Rebuilding confidence jumping.. How?!

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Dumbo

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I've never done much jumping but in the summer my friends and I were doing a chase me charlie. I was on my friends pony who is fab to jump and my confidence was at it's peak! Then she put up a 1.10m oxer and I said 'no way am I doing that!' However they all pushed me to do it, the pony charged in to it, stopped, then cat leapt over it and I ended up with a fractured ankle and very painful neck! 6 weeks later I was on a lazy coblet, my friend put up a very tiny jump and the same thing happened.. No injuries though!

Now I have my own horse who, when I shared him I was always hoping to take him over the tire fence in the field but couldn't while horses were grazing. That confidence has completely been shot now! I'd love to do a few shows this summer but can't get over my fear :( He's much bigger than any horse i've fallen off before at 16.2hh, hasn't been properly schooled to jump but apparently he jumps like a stag.
I can't really afford lessons at the moment so any advice/exercises to help?
 
Ah. Firstly stop putting pressure on yourself and don't let anybody else do it either.

Set yourself little goals, and push yourself to achieve them. As above, start with poles on the ground then raised poles. Small courses and grids including flat poles and little cross poles. Don't work your way up too quickly.

Get a good instructor and explain your issues and inbetween lessons see if you can find a good friend to work the poles who will NOT bully you into doing high jumps.

Buy a book or google grid distances and work on gridwork, and try to achieve a nice forward thinking pace, whether it's trot or canter. You need to be focused more on balance and approach than the obstacles themselves.

To develop a secure position. Lots and lots and lots of canter work in point 2, hike your stirrups up and get your heels down, lower leg secure. It will hurt and you'll not be able to do much at first but it will really help you get an independant seat and build up your core strength. Never jump before your horse. Sit up and ride forward right to the take off point. Wait for the fence but be committed.

Patience and perserverance. Don't let setbacks put you off. Everyone who jumps has mishaps, it's just a case of having the confidence not to let them worry you. Just take a wee step back into your comfort zone and start again.

Good luck. Been there.

F
 
Poles on the ground with wings each side then tiny tiny jumps. Slowly does it. First day you may only walk over the poles. Don't 'jump' more than twice a week so you still enjoy riding between times. Put a fence that scares you but is not ridiculously big up in the school when you ride so you can get used to it. Also leave a single pole out and walk over it once each time you ride till it feels normal.
 
I had a similar issue with being left behind so as another poster suggested grid work is great but make sure you know the distances. I started with x3 trotting poles and then built up to a small cross pole as the last one as the other poles set the stride so it's very easy to balance. The pony I was riding at the time had been previously been ruined jumping by being jabbed in the mouth so would rush at the jump and then kangaroo hop over it but this really taught her balance and to be relaxed, helped me a tonne as well! Oh and neck strap may help incase you feel you may jap horse in the mouth.
 
I think the most important thing is a horse that is not just a good jumper, a predictable schoolmaster that will do all the work in a safe & steady way, so you are 100% confident in what it will & won't do, exactly where & when it will take off, & will basically nanny you round while you focus on yourself & how fun it is. It doesn't need to be a bs star, if you are small enough it could be a kids first ridden that only jumps 2'. I've had more than one person with little experience or confidence in jumping, go from being nervous of tiny x-poles on their usual ride, to flying round 3' + grinning after just a few short sessions on my schoolmistress 14.2. Not because I've worked wonders, just because the pony is a sweetie who knows her job. If yours is a good jumper, but not the nannying type, ask around friends to see if someone has something like that you can have a few rides on. Not a safe plod you have to chase over fences, & it doesn't have to be a superstar jumper, it just needs a nice rythym & smooth jump.
Whether on yours or another, just start small & work up. Stay with poles till you are ready to move up, then add in a few raised poles, then tiny x-poles, then tiny uprights & so on. And meantime work on your position. You can set up grids, courses, jumping exercises etc with just poles, & practice going over the pole in the same position you'd go over a jump. And get someone to film you, so not only can you see your progress, but you, horsey friends who might not be available to watch, or put them on here even, can offer cc on your jumping. And don't worry about jump size. Once someone can jump 2' courses in style & confidence, moving to 4' ones is a simple step. And improving your jumping position will make you feel more secure, which in turn will boost your confidence. Also, if you don't already, put a neckstrap on.
 
Thanks all :)
Can't quote on my phone but will work up from poles. Unfortunately I don't know of a relatively safe jumper to borrow but my boy tries his best so hopefully we'll be fine if we go slowly :) Will look into getting a book!
Thanks again :D
 
I had the same issues with confidence and the best advice I can give you is to only do what you feel confident doing. The more your confidence builds on the flat, the more you may want to do poles and then one day you may then feel like popping a little cross pole.
I used to jump at quite a high level and my confidence was so shattered I felt close to giving up completely, but I took the pressure off of myself and told myself that i'm no less of a rider if I dont jump and lo and behold, bit by bit I have occasionally felt like popping a little jump and now I am feeling happy to pop a little jump in the school and one day I am sure I will just feel like I want to put it up a bit.
The key to rebuilding confidence is to let it come back to you, dont go chasing after it and it almost certainly will return in time.
Good luck and just enjoy what you are happy doing until you feel like taking another little step.
 
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