Flipping Nerves!

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Arizahn

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Gah:mad:Really cross with myself at the moment.

Still incredibly nervous regarding riding the Hippo after my run in with the fence. Was meant to ride her today but completely bottled out when I got to the yard! Spent an hour just working round her instead.

On the plus side, I got to introduce her to a small dog that belonged to another livery, so that was useful. But I'm just really irritated at letting my nerves get the better of me. I'm falling into that trap of making excuses not to ride her:(

Bit of info:
She's full Arab, so has a fair turn of speed on her, but over all she is mostly sensible. When she's fresh, she likes to go full pelt, and I always lunge her before riding to work this out of her system.
Yes, like any horse she can and does spook but tends to do a sort of mini jump away from the scary thing (often invisible) then settles quickly.
She does sometimes try to trot on without being asked, and I have now made a rule that this is not allowed, since she will simply try to go faster and that is partly how I got so personally acquainted with aforementioned fence...
For all that, she is amazing around traffic - ignores it utterly! Well pleased about that!
Worst habits would be her walking off as soon as I'm on board, and taking off into canter when I want her to stay in trot! Though mounting wise, she is way better now than when I got her - she actually stands beside the mounting block and occasionally waits for me to get my other foot in the stirrup once I'm on board. Her canter is also lovely - just not very appropriate for her to be the one choosing when to use it!

I suppose this is just me venting really. I have another lesson booked for tomorrow with my very understanding instructor. Last week I only managed twenty minutes at walk and had to get off - complete panic attack after falling the Sunday before:(
I keep remembering how well things went on the first lesson: full hour of walking and trotting, transitions, etc. Even managed to sort out my diagonals unaided! It was a perfect lesson. And then three days later I fell off and now I'm a bag of nerves!

Jaffa cakes for anyone still reading...at least Hippo isn't in season any more!
 
this sounds totally like me, my horse bolted with me and fell over,so i came off to, leaving me nervous to ride even in the school, just ride when you feel like riding and when you don't just potter round thts what i do, keep the pressure off
also keep up with lessons as i find im more confident when there is someone on the ground
 
Bless! I would recommend you push yourself out of your comfort zone a little bit , then you will be all chuffed with yourself, then the time after push yourself a little more, then suddenly you will find you are doing so much more!

Breathe slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth, and sit like a sack of spuds, don't stop her going forwards too much as this will only excite her and wind her up, kick her on and ride confidently, if you want to get off say I will in 60 secs time X
 
I totally understand. I was the queen of excuses not to ride. After lots of short(1/2 hour lessons) I am starting to get better. I would wake in the night worrying about riding the next day ! Legs would be physically shaking I'm sure my girl thought I was a human massage pad. Anyway as I said loads of short lessons and making myself ride everyday without fail. I now am
Starting to enjoy riding. I still have worry days and am usually a bag of nerves tacking up but ok once I get on.
I would keep on going make yourself get on if only for a short time . It will get better. Good luck :)
 
Sorry also meant to say try singing it helps you breath. I make up songs coz it takes my mind off the nerves. My particular favourite is my keep on trotting song:D
 
Thanks yeah, this is me too! Having person on ground helps loads - OH walks out with us on hacks anyway since he worries I'll get lost otherwise! He's probably right...
Lessons are such a big help. I'm just frustrated at having dropped back to being scared to mount up! I thought I was over that for good. I also know that Hippo can tell when I'm nervous; she doesn't want to budge! Actually, now I think about it, that's a good thing:o
I've got a short video clip OH took of me last week and I am using it to motivate myself: I'm so tense for most of it I'm nearly hunched over. Then towards the end I actually relaxed a bit and sat properly and it all looks so much better! Hippo has the look of a long suffering nursemaid the whole time...
 
I have and can still be incredibly nervous,, after a fall resulting in a broken sacrum. Still very painful so constant reminder.

What I triesds to do when I was really nervous was just set little tasks and stick to them.
Like, I will tack up and mount today, no walking or riding involved, just sitting on.
Then another time, sit on and just have a little walk around the school, I always gave myself the option of getting off if I felt I wanted to so no real pressure, just had to stick to the days task.

It has taken me a couple of months and weekly lessons and supportive friends but I will now hack in company, ride in the school alone in walk, trot and canter.

Never thought it would happen, would sometimes cry at the thought of getting on board but I feel like I am making real progress now.

Say to myself regularly "feel the fear, but do it anyway" lol! It kinda works, makes me smile so that has to be good.

You will get there I'm sure, stick with it.
 
Regarding the staying on longer, yes I told my instructor I want to push myself on for ten more minutes each time. We have literally gone right back to walk. Once I'm not a trembling mess, we will work up to trot. And then on from there!
I have actually found myself singing to Hippo on several occasions...she seems to like it so far!

I've only owned her since start of November last year. She's been well schooled at some point but had spent five years doing very little other than as a field companion - got hacked out once every few weeks for a half hour and nothing else. So we both also need to get our fitness levels up. Short rides of up to an hour are plenty at the moment.

Think I may take up meditation; it has helped my OH a lot, so can't hurt to try it.
 
One little word - "so"! When we get worried about stuff riding it's always "what if?......" (what if he bucks? what if he shies?" Just put the word "so" in front of the "what if?" and make a little plan in your mind. "So what if he bucks?"......well I'll get his head up, I'll sit firm, I'll drive him on or whatever. Sometimes if you have a little contingency plan in mind then you don't feel as bad as you know you have something you can do.

We all have wobbles so people understand what it feels like!
 
Arizahn said:
Regarding the staying on longer, yes I told my instructor I want to push myself on for ten more minutes each time. We have literally gone right back to walk. Once I'm not a trembling mess, we will work up to trot. And then on from there!
I have actually found myself singing to Hippo on several occasions...she seems to like it so far!

I've only owned her since start of November last year. She's been well schooled at some point but had spent five years doing very little other than as a field companion - got hacked out once every few weeks for a half hour and nothing else. So we both also need to get our fitness levels up. Short rides of up to an hour are plenty at the moment.

Think I may take up meditation; it has helped my OH a lot, so can't hurt to try it.
Click to expand...

I thought that said "Think I may take up medication; it has helped my OH ..... haha try it!
 
Lol, I know, it looks like that at first glance!
Today was much better - details on my other, happy thread:D

So grateful to everyone xx
 
keep at it! could you have 3 half hour lessons per week? just for 3 weeks or so, by then you should be wanting to ride longer, the horse will have an established work routine, lunge or long rein or ground work in the days in between. also do look at what is going in the bucket!! and increase turnout time so your horses is relaxed!
 
Hi, I have access to arena at yard seven days a week so it's only the nerves that are in the way! I was riding every other day and lunging every day. I intend to start doing this again, as I can only afford one proper lesson a week at the moment. Hoping to increase this to two per week soon.

Hippo has six hours turnout per day, with two other mares. They all get along well. She gets a large hay net each night - any more and she just tramples it into her bed - and a second net whilst being groomed each day. This is usually in the late afternoon as we bring in six days a week.
Sundays we can get up to the yard early enough to turn out, so she gets a morning net then whilst I'm applying various barrier creams to her legs. We also lunge her on Sundays before turning out.

Riding routine was as I say half an hour every other day: Thursday, Saturday, Monday, Wednesday (afternoons), then hour's lesson on Thursday. Tuesdays Fridays and Sundays are days we just lunge. Although I'm hoping to get out hacking on Sunday mornings once I'm fully confident - there's a group hack from the yard:)

Feed wise, as I say she has her hay, a plain salt lick, and then 3/4 scoop of Dengie Hi-Fi Lite with a pinch (literally a pinch) of Champion Easy Mix mixed through it. She gets this twice a day, I add biotin to her evening feed and powdered garlic to both. Also a carrot when she has earned one...not as part of her regular feed, as they are very sugary and she doesn't need too much sugar!

NB - She's been checked by the vet and her weight/condition is good. I'm paranoid regarding her weight! Farrier recommended the biotin as her hooves were in poor shape at first, partly due to the very wet weather we had here for a while. It has definitely improved them.
 
My lessons are meant to be for an hour, so at the moment my instructor is using the rest of the time to help improve our lunge work.
 
Something that was suggested to me and I have found really works is to sing as you ride. It sounds stupid but it helps to regulate your breathing and stops you tensing up, which in turn helps the horse relax. It also stops you focusing on being nervous. I feel stupid doing it (and i can't hold a note) but it has really helped Spider and I relax on our first city hacks (think trains, diggers, sirens, cyclists, joggers, dogs, kites, canals and a troop of children dressed as animals).
 
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