how have you got over confidence issues when jumping??

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Obilicious

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was it by buying a confidence giver , going back to a riding school etc?
experiences please ???? :-)
 
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Finding a good instructor! Makes a huge difference to understanding things better and helping pony develop plus you have someone to gauge whether you are asking too much or too little, and to push you a little if they think it appropriate. I had my first jumping lesson in near enough 2 years yesterday (life got in the way!) and I'm still buzzing. We weren't jumping as big as in the past (and I class 85-90 as big!) but with much more thought and planning - I can't wait to get the next lesson!
 
totally agree with finding a good instructor ... someone that is experienced with your kind of horse (green horses) having someone to help and guide and remind you it isn't impossible. Good luck :)
 
First thing is to find the right horse! I bought a supposedly safe mare from a friend who threw me off onto the road and broke six of my ribs as well as shattering my confidence into a million pieces. As I healed, I knew I wanted to ride again but I didn't know where or how to start. By chance, a friend was selling her cob as he was too quiet for her so she offered him to me. He was really chilled from the moment he arrived on trial and I knew I had to do lots with him to make the trial worth it. Initially I had to have my husband lead me We started off leading round the school and he'd unclip me and I'd walk on my own for a while. Then we went out hacking, leading him first to see how he reacted to the area, then I hopped on and was led, unclipped until I had an attack of the wibbles, then clipped back on. Then into fields and hubby would walk ahead and I would trot to him. In the school hubby would give me challenges, like he'd make a square of poles and make us walk in and then walk out in a different direction and stop so front feet were one side of the pole and back feet the other. Hubs was brill because I was concentrating so much on the task, I forgot to be nervous. All the while I was sussing out that pony was indeed bombproof and after a while I learned to trust him and we now bomb around the countryside on our own with no fears. It CAN be done, I'm living testament.....
 
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Definitely a case of finding the right horse for me, use to jump anything then suddenly even the smallest jump had me in a panic, didn't jump for 6 years ish then decided I wanted too. asked the riding school for help so they put me on the resident show jumper- reason being he wouldn't refuse or miss-jump so I could concentrate on me.... didn't work. In the end I watched someone on a horse that had just arrived- a 3 yr old cob and said I'd jump him- and I did, went from jumping nothing to anything you'd care to put up. He wouldn't jump most the time- just crashed through them so if he was happy doing that I could have no fear at all he would stop or try anything nasty. I've since bought him and he has learnt how to jump too- still jumps through fences quite often though, he thinks it's funny to knock fences down because it gets a reaction from the little ant running around putting up fences.
 
1. Find a safe horse.

2. Find an understanding instructor.

3. Start small and go as slowly as you need to.

4. Get pictures taken and grin stupidly over them at how clever you have been.

Sorted! :)
 
Coblover63 said:
First thing is to find the right horse! I bought a supposedly safe mare from a friend who threw me off onto the road and broke six of my ribs as well as shattering my confidence into a million pieces. As I healed, I knew I wanted to ride again but I didn't know where or how to start. By chance, a friend was selling her cob as he was too quiet for her so she offered him to me. He was really chilled from the moment he arrived on trial and I knew I had to do lots with him to make the trial worth it. Initially I had to have my husband lead me We started off leading round the school and he'd unclip me and I'd walk on my own for a while. Then we went out hacking, leading him first to see how he reacted to the area, then I hopped on and was led, unclipped until I had an attack of the wibbles, then clipped back on. Then into fields and hubby would walk ahead and I would trot to him. In the school hubby would give me challenges, like he'd make a square of poles and make us walk in and then walk out in a different direction and stop so front feet were one side of the pole and back feet the other. Hubs was brill because I was concentrating so much on the task, I forgot to be nervous. All the while I was sussing out that pony was indeed bombproof and after a while I learned to trust him and we now bomb around the countryside on our own with no fears. It CAN be done, I'm living testament.....
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Sorry no useful advice just wanted to say coblover 63 what a wonderful husband you have and I'm sure he was instrumental in your regained confidence :)
 
It was less painful falling off the horse going over the jump, than it would have been taking the wrath from my father because i failed, there was no time to think about confidence, you got on and did it
 
Move to a supportive yard! My old yard was lovely but often not a soul around. Just gave me the heebee geebees about what would happen if I came off. My horse is sensible and calm but so much calmer since he has been on a bigger yard. Not sure why! maybe just because I am more relaxed!
 
I couldn't afford the instructor or the safe horse. To be fair I just started small and practiced. My horse was 16 and had never properly jumped her entire life, she had a habit of stopping just before the fence, dropping her right shoulder and running backwards. I was used to my other horse who was literally point and fire (most honest of horses ever!) Just lots of practice, not over facing ourselves. After a year it got to the point that she enjoyed jumping and now is the most genuine horse, will jump off any stride and will twist herself inside out and I'm getting to the point where I'm not thinking "oh my god is she going to stop?"

Just practice and buying some big girl brave pants!
 
An instructor has never helped me.

Multiple ones.

I find visualising you riding over a big jump in your head or going up to it helps.

Pushing yourself.

Watching others - the your horse live demos on youtube are very inspiring
 
Learn to enjoy it.

I dreaded jumping but knew I had to, but repetition is key at a height you are comfortable with over and over until it's easy, then on the right day at the right moment nudge it up a hole and brag and pat yourself about how well you have done. Notice you haven't fallen off for x weeks or if you have notice you weren't hurt. Focus on the feeling of elation when you achieved what you didn't think you could do

Don't be surprised if you go back several steps over and over again. Just repeat repeat repeat.

I didn't and still don't have the luxury of being able to swap my horse. I love mine but she's been a witch. I have been on spinal boards, broken copious bones and probably fallen off over 400 times in 7 years, was terrified of jumping but kind of forced to do it

Then moved to a new yard where it was fun! I wasn't made to feel crap. No one cared if I left it at 1ft 6 .. So much so i ended up asking people to put fences up as I wanted to challenge myself - just a hole or two but woooop I jumped 70cm without crying!

9 months ago I was a gibbering wreck who padded myself up like I was an American footballer to do a trotting pole

Now I am on the same horse but jumped 1m30 and LOVED it about three weeks ago. Have affiliated my horse and 90cm which used to induce an upset tummy now looks small. We still got eliminated two weeks ago at fence four and I have fallen off twice in the last four weeks. But these days my only thought is 'I was enjoying that .. Can I try again'

Amazing what difference time, patient friends, a new yard and support can make!!
 
Don't do it if you don't enjoy it. All this talk of you have to do it, failing if you don't, what's the point if you're not having fun? I used to do a lot of show jumping but nerves got the better of me and stopped me enjoying it. For me it was the competition rather than the actual jumping. Now I hack, anywhere, everywhere. I'll still jump a log out hacking etc but don't do any competitions because I don't like it. I'm far more confident than I've ever been before, mainly because I realised what I like doing
 
I got over my confidence issues by simply deciding not to do it anymore! I don't remember when or how I lost my confidence but I have gone from being the person who would happily jump anything and everything to being absolutely terrified of even a small cross pole. For some time I tried to push myself as I thought I 'should' be able to do it. The turning point was when I took pony round a 2ft hunter trial and rather than finishing feeling elated that I'd done it (and even got placed!), I hated every second of it. I asked myself why I was pushing myself to do something I didn't enjoy. And that was it. Pressure gone. There's plenty I enjoy doing still and don't miss jumping at all. If pushed (like having to pop a small fence in a Trec class) I hold ponies mane, point, close my eyes and thank my lucky stars I have an honest pony!! But I no longer beat myself up about it. I took up dressage instead!!
 
RoughcutDiamond said:
Finding a good instructor! Makes a huge difference to understanding things better and helping pony develop plus you have someone to gauge whether you are asking too much or too little, and to push you a little if they think it appropriate. I had my first jumping lesson in near enough 2 years yesterday (life got in the way!) and I'm still buzzing. We weren't jumping as big as in the past (and I class 85-90 as big!) but with much more thought and planning - I can't wait to get the next lesson!
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100% this! When I got my boy the thought of jumping made me cry......seriously, I would get others to do it - So I could see what he was like. But with the right instructor I went from crying at a jump to in 8 months I would easily do a 4ft spread. All because they believed in us! and were a little itty bit insane.........had us jumping in the rain on grass downhill and we didn't die. I fell of LOADS but always got back on, and also lots and lots of 'fun' jumping!
I used to go to the local weekday shows so I could just fly round a course, wasn't interested in a rosette. I would often fall off and be laughing like a loony. If its not fun then well...........what's the point!
 
Another one who gave it up. When it was good it was very very good but 90% of the time it made me feel useless and like crying.
Changed yards, changed horses, now on a Ad. medium schoolmaster and loving it. Do what makes you happy.
 
Genuine confidence issues?? Good instructor. If you have absolutely the WRONG horse obviously that needs addressing, but I'd say mine was far from a confidence giver and has caused me lots of problems, but I'm still making progress with my confidence on him.

Good instructor, however, absolutely. The right instructor, who understands your horse and you, makes a huge difference. Then they can set you up for all the little confidence boosting victories in a way that helps build you up.

However it may not be a confidence issue, but an actual fear or dislike of jumping. In that case, don't bother with it - you don't have to do it, do what you enjoy.
 
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