my riding is awful. help please.

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EJ87

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So as some of you may know iv sent my mare away fir a weeks training to try and solve her napping problem so as shes away i was offered a 16.2 hunter to go on fir a hack with a group of friends thought great. so got the massive horse tacked (my mare is 14.2) and he us really quiet. thought id take him a spin around arena first just go get a feel for him so apart from the obvious difference in size he was also very responsive i clicked and v lightly squeezed for trot but got canter instead and couldnt get him back to walk halt without turning him! i did go on hack but just held with my knees instead and let him follow the other horses. i feel awful now i feel like i cant ride atol and ny confidence has been shook quit alot. has anyone else ever experienced this and what can i do to help. my mare would be very non responsive ie needs a good kick and squeezed on to keep goin.
 
Going up two whole hands when you're already shaken confidence wise can be a big step. Don't knock yourself. Perhaps find a good school/equestrian centre and have some lessons while your mare is away - lunge lessons may be good. Spend a bit of time on getting yourself relaxed and calm again.. Before you mare comes home, see if you can go over and have a couple of lessons with whoever has been training her - they will hopefully have worked out what pushes her buttons and will be able to help you ride her in a way that works..

Chin up and keep smiling. You'll get there.x
 
Poor you - it can be a shock going from a backward going horse to a forward going one!

How about having some lessons on your mare with the people who are re-schooling her? I think that if you have to constantly nag at your mare to keep her going she has probably "switched off" to your legs and you both need a bit of re-schooling!

You could also try having a lesson on the hunter, just to remind yourself of the more subtle aids.

Good luck!
 
Honey 08 has summed it up well. And unless you have been riding ages & on lots of very different horses, most riders find its hard to get on something completely the opposite of what they're used to & ride as well as they do on their regular horse.
And remember, at any level the only crap rider is someone who thinks they have nothing to learn which doesn't sound at all like you!
 
I've seen this happen with my friend. She bought a horse after having a very reliable loan horse. Hacks out with her were painful to watch plus she's gone through all the doubts you've got about whether she could even ride. Shes worked through it now so you will be fine. I've just been switched to a 14.2 after riding a very forward 16.0. It seemed easy but she's capable of all the same pranks just the ground is not so far away. I try to forget about how big they are..mind over matter and cross fingers and relax and stay calm and breath. I'm new to the whole horse thing and it constantly amazes me how sensitive they are to my tensions.
 
Honestly don't feel awful about it, this is a very different horse to the one you normally ride and it took you a bit of time to find the controls, that's all :) Riding really is incredibly skillful, lucky it is so much fun or we would all take up train spotting or similar
 
I wouldn't worry. I rode a friends horse who at 17.1 is a little bigger than mine and who is very very laid back. I struggled to maintain a trot lol. Was pony club kicking. I found it very hard and made me feel pretty useless! I'm just not used to that type of horse. When you only ride your horse, that's what you become used to.
 
I'd agree - really don't beat yourself up about it. When I was viewing horses recently, there were some where I felt like a complete numpty, could barely trot and couldn't ride a circle, others I could get a really nice tune out of. And they weren't 2 hands different in size from my current horse!

But in terms of getting back your riding confidence, lots of lessons (inc on your own horse) and experienced help, on a good horse, and maybe reading articles on confidence issues etc. There have been quite a few in the horsey mags lately. Basically, take it slow, ask for help and stick at it - you will get there :)
 
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