People watching you ride

[muddygreymare]

Just thinking about this really...
I've recently moved to a new yard, and for the past few times i've been riding i've had an 'audience' of about 6 liveries, all stood watching, and it made me feel really uncomfortable. I'm okay if it's someone I know and its only one or two people, but I just feel really self conscious, didn't help my mare was being difficult today as well! I know other people though who prefer people to watch than to ride alone.

Am I just weird not liking it, or do any of you not like being watched either?

 

[rhino]

I don't mind at all, I pick up so much watching other people school and ride (will go to competitions just to sit and watch all day ) so it's only fair to let people watch me You can learn something from every session you watch IMO

 

[Carefreegirl]

I don't mind being watched, if anything it makes me ride better. My YO quite often stands and watches me although there's only one other girl there whom I've known forever. Sometimes I've had people watching when I'm out a lessons and I don't really notice them as I'm trying to concentrate. If they're watching me at a show its coz they know I'm probably about to hit the deck.

 

[caramel]

I get really nervous when people watch me, I don't mind if it's an instructor, but when people gather round the school and start talking about you or making comments. If it's constructive then why not?

 

[StephanieAnn]

I had lessons at a riding school for years and didn't really mind being watched as it was just the parents, got a mare on part loan and went to pieces just when I went to try her out; made me feel really nervous and uncomfortable, would much rather have no audience or just a couple of people watching to be honest.

 

[maresmaid]

If I sit and think about it too much it would probably make me a bit self consious, but I find once I get on and get going, I become so absorbed in what I'm doing, I forget about anyone else being there. Sometimes it can be really encouraging when people remark on how the horse has improved, or give a little tip to make something a bit easier. I suppose I am lucky that most of the people around me are not critical of each others riding, so any thoughts and opinions expressed are usually genuinely helpful.

 

[ebonyallen]

Do not mind, any input came be good from other people. I always have a downer on myself anyway what ever anyone else says or thinks lol.

 

[PonyIAmNotFood]

I zone out of everything but the horse when i ride so its no bother to me.

 

[Jesstickle]

Doesn't bother me at all. The only time I ask people to go away is if my horse is being a knob I think I might swear in front of their kids!

Some people I actively like watching. If they can offer advice I'm always glad to have them there

 

[Malibu_Stacy]

Some people I actively like watching. If they can offer advice I'm always glad to have them there

This to a degree - there's a couple of people I quite like watching me as they give really good advice and constructive criticism (plus Vallin when she's around tends to take lots of photos, which is nice ). Generally though I get quite self concious and a bit tense when being watched which isn't very helpful as both horse and I tend to be quite tense anyway!

 

[rockysmum]

I really dont mind but I suspect the audience might.

The only time me and the old lad go in one of the arenas is when they are flooded. He just loves to bomb around splashing, he thinks hes at the beach

He's 35 and not expected to school anymore

 

[Romax]

I don't think I'd be a good competitor if I didn't like an audience!

 

[Jesstickle]

I don't think I'd be a good competitor if I didn't like an audience!

If I rode like you R, I'd be desperate for people to come and watch me ride!

 

[Wolfie]

Hate it. I get really wound up. It's one of the many reasons shows = disaster areas.

 

[newbie_nix]

I get nervous with people watching as well, apart from if I am in a lesson with an instructor. I tend to overthink things and act more hesitantly for fear of doing the wrong thing and being seen as a numpty, which then has the effect of making me look exactly that.

I also get nervous handling other people's privately owned horses as everyone, understandably, has their own way of doing things and I am terrified of doing the wrong thing. I tend to check with them before doing absolutely everything (especially if they are watching me) and it makes me appear more unsure than I actually am.

I now have my own horse and love handling and riding him, we are getting on fabulously. As I still have a lot to learn I welcome and am happy to receive outside advice and remain open minded about different ways of doing things but I also love it when its just the 2 of us. We can practise what we learnt with no audience - much more relaxing!

But I guess I am just sensitive - I am the same when am doing other things in my life. I have realised that now I am living in the horse world i need to toughen up and get over myself as most people are critics to some extent! I bet some of them feel the same when they have an audience. Some are very constructive with their feedback and some seem to just like to show off and pick faults for the sake of it. I try to cherry pick the useful advice and let the other stuff wash over me....

 

[starryeyed]

Doesn't really bother me! Whenever I've been somewhere "important" (show, event etc), my horses have always thoughtfully ignored everything I have asked of them and given the audience a spectacular performance to watch & talk about for years to come - and so I now go into situations like this with the goal of simply getting into the arena & staying on, and anything that happens afterwards is only a bonus - horrible creatures can't embarrass me any more than they have done in the past so I no longer get self conscious in front of others because I go in knowing exactly what the little buggers will do
When I was younger & had higher expectations I hated riding in front of other people because i usually ended up being thrown to the floor and hated hearing people I didn't know go "oh, that poor girl!"

 

[Ellies_mum2]

I'm not too bothered by being watched while I ride, probably due to the number of lessons I've had. I have the ability to tune out whoever is around me and concentrate fully on what I am doing.

 

[shadowboy]

I hate it when there's many people. I don't mind one or two. But I hate large crowds. Pooped my pants riding in the Royal London as there were loads watching!

 

[hackedoff]

I think it depends on the percieved motivation of the audience. At the first yard I was on when ever I rode there was a crowd of gawpers who delighted in gleefully commenting on mine and ponys inadequicies (sp?) Funnily enough I never saw any of them ride! I always seemed to have watchers making 'helpful comments' at the last but one yard I was on before moving up North. The problem was I had lost my nerve after a rta with pony and most of them were good dressage riders so I ended up really stressed. I did however get so sick of one womens comments that I asked her to get on and show me how to ride. Pony p@@ssed of with her at an extended trot (she was aiming for canter) . She did admit that he wasn't an easy ride. Now I have recovered my nerve and am a lot older than when I bought pony 16 years ago I don't really care what anyone thinks and as a consequence I don't seem to attract an audience!

 

[Spotsrock]

If it's feeling like they are waiting for u to mess up it's a form of bullying. If it's genuine curiosity fair enough.

 

[Leaveittothediva]

Hi, Don't mind people watching me ride, as you really have to get used to it. But one thing that drives me wild is people shouting "advice" from the sidelines especially when you are having a difficult time of it, cause most of the time the advice is useless nonsense.

 

[jesterfaerie]

I don't mind it too much but sometimes I can get rather self concious. People tend to pick their moments to watch as well, last time I had the almost the entire yard (8 people) stood at the gate watching me one day my boy was being particularly difficult and throwing all kinds of shapes and spooking after someone started playing with some kites next to the arena. I usually feel better having someone watch me, even if it isn't anyone horsey....for just in case but that day I felt some of them were just judging me and waiting for me to hit the deck.

 

[monkeybum13]

I couldn't care less.

 

[JFTDWS]

I don't mind - unless I think that they're waiting for me to mess up / hit the ground. I've been some places were you got the distinct impression some teenage liveries were watching purely in the hope of seeing you eat mud.

Normal spectators don't bother me though, riding at shows, etc. Just a reminder to be on my best behaviour, language wise...

 

[Shantara]

I love it!! I get horrible stage fright and I can't talk in crowds...but when I get on a horse, that changes "Everyone! Look! Take photos, take videos! More photoooos!" (Well, not quite like that, haha! But I do love it when my mum and brother come and watch me, so they can take pictures and I love the photo-guy at the shows!)

I even like strangers watching

 

[muddygreymare]

I see what you're saying about showing, I've not done much but plan to this year. I suppose I don't mind people watching when i'm having a lesson or she's actually being good, I just feel dead self conscious when like today Bella was being a bit of a nutcase and I just felt like people were waiting to see me fall off or something! Glad i'm not the only one that feels like this though!

I am fine with photos, i'm a photographer so I'm all for photos of me riding, I just don't like people seeing us actually in motion when she's being a div haha

 

[icyfreya]

I really don't like it! Well actually depends on the setting, im fine at a competition/warm up etc, fine in lessons, and fine with certain people, eg yard owner, friends, mum etc! but i don't like it when a group of the other liveries (who are all quite a bit better riders than me etc) come and watch me, and micks is being silly and spooking at everything, just makes me feel more tense! Also sometimes don't like trying out horses, it's usually fine, but when the owner stands there and watches your every move and you know they're judging your riding & if you're good enough for their baby, well it makes me ride like crap haha!

 

[Shantara]

I see what you're saying about showing, I've not done much but plan to this year. I suppose I don't mind people watching when i'm having a lesson or she's actually being good, I just feel dead self conscious when like today Bella was being a bit of a nutcase and I just felt like people were waiting to see me fall off or something! Glad i'm not the only one that feels like this though!

I am fine with photos, i'm a photographer so I'm all for photos of me riding, I just don't like people seeing us actually in motion when she's being a div haha

I often get that feeling at shows. If you've ever seen a video of us at a show...it's quite a spectacle and I'm sure people are waiting for me to come off. I know people think that about the other lad who rides him, I've heard people mutter as he's coming out the ring "Huff, he never falls off"

 

[midi]

no because I'm not a particularly good rider and don't like being the center of attention anyway, i'd feel very selfconscious if it was people I didn't know.

 

[Tilda]

I agree with what someone else said about the audiences motivation. At my current yard I don't mind people watching me as it is usually because they are supportive or commenting on the fact that Tilly is not spooking lol! I was for a while at a yard where there were a load of teenagers who didn't go to school or work and hadn't had the 10 year break from horses that I'd had so were much better riders who used stand in groups and whisper about me and laugh. Luckily I am a grown up and ignored it but there attitude just really summed up the attitude of the whole yard to everything so I moved after 3 months.