Help with my riding confidence!

[MyDappledConnemara]

I've been riding for four years now, and have done quite a bit of competing and a lot of jumping. I recently got my first horse, a 15hh six year old registered Connemara who is naturally quite stressy and has found it difficult to settle in, causing him to spook and rear. He's had everything checked, so I'm having him re schooled by a very experienced rider. As I am less confident than her (I'm not nervous however), I'm worried he will go back to his naughty ways when I get back on. What should I do? Help would be much appreciated.

 

[Makemineacob]

Not helping his behaviour but could you go to a reliable riding school nearby for a few sessions? It can help to ride a "sensible" horse to give your own confidence a boost. Then you may feel more prepared when you get back on your lad. When you do get back on your lad could you get the rider to be with you through various "challenges", i.e in the school, a little hack out etc and give you the benefit of their expertise as to how they deal with the issue when your boy has a "moment".

 

[njyr]

As above really...would add running through your 'toolkit' mentally before getting on. For spooking we can leg yield into it, do circles that get closer and closer to the scary object as she relaxes, etc. If she's in a total tizzy I'll ride all sorts of shapes. If my mare starts winding herself up in the field, I work on circles and focus on making sure the circles are correct - a good shape with correct bend, the hind leg coming through etc etc, this takes my attention of her and the spooking and onto something practical. It also means than when starts being silly I've made her work quite hard so she's learning to think before she spooks because the consequence is hard work. Transitions and leg yield work for us too. I try to keep her focus on me by asking lots of different questions so she hasn't got time to worry about anything else. I also try not to look at whatever she is looking at but where I want to go. For my confidence I focus on all the things we achieve- even if that is one side of a field without a spook, or getting passed an object (no matter how we did it or how long it took). While riding I focus on my riding and the good bits, so I'm thinking about my position, keeping her in the outside rein etc it makes me ride more confidently and stops the 'what ifs' entering my head! Good luck,it's sounds like you've taken a very sensible step in asking a very experienced rider to help!

 

[EQUIDAE]

Coupled with the cribbing and the small hay nets, could he have ukcers? Sounds fairly typical... Has he been scoped by the vet?