How to Improve Confidence?

B

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Hello all - this is my first thread and it;s about one of my more serious issues.

I enjoy horses and horse riding. I am wanting to train towards a BHSI and am very keen, and read a lot. I am very comfortable and confident on the ground with horses and have no fears at all, however when it comes to riding I am very difference.
I am not the bravest rider there is, I think and anticipate too much and my confidence tends to be based on the confidence I have in the horse I am riding.

Any tips to improve confidence, stop thinking and analysing and just become braver, more confident and calmer when riding any horse?

Thanks
 
I'd ridden & competed since a child but completely lost my nerve a couple of years ago when my horse suddenly spooked and bolted in the arena for no reason. I got so bad that that even walking on her was terrifying me and I felt sick at the thought of riding. I got very frustrated & upset with myself especially with as the horse had never done it before or since as she is pretty genuine.

I had a great trainer but I just couldn't get past the feeling the horse would spin and I'd come off. So I had hypnotherapy which was unbelievable. It brought back all the positives and got the fears out of my head. Instead of feeling sick at the thought of riding, I couldn't wait to get on the horse. 3 weeks later I was out competing. Thoroughly recommend it. Occasionally I have the odd blip but I go back for a hypnotherapy session and its worth 10 lessons in confidence building!!! or at least I find it works for me
 
maresRus said:
I'd ridden & competed since a child but completely lost my nerve a couple of years ago when my horse suddenly spooked and bolted in the arena for no reason. I got so bad that that even walking on her was terrifying me and I felt sick at the thought of riding. I got very frustrated & upset with myself especially with as the horse had never done it before or since as she is pretty genuine.

I had a great trainer but I just couldn't get past the feeling the horse would spin and I'd come off. So I had hypnotherapy which was unbelievable. It brought back all the positives and got the fears out of my head. Instead of feeling sick at the thought of riding, I couldn't wait to get on the horse. 3 weeks later I was out competing. Thoroughly recommend it. Occasionally I have the odd blip but I go back for a hypnotherapy session and its worth 10 lessons in confidence building!!! or at least I find it works for me
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How would you go about finding a Hypnotherapist for this purpose?
 
I found her in yellow pages! She had not equestrian skills at all but could help overcoming fear. She is a clinical hypnotherapist and NPL qualified. She is member of CPNPL and has Dhyp and CP.AMT.

I would recommend someone qualified in NPL and registered to the general hypnotherapy register as then you are getting someone who is properly trained. There are loads about, but go for one with qualifications and registered.
 
I forgot to say that I do know of someone who NPL who is a rider / specialises in horses but its over the phone. From my experience I don't think you need someone who knows about horses but knows how to work through overcoming fear.
 
My friend and I both have similar issues too after nasty accidents and last night we went to a seminar with Jo Cooper who does NLP (neuro linguistic programming) and TFT and had a short group session with Jo afterwards and the results appear to be amazing! Jo does telephone consultations in the main I believe her web address is www.equestrianconfidence.com.

I don't really understand it and my husband thinks I'm crazy bit if it works I don't really care lol
 
Have a look at this website http://www.confident-rider.co.uk/, i tried one of the hypnotherapy cd's and had really positive results. I wouldn't say im super confident now but i don't have the debilitating nerves anymore which prevented me from riding. I actually look forward to riding now!
Hope it helps
 
I have heard of Jo Cooper. My instructor recommended her as another of my instructor's clients had successfully used Jo.
 
I went for riding lessons on a large variety of different horses at a very well respected equestrian centre. I didn't know the horses and I was very tense when riding then because I didn't know what to expect or whether they would do something I couldn't handle.

In fact, I was initially concerned it would make me worse! However gradually I became less worried because everything the horses did I could deal with and each time I realised come the end of the lesson, nothing had happened, I was alive and kicking and had... dare I say it...enjoyed it!


When I then got back on Ellie I relaxed into the saddle immediately. Here was a horse that had done her worst and I had survived. Unlike the riding school horses I KNEW what she might do and I also knew that I could handle it. She had caught me out before, but having had multiple lessons since then I knew what to do (which I hadn't at the time).

I rode her when I got home from uni and had never had such an exhilirating and fun ride in almost a year. We got our old spark back and now I look forwards to riding her constantly!

(Your situation is different in that I was at uni and she was a returned loan horse who I now share during the holidays.She shattered my confidence when her brakes failed and I ended up under her belly then on the floor. I got it back and restarted jumping, then had 3 nasty falls in one session...)
 
maresRus said:
I found her in yellow pages! She had not equestrian skills at all but could help overcoming fear. She is a clinical hypnotherapist and NPL qualified. She is member of CPNPL and has Dhyp and CP.AMT.

I would recommend someone qualified in NPL and registered to the general hypnotherapy register as then you are getting someone who is properly trained. There are loads about, but go for one with qualifications and registered.
Click to expand...

Thankyou!
 
Just wanted to say Good Luck - know exactly how you feel - but you can do it - hypnotherapy helped me as well many years ago x
 
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