Rider Confidence Clinic - The Centre of Horseback Combat

[Dyllymoo]

Has anyone been to one of the above (Karl Greenwood)?

There are spaces for Saturday and I am sorely tempted as my negative thoughts are causing issues again and I really want to be able to learn to deal with them.

Its £277 which is a lot of money but if it helps......

Any thoughts?

 

[ElleSkywalker]

I've been to one of his talks and found it immensely useful and would have no qualms about doing the full course if I was close enough

 

[Millie-Rose]

A friend did the course after breaking her back in a fall. She said it was brilliant.

 

[Alibear]

I've done it and it is brilliant, very rarely in life are there one day fixes but for me this was one.
I've gone to his talks as well and I think you get given a copy of his book too which is great for a read through if you ever have a wobble.
I think about a lot of things differently now, not just horses.

 

[Jumoro]

I've read his book and been to one of his talks and found both excellent. I'm seriously considering doing the course. (I'm miles away, so it will take some planning). if you do go, could you share a report? i'd love to hear how it went

 

[Dyllymoo]

Thank you everyone. I think I'm going to book it. I can live on beans on toast for the rest of the month!

Oh really Alibear, that's interesting as I sometimes struggle with anxiety at home as well, not just horses.

 

[Dyllymoo]

I've read his book and been to one of his talks and found both excellent. I'm seriously considering doing the course. (I'm miles away, so it will take some planning). if you do go, could you share a report? i'd love to hear how it went

I'm just about to phone up and book it I will do a report for definite Luckily I'm only around 60 miles away (around 1 hour 20 away).

 

[Widgeon]

I'm another one with a friend who did a full weekend course and found it incredibly helpful. I'm waiting until they have another promotion or sale and then I will book myself on. Can't really afford the standard price.

 

[Myloubylou]

I’m also considering going. Weighing up cost verses getting most out my riding.

 

[CLA85]

I went on the day course, a few years ago. I was very much focused on the ‘I want to learn to fall better bit’, rather than the confidence bit, and thinking that would be a bit of bonus, as I do tend to get a bit intimidated in a warm up, when there’s loads of higher levels warming up.

However for me, I didn’t get a lot out of it. I probably do have a slightly better idea of how to fall, but the vast majority of the day was spent on how not to be scared to get on your horse. Which for some of the people there was genuinely why they were there. One lady had come all the way from Dubai, just for this course, and was in tears at the thought of getting on and throwing herself off the wooden horse (it did have a name but it escapes me right now) and she was so much happier at the end of the day, so for her it was epic.

Probably I should have asked more questions before booking it, I guess it depends what you want from it, and possibly on the group that is there on the day. Although I did have fun playing with rears on their stunt horses.

It wasn’t cheap, I wouldn’t go back, and for me the money would have been better spent on training with a good instructor. But hey, you live and learn.

 

[merlinsquest]

I’m going on Saturday!

 

[JFTDWS]

^I think CLA has a good point. You probably want to be in a fairly similar-levelled group. I've considered going to them too, but I think I'm an outlier in the confidence stakes as I want to control some aspects of my brain better, but have no issues getting on and doing a lot on horses, so wouldn't necessarily benefit from a lot of what he deals with. I'm also too pedantic and literal and find some of the things he says a bit frustrating on that level. The hypnosis bit also puts me off, but I'm not sure if he still does that as part of the day... He's a nice enough chap though and it's a cool place.

 

[Shavings]

if you go please report back

i want to go to one but being in a different country makes it pricey and difficult

 

[Dyllymoo]

I've still not booked it.....

I've had hypnosis, sports therapists, mindful riding courses and it helps for the 5 minutes after but then my brain just takes over....

I can get on my horse, and hack him on his own, and ride in the school, I just let my brain worries take over most of the time and make every ride seem awful when in actual fact it was good (or at least not as bad as my brain tells me it was) and I didn't die or fall off, J didn't bolt or rear or bronc (in fact he is generally a saint)…..

Maybe I just need to set more little goals for myself when I ride and not focus so much on the big things.

 

[JFTDWS]

if you go please report back

i want to go to one but being in a different country makes it pricey and difficult

If you go, I'll come and photo bitch for you

 

[CLA85]

i think that may have been the problem JFTDWS, it was a small group and I felt very out on limb/ didn’t really fit. The hypnosis went totally over my head, but I’m a bit too scientific/matter of fact for it. I was just going thinking ‘I’ve got a baby pony to back, bound to come off it at some point, I wonder if can learn to bounce better!’. And toddled off by myself. I think if you went with friends/acquaintances of a similar level it would probably work better. Or if you are genuinely terrified each time you get on your pony, but want to overcome it, then it would probably help.

 

[merlinsquest]

i think that may have been the problem JFTDWS, it was a small group and I felt very out on limb/ didn’t really fit. The hypnosis went totally over my head, but I’m a bit too scientific/matter of fact for it. I was just going thinking ‘I’ve got a baby pony to back, bound to come off it at some point, I wonder if can learn to bounce better!’. And toddled off by myself. I think if you went with friends/acquaintances of a similar level it would probably work better. Or if you are genuinely terrified each time you get on your pony, but want to overcome it, then it would probably help.

Oh no, Im going on my own & not terrified every time I get on, just with some aspects. Hope it’s not a massive waste of money ?

 

[JFTDWS]

Oh no, Im going on my own & not terrified every time I get on, just with some aspects. Hope it’s not a massive waste of money ?

If you and the OP go, you'll skew your group towards the more competent end, and you'll probably focus on more useful aspects There's bound to be something you can take from it either way!

 

[merlinsquest]

If you and the OP go, you'll skew your group towards the more competent end, and you'll probably focus on more useful aspects There's bound to be something you can take from it either way!

OP please come with me! Yes, I see what you mean, if the majority are terrified to get on, that’s what we’ll focus on. I need help with jumping, I panic that she’ll stop, tip forward & pull so that’s exactly the end result. Sometimes she’s a bit jolly in canter, so of course my brain tells me we will surely DIE unless I do helpful things like pull the inside rein ? which of course results in outraged pony who now refuses to canter at all. Much improvement lately but I was really hoping this course would help, I’ll be soooo disappointed if we spend all day learning about how to get on ?

 

[Dyllymoo]

OP please come with me! Yes, I see what you mean, if the majority are terrified to get on, that’s what we’ll focus on. I need help with jumping, I panic that she’ll stop, tip forward & pull so that’s exactly the end result. Sometimes she’s a bit jolly in canter, so of course my brain tells me we will surely DIE unless I do helpful things like pull the inside rein ? which of course results in outraged pony who now refuses to canter at all. Much improvement lately but I was really hoping this course would help, I’ll be soooo disappointed if we spend all day learning about how to get on ?

That's what I was thinking. I just need general help than when horse goes forward its ok and is actually what I want to happen, and that I'm not going to slide off the side, and even if I do, ah well....

Does that make sense?

I don't know what to do. Its such a big amount of money and if I don't get much out of it I will be super disappointed and OH will be expecting me to be all good and I wont be.

 

[CLA85]

Sorry merlinsquest I didn’t mean to put you off. Hopefully you’ll have a really competent group and it’ll be great fun! It was a few years ago, it also might have changed/been improved etc. Maybe they tailor their groups more now. Hope you enjoy and get something out of it.

 

[JFTDWS]

TBH I'd rather invest in a neckstrap and someone to distract you and make you laugh while it's happening in your shoes, OP

 

[Alibear]

Its worth it, I went on my own , there were a few soloists and coupe of pairs so not one big group and we got split up for some bits according to confidence. They're very flexible so I did one part in the confident group and another in the non confident group when hit my particular challenge. I was also fairly confident in general my mare had just started to get a bit nappy and I wasn't getting the support I needed to crack on with it and could see it being the start of a slipper slope. After the course I was fine I would say they deal with it all in a straight forward manner and to be honest even if you think the hypnosis isn't for you a) its a tiny part of the day and b) it often works even when you think it hasn't. You do have to go into the day with a I want to get better mindset though, turning up having already decided it won't work for you is rather counter productive what ever it is you are doing.

 

[CLA85]

I don’t think I went with a bad mindset, more that I was focusing on / expecting something different to what the day entailed. I genuinely thought I was going to spend the day throwing myself off in various scenarios, critiquing how best to fall. The actual time looking at falling was tiny in comparison to the rest of the day. As was the hypnosis thing, just a few minutes at the end, I wasn’t aware of that beforehand, but it went over my head. As I said, probably should have asked more questions about it before I booked. But they were lovely people, the surroundings were beautiful, and their horses are super. And it was several years ago, it may well have changed.

 

[merlinsquest]

That's what I was thinking. I just need general help than when horse goes forward its ok and is actually what I want to happen, and that I'm not going to slide off the side, and even if I do, ah well....

Does that make sense?

I don't know what to do. Its such a big amount of money and if I don't get much out of it I will be super disappointed and OH will be expecting me to be all good and I wont be.

sounds like we have similar things going on, TBH my canter issue had got so bad I couldn’t canter even on the lunge without crying incase she bucked, which aren’t actually bucks, more like lifting one back foot about 6 inches off the ground & putting her ears back, I think my brain remembers the one day she bucked me off in the 10 years I’ve owned her & just shouts DANGER DANGER PREPARE TO DIE, which is not helpful! I’ve worked really hard & now doing a tiny course of jumps & cantering nicely in the school, but want help to make it stick, so sounds like your worry about sliding off the side.

i just put it on my credit card ?

 

[Pinkvboots]

I was going to book it a while back and have been a bit undecided a few people who know me think I don't need it but I definitely have lost confidence so feel it would benefit me, I have had some simulator lesson which have really helped I actually have one today, my position got kind of weak and I felt unstable hence the nervousness but I can honestly say I feel heaps better now I realise what I was doing.

So it's still up for debate from me!

 

[canteron]

I think confidence is a skill most riders (over 21 with some sensitivity) need to work on fairly consistently so if you go o with an open mind and a bit of patience you will definitely find bits which help. The falling off section was zero help to me (too old to fall like that) but the rearing bit was completely brilliant and rearing no longer worries me.

 

[Shilasdair]

The truth of it all is that horse riding is actually a fairly dangerous sport. You can, and may get injured. We all know someone who has been killed. So being afraid is a perfectly reasonable response, and not one you should ignore or downplay. I used to work schooling nutters (what was I thinking? ) in my youth - and was pretty sure I was going to die getting on some of them.
The trick is to keep your body relaxed, and your attitude nonchalant so the horse thinks you are a brave leader, and with any luck it won't kill you.
I'm still here.

 

[Trouper]

I think we all tend to overthink these things sometimes. Just go with an open mind and there is bound to be something there which you will find useful - especially if two of you go and you can support one another afterwards. Whether it will be worth the money for you is impossible to say until after the event - personally I would not put a price on confidence. I don't know what you pay for your horses but that would have been about a month's part livery for me and, looked at in those terms, maybe worth the outlay.

 

[Dyllymoo]

I've decided not to go. Unfortunately its a lot of money and my confidence issues are so up and down I feel like I just need to ride more and do more with J to be able to settle myself.

Today I got on, hacked out solo for 30 mins. He was very forward but I was relaxed and he didn't spook once or try to spin. The hack yesterday I had to use the doctors surgery car park as a bit circle to turn around 5 minutes in on the same route as he was spooking, and trying to spin and very worried.

Consistency needs to be my thing. I need to hack out/ ride every day if I can. OH has said he will come on foot/ with push bike when the clocks change so hopefully we can get going and do some mileage and other routes