Jumping fears

[Ally.235]

So I’ve been riding for about 10 years now and I even have my own share board horse which I ride twice a week, once on a jack alone, and once in a lesson. I also take lessons at a more formal barn further away for hunter competitions. I’ve jumped up to 3’6 before but I’ve had many falls in the past 6 months. Now I just jump and compete in the tiny cross rails and I know I can do more. The fancier barn won’t let me jump higher but I fell off twice in three weeks there and my confidence had been really low. I’m constantly thinking about the horse refusing so I ride very defensive and focused. At the other barn the horses aren’t as trained and I mainly ride my horse. She’s an honest jumper but gets really tired or too quick. There I jump all kinds of things but I’m constantly worried about falling. How can I build up my confidence so that I’m not frozen terrified when I go to canter jumps. I can trot anything but as soon as my instructor says canter I freak out and can hear my heart beating in my head. I know how to ride and I know how to count strides but when I go to jump I forget everything. It’s so embarrassing to be doing little cross rails when I know I could do more if I was less nervous please help I have a lesson tomorrow and i have no idea what to do. This alone has caused me to cancel lessons and shows becuase of the nerves but I always feels guilty later and get mad at myself for not at least giving it a go. Any tips would be appreciated!! Thank you!

 

[Lots of Gift Bags]

Don't be embarrassed at doing cross poles, and just keep doing them and gridwork over and over again until you're not nervous any more. If you care about what other people think, you'll strugg!e to succeed with horses as everyone has an opinion.

 

[doodle]

Forget about the height of the jumps. Go right back to canter poles until you can canter over and find it boringly easy. Then the same over small x poles. Keep going until it is toooooo easy before going any bigger.

I used to jump. Never hugely brave but would do 90cm courses both sj and XC. I don’t jump now. It terrifies me. I even had anxiety over a simple pole on the ground. When I got robin I was still terrified, but that didn’t matter as someone else jumped him. Now I will quite happily canter over a pole and I am chuffed with myself. I will never go back to what I used to do and that’s ok. It’s meant to be fun remember.