Need some help with regaining confidence!!

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sarahcat00

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A horse I've been riding for 6 weeks took off very badly with me last week and has damaged my confidence a bit! I've had a lesson on her and ridden twice since, but after a break because of the bad weather I've started to feel very nervous about riding her again, which isn't like me at all. My own horse can be sharp but never dangerous. Advice anyone?? sarah@ebuk.biz
 
absolutely no clue whatsoever - she's very spooky and nervy especially with noises, so that's fine, i know what i'm dealing with, but i'd worked her for 45 mins and she was really relaxed and stretching. a friend was watching and said she had no idea why, her tail just flew up and off she went. luckily my friend was there and was talking to me all the time, giving me something to focus on. You know it's a bad one when the whole yard comes to a stand still!!
 
Poor you. Unfortunately horses can see/hear/smell things that we don't even notice... something must have scared her but you may never know what it is. We often think horses spook at nothing but their senses are so much sharper than ours (being prey animals they have to be) they are so much more aware of their surroundings.

There's an interesting article (unusually!) in Horse & Rider this month about tackling confidence problems and also a bit about Tina Bettison who uses a set of visualisation techniques to help riders improve their confidence. Her website is www.fizzcoachingclinic.com.
 
were you in the school when it happened?

Hmm well it doesnt sound like it was high spirits if she had been worked already, LOL you know horses, she probably saw something terrifying like a shadow!

Unfortunately its just one of those things any horse can do, I would advise just to ride her in the school until you are confident that you can cope with her.
 
yes, it was in the school.thing is she runs scared and its difficult to ask her to listen to you. think i'll just have to get some rescue remedy - for me and her!
 
Is she normally nervy? Perhaps it was a one-off over-reaction to something (my horse did similar thing once when a friend was riding - out of nowhere he went from walk to gallop, jumped out of the school and straight through the crowded yard. Completely out of character - though he is spooky most he normally does is a jump sideways - and he's never done anything like it again. But since then friend has always worn a BP).

Next time you ride perhaps just spend ages in walk in the school.
Try not to "tell yourself" you are nervous as your body will believe it and it will only get worse! It sounds stupid but if you keep telling yourself that you are calm and confident, you do start believing it.
 
Mine is the same - it is noises that set him off - if a horse is working in the menage with him and jumps then the sound of the thud makes him go loopy - otherwise on the road loud cars, m.bikes and tractors - hold onto the pommel and mane and see where you end up.

Someone suggested stuffing his ears with cotton wool? anyone tried this - does it work?
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