Help please with nerves when riding

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zoeshiloh

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 January 2006
Messages
2,771
Location
Suffolk
www.stowmarketanddistrictridingclub.com
I used to be the most confident rider in the world - I would get on anything, jump anything, ride anywhere (you get the idea).

Since finishing uni however, I have steadily got worse and worse. I avoid hacking out in case we meet something scary (my lad is terrified of lorries). I rarely canter on hacks incase the horse spooks at the hedge (this isn't me at all, I used to love my gallops). I rarely jump anything now (a year ago was still happily popping 3ft, having accepted I was too nervous to pop 4ft as I did as a teenager).

In 2002 I broke my back in a nasty cross country fall, and despite making a full recovery (some small nerve and ligament damage but nothing I notice day to day) I pretty much switched to dressage, with the odd showjumping outing. However, after a long summer of thinking 'what if' I have decided that I am determined to get back into sowjumping and eventing (unaffiliated). We are currently on the lookout for a new horse (I don't want to take my old boy eventing again) so fingers crossed for the new year. However, I know that a new horse isn't going to be the magic answer to my confidence issues - so, can anyone help?

I have looked at Becky Chapman's confidence courses and am really keen to go along, but I'd love to know if someone had first hand experience of them, and whether they helped. Does anyone else have suggestions that might help me regain some confidence? There is no single incident that has made me lose confidence, I think it is just because I don't do things regularly enough to build it, if that makes sense? Anyway, any help would be appreciated
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I don't know Becky Chapman at all but having just googled her found out she uses NLP as part of the course. I've had NLP for riding issues and found it hugely helpful in being able to look at issues in different ways, analyse what was really going on, see things from a different point of view and learn techniques to try and avoid falling back into my undesired patterns. I had my single session during the summer and haven't looked back! I'd love to have more when finances allow.
 
I really feel for you. I am in exactly the same position and it all seemed to kick off after I left uni too, probably because I hadn't ridden that much over the 3 yrs I was there and on one of the few occasions that I did, I had an awful fall off my friends horse when jumping, knocked myself out, had concussion, short term memory loss and ended up in hospital. It completely freaked me out. I even went to train at the Northern Racing College a few weeks after it happened but I was pooing myself every day but managed to complete the course. However, I'm more nervous now than I've ever been. I think you get to a certain age and self preservation really kicks in, you can't help but anticipate things even when your head is screaming 'be confident'! I bought my horse earlier on this yr and my very first post on this forum was 'feeling overhorsed'! We've had a really bad run of luck and I had made up my mind to sell him. However, shortly after posting that I found a fantastic instructor who also specialises in backing and schooling. She knows my whole story, what scares me, what I feel capable of doing and most importantly is very supportive. She is bringing my horse back into work for me (he's had 6 months off) and when I feel ready and confident enough, I will take over. So I think finding someone who can help you and support you to regain your confidence is the key, also talking it over with people on here is really quite therapeutic too - good luck x
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