Gaining Confidence back!

[POPPYxHARRISON]

Hi I'm 12 years old and I have a 14hh pony called Bee.

I got Bee from Bransby Horses, which is a rehoming scheme.

Anyway I've fallen off Bee twice. The first time was ok and I didn't hurt anything, I didn't loose any confidence and carried on as normal. But the second time was about 5 weeks ago now where I was cooling her off, bearing in mind I had no reins, no stirrups and basically Bee got spooked by something and I went out of the side door. My mum was in the school at the time but she opened the gate and Bee went cantering off out of the gate. My mum ran after Bee and I just lay on the floor crying because it hurt every time I moved. I had a really sore leg and a broused back. I was fine.

Anyway ever since I've had my second fall, I've been really really scared to get back on her and I feel like she is just going to ping off any second
My mum says if I can't get on then I will have to send her back I really don't want to. I lunge her everyday, either before I get on (if I have the guts) or just lunge her.

I really need your advice on what to do. I cry every night because I think I'm **** at riding and I think that I'll never be able to ride again. This is meant to be enjoyable but I'm not enjoying it.

Please help me!

 

[Dizzle]

It sounds like she is a new horse to you, do you have lessons with an instructor? That would really help.

It sounds like your fall was a fluke, do you usually ride around with no reins or stirrups?

Next time you ride, have reins and stirrups. Walk round the school, what ever you do NO TROTTING, do that for the next three or four rides, just stay in walk, you should slowly start to gain your confidence. Then when you feel happy (but not before three or four walk rides) introduce trot, again work on walking and trotting for three or four rides until again you feel relaxed and then introduce canter.

If you can't think of things to do alone in the school, get some dressage tests and ride through them, start off just walking all the patterns, if you have the 'intro' tests they are just walk and trot.


I had lots of time off riding as I had a baby then my mare bucked me off twice, in January I was TERRIFIED hacking my horse out, I was a bag of nerves and I hated it, felt like the end of the world and that there was no point having a horse.

Yesterday I took my mare hunting and spent a blissful three hours galloping flat out around the countryside and having the BEST TIME EVER, this is after jumping 3ft on Monday too!

 

[POPPYxHARRISON]

I've had bee since May 2014. She is a young fizzy pony and is quite green and very sharp. I don't normally ride around with no reins or stirrups I was just having a play like I usually do. I've got an instructor and I've had a couple of lessons and my mum Is booking me in for more. Thank you for you advice it's really helped me a lot, thank you xx