Help! Nervous rider :-/

[bluestar]

Hi everyone,

Ok, I've always been a very nervous rider (started riding at a very early age), however about 10 years ago I was really starting to get over my nerves. That was, until I had a rather nasty fall. I havent ridden since However, I'm now desperate to get back into it, so I just wanted to know, how do you guys cope with your nerves? Does anyone on here know of any really good riding schools in the West Midlands? Has anyone tryed hypnosis to over come these issues? Thanks in advance!

 

[Syrah]

I've had big issues with my nerves and confidence.

I tried hypnosis and yes it did work for me. It didn't overcome my nerves but gave me the tools to help. At the end of the day, it has to come from within you to overcome them.

I've done a combination of things. I have an excellent instructor, I have someone who supports me day to day, I always do something out of my comfort zone each day. My trust in my horse is growing daily.

A good riding school is a must and one that is experienced in dealing with confidence issues.

Good luck

 

[sleepykitten]

This is me too, I feel your pain!

I take things slowly, but as Syrah says, try to push yourself out of your comfort zone every now and then. Be proud of the achievements you make, even if they seem small. I have a horse who I was going to sell because i couldn't get him to hack out on his own and he was starting to scare me, and we now trot past the place where he always used to have a tantrum without batting an eyelid! I now know how to cope with his paddy's and knowing that I can deal with him has helped my confidence no end!

Can you get a horsey friend to go with you for some lessons for the first few times? I quite often find I need a kick up the backside from someone else!

Good luck

 

[canteron]

Lots of good advice on this forum if you do a search, but my best thought is get a really good instructor, as the most important thing you can do to regain confidence is to make sure you have a really good position and feel secure!!

Secondly, remember the point is to enjoy it or its all pointless, don't be pressurised into thinking you have to canter/jump/trot/ride across open fields if you don't enjoy that!!!

PS PM me if you want thoughts on finding an instructor!!

 

[bluestar]

Thank you for all your great advice & best wishes I'm going to have a good search on this site for more tips and try to find a good riding school in my area. Ive promised myself that if I get back into the swing of things by xmas I'm treating myself to a lovely new pair of good riding boots - so it'll be worth it just for that! Thanks again everyone! It's good to know that other people are nervous too (I dont mean that in a selfish way!)