Overcoming riding fear - what's your song?

[ycbm]

There have been a couple of mentions recently of singing to overcome fear. I once jumped a SJ round, (indoors, with an audience!) , singing 'I'm a pink toothbrush, you're a blue toothbrush'.

Showing my age, I also sing 'whenever I feel afraid, I whistle a happy tune'.

What's your song you sing when you are afraid?

 

[CMcC]

Onward Christian Soldiers, I only know the first three lines so it is a bit repetitive

 

[Annie B.]

I know it's going wrong when a friend with a bonkers Section D bursts into Nellie the Elephant when she is behind me.

 

[Horsekaren]

mine is pure cheese.... his name is strawberry.

So i edited you are my sunshine

"you are my strawberry
my only strawberry
you make me happy
when you behave
you never know dear
how much i love you
so please strawberry, behave today"

 

[Shavings]

have been known to hum "Mr Levi please be good, and i wont end up in mud"

but truth be told i am often heard just rambling

 

[milliepops]

There have been a couple of mentions recently of singing to overcome fear. I once jumped a SJ round, (indoors, with an audience!) , singing 'I'm a pink toothbrush, you're a blue toothbrush'.

Love this! Might deploy it later, Salty's first solo hack is scheduled this afternoon

 

[Sandy200]

When crossing the motorway bridge near us, where the sides never seem quite high enough to me, cant help singing “London bridge is falling down, falling down”. Not sure that is very helpful!

 

[GoldenWillow]

Nellie the elephant for cantering �� not the Toy Dolls version.

 

[Antw23uk]

ABBA - Thank you for the music. I am neither a girl or a girl with golden hair though but I like the song and know the words!

Or whatever song is going round in my head that day driving me nuts (there is usually a song going round in my head driving me nuts!)

 

[meleeka]

Ten Green Bottles. It’s very repetitive and I have to concentrate not to forget which number I’m on.

 

[Mildlander]

"Old McDonald has a farm" works for me as you can go on and on and on and on and ... well you get the picture!

 

[peanut]

Raindrops keep falling on my head. Not sure why!

 

[Alibear]

10 green bottles although that doesn't last long enough so I start at 99. When I last used it on a hack it became 99 killer green pigeons sitting in a tree etc...

 

[mairiwick]

I used to sing "don't worry, be happy" - although think that made me worse!

One of my instructors has me singing the chorus of Yellow Submarine when I am jumping - that worked better!

 

[SEL]

When crossing the motorway bridge near us, where the sides never seem quite high enough to me, cant help singing “London bridge is falling down, falling down”. Not sure that is very helpful!

This made me chuckle! When I was about 13 one of the local riding schools used to go a busy dual carriageway to get to the hacking routes. I have vertigo and hated it. Much to my miother's annoyance I demanded to go to a riding school further away just to avoid it.

My song of choice is 10 green bottles. When my mare was young I tended to start at 100..... We're about to introduce her to a new hacking route with a big open field that involves 15 minutes on roads to get there. I'm thinking around 200 green bottles should do it.

The rugby was on once when I was schooling a youngster and that got a very tuneless version of 'the world in union'. I'm pretty sure it started behaving just to shut me up.

 

[ozpoz]

The Girl from Ipanema..I think he likes the chord changes!

 

[Carrottom]

Three blind mice, sung at full volume if the baby cows are running the other side of the hedge.
For something a little longer, either There's a hole in my bucket dear Liza, or Morning has broken.

 

[ironhorse]

For my horse that used to see monsters in every hedge line, songs about monsters
If I started on the power ballads, especially anything by Foreigner, he knew I was nervous too, so that could be a bit counterproductive

 

[cold_feet]

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie......

Over and over - the same strategy I use to get grandchildren to sleep!

 

[skint1]

I always sing "There is a Tavern in the Town" except at Christmas when I sing Jingle Bells or Holly and the Ivy or Away in the Manger

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Muppet song, muh nurm a num ner ner nee ner ner...... or the theme tune from Rhubard and Custard......

But for hill work, if Im cantering v fast intentionally, I like to bellow (if on own) a bit of Bon Jovi - living on a prayer


( a good one for those a bit nervous & wanting to do a steady trot, is the Hymn 'At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow' - its a fab trotting pace hymn )

 

[Gift Horse]

The rodeo song works for me.

 

[Bernster]

Hmm I need a new one, at the moment I'm sj counting out loud 1-2-3-4. Very dull!

I can never remember the words but have been known to warble very badly - Nellie the elephant, hotel California, American pie and, a bit more up to date, take me to church by the Hoosiers as I can remember some of the words to that. If hacking alone I put a playlist on but more to keep me company than for nerves as only really get nervous jumping.

 

[nikicb]

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - great for maintaining a steady trot rhythm! x

 

[Yubbie]

Bohemian Rhapsody for me as I actually can remember all the words and as it's a long song with lots of key changes it keeps my attention...the head banging bit is useful to tie in with a change of pace!!!

 

[DabDab]

All things bright and beautiful

If working on trot rhythm then I do 'ah one two three four, keep it up two three four...' like the elephants in the jungle book

 

[Lintel]

10 green bottles although that doesn't last long enough so I start at 99. When I last used it on a hack it became 99 killer green pigeons sitting in a tree etc...

Haha!!

 

[Merrymoles]

If I want him to slow down from his manic march, it's the Laurel and Hardy theme or a slow version of Barwick Green, the Archers theme tune. Generally it is "in the summertime, when the weather is fine, we go hacking, we go hacking all the time"...

If I've been watching the Six Nations he might get a burst of "swing low, sweet chariot" or "we were singing hymns and arias" and it's always carols at Christmas. My usual hacking companion has the patience of a saint and now tells me to sing if she sees my horse getting het up!

 

[lhotse]

I sing Elation by The Levellers to my mare, I know all the words and it's one of my favourite songs so makes us both happy, although I'm not sure I sound that great to anyone nearby!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FYcoXfbGrY

 

[Annagain]

I will survive. Very empowering song. Makes me feel pretty invincible!

A friend swears by the Sun Has Got His Hat On. She says you feel too silly to be scared!