Ricer Moods!!

[Mbronze]

Do your moods affect your horse when your riding??

I have had a really bad couple of weeks (personally) and feel really down about things and i think it is really starting to affect my horse when riding. I really am trying to do my best and i thought riding would give me the opportunity to relax and forget about all things going on in life..but it just doesn't seem to work?? I am now getting my instructor to ride her for me cause i don't want to spoil her cause i really feel i am that terrible at the moment.

I have laid off from competitions, because i went to a BD the other week, and immediately after test got off and cried (cause i thought it looked awful) but apparantly it was v good and i got 2nd with 72%..i sound like a right nut case at the minute

 

[Mbronze]

p.s meant to put Rider Moods..oops

 

[MizElz]

i think the rider's frame of mind certainly affects the horse, no question. there are times when i am in a bad mood, and ellie will be evil, like a tit for tat scenario. in these cases, its best to get off, turn her out and come back tomoro, and i have done this, many times! there are other times when i may be feeling a bit fragile, and bless her, she takes care of me, gives me a lovely ride.

as far as competing is concerned, i SO understand how you're feeling; this was precisely the reason i gave up jumping, because even though we were doing well, i was all over the place, crying with nerves before, beating myself up after. i did nothing but hack for two years then, and have only now started doing a little bit of dressage. my advice would be to lay off competing until you feel ready again; have a couple of weeks hacking, let your hair down. guarantee horse will love it too! and when you come back to it, you'll both be refreshed
x

 

[kerilli]

i won't school if i'm stressy, upset, hormonal, etc. just not worth it. i go for a nice hack on the buckle end and blow the cobwebs away. if i absolutely must school, i make sure i am prepared to get off and walk away if i feel my temper rising... this hasn't happened for a long time now, but i'll do it rather than nit-pick unfairly at my horse (or worse).
re: competing, umm, i take the scores with as big a pinch of salt as i can, i guess... i concentrate on how it feels, and try to be happy with that. if it all goes to rat****, i try to put it in perspective! the world keep turning, it's only a flippin horse competition, it is supposed to be fun, and the horses prob wouldn't choose to do it, so it's up to us to make it at least tolerable for them i guess!
sorry to hear that other things are getting you down though. is there anyone you can talk to about that... or, what i do is write it all down, get it all out of my head and on to paper. can really help, bizarrely.

 

[YorksG]

Agree absolutely that the riders mood makes a difference, and other people around the horses. Two of ours get quite scared if people are grumpy or cross about things that have nothing to do with the horses and they are very quick to pick it up. The Appy's pick it up and get very bolshie back, not a good scenario.

 

[WishfulThinker]

They definitely affect the horse.

If I am upset or stressed my boy gets upset, he isn't naughty but you just see he looks worried - not sure if for him or me. But the past few days I have been really REALLY down and he has been giving me cuddles and last night he came over and lay his head over the door and laid his head up against mine and fell asleep - he also has taken to giving me rubs on the side of my face - he knows I don't like licks :X

When I am happy he is most definitely happier, but also if I get assertive - not exactly angry, but meaning business - he gets the same and he is sooooooooo different - my instructor says almost like a different horse. But any little bit of doubt I have, he will share when it comes to jumping although he will still try and save me rather then let me come off.

My old horse was sooo sensitive that I was not allowed to ride her when I was in a bad mood as he would freak out and I would get more upset.