do we grow out of being brave..?

weesophz

weesophz

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i remember when i was younger id be so exciting at ridiing the nuttiest pony at the riding school, i love riding all the crazies, and falling off was just all part of the fun.. my first pony was a bloody nutter and i fell off near enough every time i rode, i just laughed, brushed myself and got back on.

found myself being really stiff and a bit of a wuss the other day when fox was bucking, when i was young i would just ride on and kick them on through it, but i was scared i was gonna fall off fox :o to be fair ive only fell of him twice in 6 years, but still, i remember having the bravest of pants!

is anyone else the same?
 
Unfortunately, for most people, yes. As the years go by the ground gets harder and thoughts that you never had when you were young enter your head like "If I end up in hospital and can't work how am I going to pay the mortgage" etc.
 
I don't think it's a case of growing out of being brave.

We grow into being cautious. Considering who will pay the bills, who will look after the horses etc etc
 
Gloi said:
Unfortunately, for most people, yes. As the years go by the ground gets harder and thoughts that you never had when you were young enter your head like "If I end up in hospital and can't work how am I going to pay the mortgage" etc.
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weesophz said:
glad im not the only one.. wish i could go back to just not caring
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competitiondiva said:
In short, yes!!? You don't bounce so well as you get older!!!
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All of this. When learning to jump some years ago, I didn't care a bit about falling off, no-one had to tell me to get back on, it was running jump back up! Nowadays, I am the biggest wuss. :(
 
cinnamontoast said:
All of this. When learning to jump some years ago, I didn't care a bit about falling off, no-one had to tell me to get back on, it was running jump back up! Nowadays, I am the biggest wuss. :(
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agree with the learning to jump. jumping used to be my favourite thing, my 12.2 pony used to jump 1m30! now my hearts thudding trying to get fox over a bloody 60cm cross :o:(
 
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Yes especially if you have children. I used to poo-poo that but it's true, sadly.
I'm strictly a happy hacker now after years of doing manic point to pointers and other fit horses that turned themselves inside out for no reason and I would laugh at them while they did it, now I wouldn't even get on one.
 
Definitely. I used to ride anything and fell off loads of times, some quite nasty. With current boy, every time I cantered he bucked and I came of a few times, dislocating my knee on one occasion, and being knocked out on another. I now have a mental block about canter even though others have ridden him since and he hasn't bucked once. I've also cantered on other horses no problems. I want my brave pants back please, as feel such a wuss. I think it is down to age, responsibilities and the fact that we don't bounce very well as we get older.
 
I think personally my courage started to lessen with the arrival of the first child - but I do find that although not as brave these days I am much more patient.
 
canteron said:
Yes, but the flip side is if you do carry on riding you generally have to improve your skills to replace the bravery, which is rewarding in its own right.
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Ah that's a nice way to put it!

I've def experienced the same and I do miss that brave youngster who rode anything and bounced well. Now I do neither! But annoyingly I still want to be bold and brave so I wuss out and then get frustrated with myself. Wish I would just either suck it up and crack on or decide I don't want to and drop it, rather than being in this odd middle ground of really wanting to but crapping myself when faced with it.

Drink hasn't done it. Confidence clinic hasn't done it. Harry Meade xc day helped but not fixed it totally. Am contemplating hynotherapy next!
 
I would say yes, we were talking about this the other day at the yard and I think that when you have a fall when your older you seem more likely to break something, which takes ages to heal (if at all and you just add it to your list of body niggles - ha ha) and there is also the worry of who will pay/sort the horses out if your injured.

My daughter & I share our gelding, he is an absolute saint of a horse but does have a cheeky character with a default action of buck! These can be stamping his feet bucks or great big ones.

20 year old daughter just goes with the flow, tells him off and to get on with things, 44 year old mum nearly wet her pants, clings on for dear life, and is just happy when it stops lol
 
Yes of course you do. When you are young you bounce, and you haven't had the nasty fall or extensive time in hospital. As you get older, visits to said hospital and injury time becomes very unfunny and gradually your cockiness and bravery slips away. One accident doesn't erode it but a number will. I really do play safe now and wont put myself on a horse I think is going to be a real handful anymore!
 
Agree with OP. All my horses have been purchased for temperament, including my 17hh CB stallion.

Just like OP I loved crazy buckers when I was a teenager. Now I am an OAP, I know I am not immortal!!! I take great care with everything I do around our horses.
 
For sure we grow wiser & learn we are not immortal. It's not just in the horse world, the young never think that the worse will ever happen to them in whatever they do. My son gave me nightmares after learning to drive, thankfully he got older but ,sadly,a lot of young lads don't. Never be ashamed of being cautious just do what you are happy with.:)
 
yeah, not so often wearing the brave pants any more, more often wearing the brown pants!!!


urgg, sorry.
 
Yes...the ground gets harder and I seem to bounce less!

When your a kid you have no worries...if you fall off and break your arm you have a couple of weeks off school but it's harder knowing you have bills to pay so can't afford weeks off work and kids to look after.

Over the years you see so many things that make you think that horse is a nutter or I'm glad I wasn't on that when it did that and it makes you think what if my horse did do that what would I do? You start to question your abilities.

When I was a kid I was lucky enough to have other kids to hang around with and play with ponies and egg eachother on, it's hard these days to find just one hack buddie :(
 
yep lol! as soon as we get responsibilities bravery goes out the window!

always thinking what if........ lol!

i used to jump anything, would ride the naughtiest horses yet last week found myself tensing up cos my lad bucked twice and had to hack out on my own lol!:o

as for jumping trottin poles scare me nowdays:rolleyes:
 
Yes I suspect that we loose our virtual 'Rubber Content' as we get older. With age we become more aware of the dangers around us based on real life experience.
 
I definitely lost my brave side when it came to jumping long ago but since having an injury its more than my mind can cope with to hack out a slightly spooky horse on the roads! My saddle is coming today so after about 4 months of having her I'm about to face up!

I have however made a young friend who wants to go to jumping clinics etc, and the idea of going with someone else who has no fear does appeal, plus I would not be as quick to back down with other people and an instructor there, so this could be a good idea... Will have to hack the horse there first though!

I wish we had done more jumping when I wad learning to ride, I think we only did it about 5 times in lessons in about 6 years of riding lessons! I just think if I was good at it then, I would be confident enough to know I could do the same now!
 
OWLIE185 said:
Yes I suspect that we loose our virtual 'Rubber Content' as we get older. With age we become more aware of the dangers around us based on real life experience.
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I agree - I think we get better at assessing risk and have more memories stored up of 'when it all went a bit pear-shaped' (and probably hurt a bit too!).
 
I did the opposite lol! Didn't jump for about 6 years at all because I lost my confidence jumping. About 18 months ago I started jumping my mare. Our first class was 2ft showjumping and I was terrified. Fast forward to now and I love it! We show jump and xc up to 3ft. I love galloping round hunter trials and have jumped some of the biggest cross country fences of my life in 2012! We also went to the gallops and raced my friends horse.

I am on the wrong side of 40 - I think I'm having a mid life crisis :-)
 
Nothing to do with being brave more to do with not knowing or understanding the consequences.

However some people don't ever lose their "brave pants" even though they must know and understand consequences? Why is that? I want what ever they've got! :D
 
Nope not with me I had bags of confidence when i was younger, I had a brief spell of lack of confidence for a few years when i was in my early twenties having had some bad knocks but it soon came back and I feel 100% confident riding (probably stupidly sometimes) but it doesnt cross my mind that I might get hurt and I am in my 30's now.
 
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