i cant concentrate in the school

jenbleep

jenbleep

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........when someone is in there with me! im fine on my own, but as soon as someone pipes up ' do you mind if we come in with you? ' i cant ride! i think that they are looking at me thinking 'what a crap rider' and i always have to be on the lookout to see where theyre going!

is it just me? xxx
 
I have the same problem - especially if it is someone really good! My position goes to pot and my horse sticks his nose in the aid and goes round like a donkey (Im sure he knows what he's doing!)

All I can think of is that they are thinking 'oh dear - she thinks she can ride as well...hehehe'

Not just you at all!
 
yep i end up looking at them and not thinking about Frankie, whos by now tense and rushing off round the school with his nose in the air! i might have to sort this out, im hardly ever in the school on my own! xx
 
haha! I know the feeling completely! One of the riders on our yard is Advanced Medium dressage and has a lovely big black horse that she prances round on - you might as well forget it if she's in there cos you can guarantee your horse will make you look like a total muppet! lol
 
You are most definitely not alone - I absolutely hate having spectators or someone sharing the school. I know we are supposed to be concentrating on our own schooling and not worrying what anyone else is doing, but I am exactly the same as you and start to feel like they are criticising my riding and my horse, I go into the feotal (cant spell!) position. Silly, but hard to overcome. Certainly understand where you are coming from.
PS Good thread about leg yielding earlier!
 
Personally I don't really care if other people are there, I'd prefer if they weren't because then I have more room and wouldn't have to keep avoiding them but I'm not bothered what they think of my riding. I'm sure most people are too interested in their own horse to bother with looking at other people, I know I am! Just ignore them and stay focused on what you're trying to do, your horse will go much better for it and then you can be proud that there is someone else there to see how well your horse is going. And if your horse isn't going brilliantly than who cares, you're just having an off day few people would put you down for it, ok a few might but these are generally the riders who aren't very good themselves so are always looking for faults in other people. Also it doesn't matter if your horse doesn't go as well as an advanced dressage horse! That horse won't have always been perfect, instead watch and think 'my horse will be like that in a few years!'
 
I know how you feel, even when someone is not even riding and just watching I go to pot. I was having a lesson the other day with my instructor and one of her liveries that frequently judges the unaffil comps at the yard came in to ask her something then sat down to watch. It was awful, all I could think about was how bad she must have thought I was riding and how I'll never get a decent mark in a test again!!
 
Suffer the same myself however, have openly spoken about it and it has become less of a problem. Still I have a dressage comp in a couple of weeks & I'll be surrounded by folks I don't know...I'm s***ting myself cause I just know she'll play up
mad.gif
 
I'm exacly the same with spectators, but strangely enough only when I'm on my own horse - when I ride other peoples, I don't seem to mind - haven't got a clue why that is though! And I don't mind it at competitions either - only at home on my own horse - I am wierd!

I don't mind riding with others - so long as they look where they are going! We have a few at our yard that I just leave the arena when they enter as I know they will just crash into me at some point, and I don't want the horse I am riding to lose it's confidence.
 
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