pidge hates jumping from a trot, and gets more and more wound up when they insist I do it from trot! We didn’t finish on a good note yesterday either………
ISZ, are you sure I haven’t destroyed his confidence in jumping with me as at the moment it certainly feels that way? I have such an honest horse, I don’t deserve him.
Apricotfox, so lots of small jumps and gradually build our confidence back up together then?
Happybus, our dressage is still very much WIP so perhaps we’ll just hack then and have some fun! Still feeling despondent today.
Patches, yes my left leg kind of sits there and does nothing! And Pidge does pick up on this as he never runs out to the right. Trouble is we didn’t try to jump everything, in fact we had more run outs than jumps!
diggerbez, thanks that's nice to know, but we scrambled over it twice and I wanted to jump it properly and that's when it all fell apart.
Thanks honey, tbh wish I'd never gone now..... I know I'm hard on myself but I just want it to be right but the way I was jumping yesterday was like I'd never sat on a horse and jumped before ever! I was all over the place so no wonder he didn't want to jump, gallops he loved tremendously and I was fine with those, but the jumping was pants. Are hamsters any easiern than horses

 

[Angua2]

[ QUOTE ]
Don't panic! Just one day! Go somewhere small and inviting...jump a few things well and STOP! William Fox-Pitt(blessed be his name and revered be his advice) says ALWAYS stop after it has gone well!!! Bank some small positive cheques in the experience bank account..don't go into overdraft! Re-build and enjoy. It will all come right for you. You are beating yourself up unnecessarily and setting yourself up for an angst-ridden next outing ...so lower the stakes and regain the upper hand! Have fun!

[/ QUOTE ]


Oooh I like that idea.

Sounds like it was a blip. Take two steps back a deep breath and start again.

Hats off to you ... you acheived far more that I ever would have done..... I am a gibbering wreck at the thought of going over some of the stuff you describe..... infact I need rescue remedy just to get over a 1' pole.

Twas a bad day. <<<<<<HUGS>>>>>>>