Lost confidence

[sjdress]

Feeling rather deflated. Old horse retired and have brought a new young horse (5yo). She is lovely but incredibly green on the flat and I find her very difficult; she’s spooky and tense and very unbalanced. She is bigger than what I am used to and after being launched off her once I have now lost my confidence with her. She’s very good to hack so i feel happier hacking but I want to compete eventually and feel at a loss in the school. I have a pro riding her once a week for me (just started this week) who doesn’t seem to have any issues but when I ride her it all goes wrong! Any advise? Wondering if I have overhorsed myself and should sell, which I would be very sad to do, or give it a bit more time. I used to be very confident and get on anything type so this has come as a bit of a shock to me

 

[Glitterandrainbows]

See how you feel in June even old faithfuls can be tense and spookier in the winter with not as much time to ride and less turn out, if you don’t feel comfortable schooling don’t force it hack groom do ground work and reevaluate in the summer

 

[marmalade76]

Confidence loss has been a downward spiral for me, since losing my horse of a lifetime 6 years ago I've failed to find the right one and with each wrong one my confidence has got worse.

I think you're doing the right thing, stick to what you're comfortable doing (hacking) and let the pro continue with the schooling and see how you feel in a few months.

 

[Northern Hare]

Just a thought, but as she is good to hack, can you concentrate on that for the moment, but include schooling while you're out on your rides? Assuming you can escape the roads, you could work on obedience to your hand and leg aids, changing speed within the pace, etc. Limit what you do in the school to say walk exercises for the moment, and perhaps just go in the school after you've been out for a hack, so she's warmed up and listening to you.

 

[canteron]

Do some in hand fun stuff, it’s great to bond. You can either do serious stuff teaching school movements - shoulder in and so on, or more interesting stuff - maybe look at TRT method or Jenku, or there is masses more out there, or just work at desensitising to umbrellas, radios, flappy things, dogs, etc.
All these will benefit her general education if you decide to sell her.

 

[Skib]

include schooling while you're out on your rides?

Although in theory this is ideal, it is a big ask of both rider and horse to concentrate at a school level (half hour session?) while out on an hour or more hack.
And for me there is a dilemma. In a school one rides transitions to get the horse moving. Did my asking for so many transitions while hacking, put her on her toes so she was more likely to run away with me? Which she did.

 

[Ceriann]

I would stick to hacking for now and build confidence - it is a very fragile thing and it would be easy to push the schooling and stop enjoying her. She is only young, allow the pro to make some progress and then have lessons on her. It’s a really horrible winter and everything is feeling a little frustrated.