feeling really down!

[MontyandZoom]

I went to the Vine and Craven ride yesterday and had a nice day........but my confidence has really dropped for no reason at all! Zoomy jumped well but I was getting left behind alot more than usual and felt like I was riding really badly.

She was hesitating alot more than usual and then cat-leaping which made it hard to go with her......I don't know what happened.

To make things worse.....we had our first ever stop! It wasn't even that big a jump but it was the photo jump. She was quite tired and had to stand for ages while they repaired it as the horse in front destroyed it but I couldn't get her near it. Luckily there was another jump after it which she jumped nicely so we ended on a good note.

I tend to work myself into a frenzy about these things. Also, after Monty's antics in mullering a car yesterday (see my post further down) his sharer says she has lost confidence and doesn't want to ride him any more.

She is going to carry on until the end of September and see how she goes but it looks like I'll have to find someone else

 

[Annagain]

Sorry about your sharer, hope Monty finds a new auntie soon. As far as Zoom goes, we all have days like that, just put it behind you and move on as quickly as you can and remember the last fence which went well - that's the one Zoom will remember. With the other fence you probably (and understandably) got a bit tense when you saw what somebody else had done to it and so transmitted it to her. Can you have a lesson on her, take her schooling or go to another ride asap to make sure you don't dwell on it for too long and you can try again in a no pressure situation?

 

[MontyandZoom]

We have another ride in two weeks but I am on holiday next weekend. I was also with my not-so-confident friend. I am going with a couple of girls who are REALLY confident in two weeks so hopefully I can just pop Zoom behind them and it will give us both some confidence.

It's so silly since she jumped everything else really well. I just felt like I was letting her down by being crap!

 

[Kayfm]

As said previously, its one of those days. We all get those, some more than others. Just pick yourself up and carry on. You are a brilliant rider and its not your fault !

 

[Annagain]

I had a similar experience the other day when I took my friend's absolute gent to a lesson as mine was (still is) lame. Mine is a challenge to say the least and my confidence was quite low. This horse is very different from mine who is the only horse I have jumped for 4 years so I was getting left behind a lot and my instructor was telling me I was going to ruin him for my friend if I didn't sort myself out and that despite thinking that my horse was causing the problems with the jumping, maybe it was me and he was doing my horse a disservice. He's not normally nasty, I think he was trying to kick my backside into gear but it backfired and just made me feel so inadequate.

Anyway, after a few weeks of practising and a couple of lessons with a more sympathetic instructor my confidence has soared. I did a ODE on my friend's horse yesterday and I was actually a bit bored going around the XC as he's just so easy! I loved going round on him, but did miss the challenge that my boy gives me!

So this is a just a blip I'm sure and if you had a nervous friend with you her nerves are bound to have rubbed off on you. I'm sure you'll be better next time with more confident friends. Start off behind them for a lead and then go for it out in front once she's going well!

 

[Booboos]

I've just read your post about Monty and given what a nightmare that was I think you are entitled to a bad day! Things always look worse when you have had other bad news!

I am sure it was all a one-off, all horses have the odd day, it's just that when both of them get into trouble it's all a bit too much! I am sure things will get better soon!

 

[MontyandZoom]

Thanks hun.....I think it has all been a bit much! His sharer has been good until now but this has made me worry.

At least after all the stress, I still can't wait to get down there after work and give them some love. They put you through so much but I wouldn't swap them

 

[dozzie]

It might be worth getting a physio out to check your horse over. Mine had a bump with a car with no obvious injury but had actually strained her sacroiliac and hamstring.

She could also have been iffy about jumping because of the hard ground. So maybe try her in a school to see if it makes a difference.