Have you ever felt like a terrible rider?

equestrianabbie

equestrianabbie

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I can't get over the accident I had, I always have to drive past the place it happened and it makes me feel like the worst rider in the world.

Have you ever felt like a terrible rider? If so, what made you feel like that?
 
Yes every time my horse goes backwards at speed or at all in fact (when not asked) I turn to jelly and automatically hold the breastplate and do nothing after a horse went over backwards on me and I broke my back. Current horse has only ever reared once and I bailed, still cant get over the fear! I dont know what accident you had but Im sure it wasnt your fault and you shouldnt feel that way - no one can predict these things :) x
 
marmalade76 said:
Yep, regularly.

The reason is lac* of hours in the saddle and lessons in recent years.
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Ditto this, and the fact that my boy is currently on loan so by the time I get him back it'll have been 3 years since I last rode! Luckily though he is as honest as the day is long and thankfully for me is a very forgiving sort- when I do get him back I'll be starting lessons again to get back in the swing of things.
 
Yes sometimes I just get on and feel rubbish, just have the odd bad day. I normally just take it down a level and try and achieve something small and then leave it!
My back gives me gyp sometimes, is stiff and I end up tense without realising it and my poor horse gets restricted. It's frustrating but there you go.

I have to drive past the yard where I broke my back everyday on my day to work and more often than not I find myself thinking about it, having flashbacks and reliving it.
 
pastie2 said:
Have any of you thought about hypnosis? My last horse was bad in traffic, spinning and standing up. I got this horse in January, ex racer, good in traffic, but I was anticipating him to whip round and felt that before long he would oblige me!! I went to a hypnothearapist and after 2 or 3 days the anxiety had gone. It really does work, try it.
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How many times did it take Pastie2? I have often wondered about it!
 
me too

I think its pretty normal and totally relevant to what we are doing

ie a GP rider will have a bad day not getting the best 3 time changes, and think themselves a terrible rider

Me I know by the time I get this cast off and start riding again, I'm going to have gone back several stages AGAIN Just hope this dam ankle heals this time!!
 
Yes, from accident on the road 2 weeks ago. New irish horse bucked me off onto the tarmac, really hit home how quick things can happen & change your life completely. (Since found out horse has terrible back problem)Am back riding again (not irish horse!) but felt totally useless just hacking out, when older trustworthy cob even flinched slightly at something. Pathetic is a good word to describe my riding at the moment!
 
Yes when a horse I was riding would not go forward off my leg I resorted to the whip too much... I didn't beat him but I recognised I was using it out of frustration and I felt awful and still do!! It's taught me a lesson about whip usage and when it's appropriate. I must add the horse wasn't hurt in any way and I didn't hit him that hard but he must have been confused so now I try to find other ways to get him moving forward and my riding has improved a lot as a result.
 
I think accidents do that to most of us. I have tension issues near the place I had my latest accident and of course it translates to my horse, who has tension issues of her own there.

I think the trick is to recognize that something awful happened, that it's left you with some fear and doubt and forgive yourself for feeling that way. Then you're free to work through it at your own pace.

My horse has since knocked me down twice at that nasty spot (our accident happened in hand) and I'm just staying away from it while we work at other things. Eventually we'll go back there but there's no rush.
 
FEEL. Like a rubbish owner a lot. Feel have really failed Samba, keep looking nd thinking that I should take her off horsemart. Was looking at coughing up cash and sending her for schooling.
 
Yup, all the time. Had a bad fall a few years ago and by the time I'd mended enough to get back in the saddle, it was the last thing in the world I wanted to do. Took me six years to even think about getting back on and it's been another year to get to the stage where I actually want to ride occasionally.

I second the recommendations for hypnotherapy, it definitely helped me though it wasn't an instant miracle cure. I needed two sessions.
 
Yep Today!

Went to view a horse, watched it ridden it didnt put a foot wrong(a little nappy looking at bins etc but the rider got it past with a smack). We had to return to the stables to get me some different stirrups and then it all went wrong! The well behaved horse started jogging with me on board, and trotting/Napping/ I just got off and handed the horse back to the owner and said NO Thanks. She also said if you noticed I rode it in a loose rein, but I tried to do the same.

She asked me if I was nervous and I said yes!! I didnt think it was the right one for me and said so but I really want a plod, but I can ride and was suprised at how the horse just had a complete change of personality. I suppose it showed it was nappy as it just headed straight back to its stable, refused to go where I planned to take it! Plus I felt a really rubbish rider. I just thought of my old boy and how well behaved he is as he wouldnt have done this???

So felt very disappointed today with myself that I gave up easily & couldnt be doing with problems etc. And wasted an afternoon too!
 
Everyone has days like that, when ever a new horse comes in the yard and i have to get on it i always wonder if i am good enough to be riding all these different horses.
But you know what as soon as i am in the saddle silly thoughts go and i am back to concentrating on the job in hand.
But i really believe we all doubt ourselves at one point or another
 
When my last work horse stood up with me at Trafalgar Square roundabout and then proceeded to do a rodeo impression down the mall. Good job the Queen wasnt in residence!!!:D.
 
Indie I wouldn't let that make you feel down, the horse was probably just used to the owner riding it and she knew what buttons to press to get it working well ... Doesn't sound like the sort of horse you describe that you're after so best off you found that out now rather than when you'd bought it and got it home!
 
Yep thats what someone else said to me! But I am glad I did find out before I was tempted!

Lots of things didnt add up, private seller and then the ladies showing me told me they bought their horses from the seller who wasnt even there??? It was very bizarre. I was told the owner would be there and she wasnt but she rang them whilst I was getting on the horse. In fact the more I am thinking about it, it didnt add up at all!

Perhaps some people become accomplished at this kind of thing. I dont buy a horse every day thank goodness!

oh well at least I still have my money and no harm done...just my ego!
 
today - I was already feeling sorry for myself (ym decided to nitpick) then Jerry decided to spook at a tree :mad:
I squealed like a little girl and almost fell off - pathetic :(
I was so close to getting off and putting him back in his stable.
 
All the bloody time, my self confidence is at an all time low.

Not sure why it's lots of things but mainly when something goes wrong I'm way too harsh on myself.

OP I can't suggest things to help to get over it but don't beat yourself up. :)
 
equestrianabbie said:
I can't get over the accident I had, I always have to drive past the place it happened and it makes me feel like the worst rider in the world.

Have you ever felt like a terrible rider? If so, what made you feel like that?
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At the age of 18 working with NH horses and getting bucked off by a horse called Kalyvus and ground into the mud,ending up with 3 broken ribs-taught me to sit tighter--
 
Yes, but not in terms of confidence or what I can and can't persuade my horse to do. For me it's the fact that I don't have any confidence in my position (haven't for ages) and this was backed up when I finally asked someone to take photos of me having a riding lesson on my mare last year. It was my first lesson in about 3 years due to uni and the photos made me realise that I really needed to get my bottom in gear and actually start my position from scratch. I looked awful :o. Even prior to actually seeing what I looked like I'd been so self-conscious that I refused to ride in the arena when other people were around! When I moved to Lisbon, in February, for a semester abroad, I took myself off to the nearest riding school and booked myself in for a weekly lesson. I'm now having twice-weekly lessons and I feel like I've improved so much! For the first time in ages I'm having regular lessons with someone who is really helping me to improve my position and when I rode on thursday I felt fantastic, even though I was surrounded by Portuguese dressage buffs on their prancing Lusitanos, and my RI told me my riding is unrecognisable :D. I have a long way to go, but I'm so glad I actually decided to do something about my riding, after having felt miserable about it for ages!!
 
yes, my last lesson.

I had just had an absolutely excellent one and then they up and change horses on me, to a more forward going mare (great, should be fun i thought...) but i messed up one corner and after that she spent the whole lesson napping and completely ignoring my leg. she wouldnt circle/serpentine and left me really unbalanced. I honestly could have cried because although i know 90% of it was my fault but she went so well on the right, but then fell in on the left and ignored me :(.



Im dreading tomorrows lesson. i felt so crappy even though we got such a good canter out of it. instructor said not to be too hard on myself and that we had some really good bits going and vast improvements (though i cant help but think thats just attributed to the fact that shes more forward going once you get her into it) but theyre putting me on her again and if it goes the same way again i'll be gutted :( :( :(
 
Yes when ever I see my sharer riding my horse ! She is like me but 7 yrs ago. I used to work in a yard was training towards my BHS stages and riding different horses all day every day and had a great position,light in the hands etc.

Then had break for about 5 years !

I get on now and feel like crap each and every time,I can never get my horse on the bit jumping only works because he is such a good boy and can get over the fences no matter what obscure angle I bring him at.

I know I need lessons but am yet to find an instructor over here who I can gel with and really feel like I am getting something out of it and improving.

My sharer on the other hand rides 3 times a week, loves schooling and has him shoulder in , leg yield and turn on the F'hand at the touch of a button. ( need a dislike button)
 
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