Nerves getting in the way!

[MontysKeeper]

Hello,

Anyone else have this issue? Been there and got over it?

My horse has been off work for a few months and coming back in to work and naturally is feeling a little frisky!

I have had a bad experience with a horse bolting with me and yes I mean bolt not run away with me! lol

I just can't seem to get over this. It happened 8 years ago! Have owned my horse 4 years and before he was off work we were jumping 90cm, hacking and regular lessons.

Nerves just seem to have gone to shot! My horse has run away with me out on hacks but he has always come back to me or slowed up after 6 to 10 strides and gone in to a nice rhythm.

The thought of cantering him in the open is getting my heart rate up and im not even on him!

Booked in to have a couple of lessons to see if this will help but just feel disappointed with myself! I know im capable but nerves are saying otherwise ....

Any words of wisdom appreciated!

Thanks

 

[SaddleUpSin]

Hello,

Anyone else have this issue? Been there and got over it?

My horse has been off work for a few months and coming back in to work and naturally is feeling a little frisky!

I have had a bad experience with a horse bolting with me and yes I mean bolt not run away with me! lol

I just can't seem to get over this. It happened 8 years ago! Have owned my horse 4 years and before he was off work we were jumping 90cm, hacking and regular lessons.

Nerves just seem to have gone to shot! My horse has run away with me out on hacks but he has always come back to me or slowed up after 6 to 10 strides and gone in to a nice rhythm.

The thought of cantering him in the open is getting my heart rate up and im not even on him!

Booked in to have a couple of lessons to see if this will help but just feel disappointed with myself! I know im capable but nerves are saying otherwise ....

Any words of wisdom appreciated!

Thanks

Be gentle on youself, work back up to cantering out and about but take it easy, get a friend to take him out for a few nice controlled canters and get him back used to it, its normal and natural to feel nervous and it will pass

 

[kathantoinette]

Am sure others will have plenty of advice on this one. But I would suggest to stay in the school until you are a bit more confident and then can you get a steady person to hack with. No rush for 'cantering in wide open spaces' plus if horse has been off for while then fitness levels will be very low anyway so not advisable to go cantering off anywhere immediately. Take everything a step at a time. Good luck

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

Take it one day at a time - I lost my bottle on mine, and it took a good couple of years to get the confidence back to being able to canter in the open, regardless of company or not.

Lost it again when I moved yards, and it's taken me again about 18 months to be able to take him on his own (albeit with OH on foot) to the local farm ride. He did actually bog off with me the other week, but to be fair it wasn't as bad as my mind would've made it had someone said it would potentially happen

Life is about what if's - you can't predict for the future. Try doing more ground based exercises, loose schooling, lunging etc to get the excitement shine off the thought of doing something. You will find that one day, you will find yourself tacking up and riding away and not being concerned in the slightest!

 

[jemstar]

Yes, you're not alone! I feel the same after an accident out hacking almost 2 years ago and myself and the horse were both fine just a scary experience making me realise what could potentially happen. I now ride a different horse but still get worried about cantering in open spaces and I even worry about dealing with spooks as I think the worst will happen. He's never done anything remotely silly so the bad experience must be at the back of my mind. I was so confident before. Hacking out with someone really confident with a confident horse for a while would help a lot, maybe your instructor if that's possible? I think the worst thing is beating yourself up about it, you can't help the way you feel. It's also repetition and remembering when things went well rather than when they didn't. I wish I could take my own advice lol! I hope the lessons help

 

[MontysKeeper]

Thank you for the replies. The sad thing is we used to be the "sensible" pair to hack with and people have taken their confidence from hacking out with me. He has now been in work for 4 weeks just walk and trot and going to introduce canter in the school later this week. Have also been hacking out with friends just walking around the fields and his been fine! It literally just is the thought of the first canter in open space after a while off! Seems so silly but think I'm just not going to rush it and keep enjoying going at my own speed for now. Hoping my instructor can knock some sense in me 😜

 

[jemstar]

Thank you for the replies. The sad thing is we used to be the "sensible" pair to hack with and people have taken their confidence from hacking out with me. He has now been in work for 4 weeks just walk and trot and going to introduce canter in the school later this week. Have also been hacking out with friends just walking around the fields and his been fine! It literally just is the thought of the first canter in open space after a while off! Seems so silly but think I'm just not going to rush it and keep enjoying going at my own speed for now. Hoping my instructor can knock some sense in me ��

You'll be the sensible pair again in no time I'm sure

 

[Lexi_]

Nerves just seem to have gone to shot! My horse has run away with me out on hacks but he has always come back to me or slowed up after 6 to 10 strides and gone in to a nice rhythm.

Would it help to bridge your reins before going into canter? My share horse is quite a feisty soul, especially out cantering on grass in company, but I find if I bridge my reins he realises automatically that he's only pulling against himself, rather than us having to have that battle in the first place. If you know your first steps of canter aren't going to be a fight, it starts to be something to look forward to rather than being worried about