Lost confidence

[WallisM]

Hello there I am hoping you guy's can help and tell me what you's think.

I have been at my new yard now for 8 weeks, It is great and my 2 boy's are real happy and so am I. The facilities are great, I have use of an all weather arena and can ride in the fields as long as there are no horses in, Hacking is real good as well.

My problem is I feel I have lost some confidence when hacking my big horse out, I have been working alot on my flat work and is going real well. When I first moved I was doing a bit of both hacking/schooling, But the past 2 weeks I have just schooled. I went out yesterday and rode past the field where his field mates were he looked @ them and walked on but when they were out of his site he started shouting 4 them and shaking his head nothing real bad but I jumped off and lead him home, I would never have done that normally.

Another thing is I won't take him in a field for a canter as he went through a phase of bucking/bronking and me going out the front door but that was this time last year since then I have done hunter trials, Schooling days and pleasure rides.

I don't know why I feel like this because Jimmy hasn't done anything wrong.

Has anyone else been in this situation, It upsets me as I have always been real confident and I haven't had a really bad experience for me to feel this way.

Thanks for reading this far sorry if it's all gobbly gook.

 

[AmyMay]

I think we all go through times like this. I know I have.

Best to just get on with it. It's never as bad as we think it's going to be

 

[the watcher]

I think the occasional loss of confidence is nothing unusual. Is there anybody else at your yard that you could hack out with? That can sometimes help. sometimes it doesn't have to be something horse related that can affect your confidence so maybe you need to look at what else is going on in your life and see if that is having a bigger effect on you than you realise.

As for cantering when you are out..only do that in places you are happy you have control, so gentle uphill gradients are a good starting point..no point biulding up a cycle of tension otherwise it becomes a bigger hurdle to overcome.

Positive visualisation works for some people..Rescue Remedy works for others

 

[Breezesbenefactor]

We only moved around 5 weeks ago. To begin with everything went so well and suddenly she has started to spook and become apprehensive. Yesterday she was a total nightmare. I think it might be down to the season and the fact I too am settling in? Just persevere and keep with it, don't let yourself down it will get better it just takes times sometimes months. Perhaps try hacking out with others for a while till you get your spark back?

 

[WallisM]

You know what AmyMay I knew you would reply to me.
Thanks for your confidence.

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
You know what AmyMay I knew you would reply to me.
Thanks for your confidence.

[/ QUOTE ]

I ride a horse regularly that gives me the willys. Can't tell you why - she's never done anything to me - but I just don't trust her. If I hunt her I am throwing up the morning of the hunt. And would do anything not to ride her.

But.......


.........The minute I get on her - nerves dissapear, and we always have a wonderful time. Our brains do some awful things to us sometimes!!

 

[WallisM]

Actually the YO offered yesterday, This is where it is confusing as 2 weeks ago We hacked out together and You would have thought YO horse was the youngster Jim was as good as gold, I also rode out it the wind on his own and he was perfect. It is so weird

 

[Always_late]

Agree with all said here - your chap is just a little excited he's going out for a hack instead of schooling. Bear with him, he'll settle down again and so will you. I know it sounds daft, when I first had my mare (16 years ago!) she used to frighten the living day lights out of me. She used to spook at cows - absolutely hated them - a bit of a problem in the summer, especially with lots of heffers/bullocks in different fields along our routes. I started to sing at the top of my voice - it calmed me down and stopped her from trying to catch me off guard. If you convince youself they are only testing you then it feels a whole lot better. And lots of trot work too.

 

[JessPickle]

Something simular happened to me when I rode pickle out on the new yard for first time, so I hacked him with the same horse for a couple of weeks it really boosted his confidence going with a confident horse and meant I could let him get to know the place. Pickle is no one of the escort horses for the RS (a bit fast for RS clients although there are a few that ride him) think its just time that helps