Jumping Confidence!!

silvertinsel

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3 January 2010
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Hello!! Just wondering if anyone had any good confidence tips for a very nervous wimp about jumping that owns a perfectly fantastic flying pony (aka me)? He's not a wasted flyer, he jumps with a sharer but I feel like I'm missing out, I used to jump a lot with him, but after a few too many refusals and stops I became a wimp and just decided the flat work was better for me. Going to college in Sept (hopefully) and have been told I have to jump when there so thought I'd crack on with it now.

Any help would be great help!! x x
 
Somebody on the ground who knows both your ability and the horse's ability... the owners of the horse I ride are always there when I jump and really do fill me with so much confidence as I trust that they won't put any jump up that they don't believe both the horse and I are capable of jumping. Also start off small and build the height up gradually and get a good rhythm and breathe!!
 
I agree with everyone else about having someone else with you. Preferably someone who is braver than you ;) I'm the same as you and find if I have someone to bully and coerce me (gently though) into gradually going higher then I can do it :) It's much easier when you have someone to put the fence up a hole every time you turn your back ;)
 
Inky_and_sunny are you sure you aren't my instructor...she always does this.

Best bet is a good instructor someone who you can really talk to and tell them you are terrified. Start small don't ty anything big and work on technique. As you start to feel it coming together you will be happier to move up to bigger fences but just do it slowly.

Don't think you have to be jumping a 3ft spread immediately,. The key is to have fun and don't over face yourself
 
Inky_and_sunny are you sure you aren't my instructor...she always does this.

Best bet is a good instructor someone who you can really talk to and tell them you are terrified. Start small don't ty anything big and work on technique. As you start to feel it coming together you will be happier to move up to bigger fences but just do it slowly.

Don't think you have to be jumping a 3ft spread immediately,. The key is to have fun and don't over face yourself

Thank you and thank you everyone else =) The thought of 2ft terrifies me let alone 3ft even though I've done it before, just a few years too many ago =(
 
Pleb...been there and still coming through it, that sick feeling in your stomache and the panic attack starting when you have to get on and go over a jump

I really lost my confidence last year and me and Dan lost our confidence and trust in each other with jumping so it was a downward spiral.

I found a brilliant instructor she makes me tell her what is going through my head when she has put a jump up and then tells me how to ride it.

We have been doing loads of work on technique just over really small cross poles but she keeps giving us different things to do and has started to build up our confidence and trust in each other again. She doesn't put anything up to overface me but we have started to do bigger jumps along the way and I am finding I am not phased by them.

Good luck it is an awful feeling and you get so annoyed at yourself but believe me it is possible although I probably wont be jumping a grand prix anytime soon :-)
 
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