Riding again after 12 year break and very nervous. Hypnotherapy?

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Bex390

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I have ridden from being 6 years old right through to my early 20's. I had 3 horses of my own (not all at the same time) and in those days, I would ride anything without a care in the world. I am now returning as my children are at school but so far, I feel as though I have never ridden. I was OK in the indoor school (riding centre) but we went on a short hack yesterday and I was a bag of nerves. I have read a lot of good reports about the Confident Rider series by Sharon Shinwell and I wondered if anyone else had tried hypnotherapy to get over riding nerves.
 
Cant comment on that particular one.

Would say stick to having some lessons indoor and build up your confidence first where your happy then hacking will come fine.

Good luck
 
It totally understandable you're a bag of nerves. You haven't done it since you were young and you now have children who depend on you so it would me more of an issue IF you were to fall off and hurt yourself. There's nothing wrong with nerves.

I have a tendancy to get nervous jumping if I haven't done it in a while so I know how you feel, but as soon as I take the plunge I'm fine. I don't know about the hypnotherapy but I bet if you just persevere a bit and take it slowly they'll start to diminish by themselves. Riding Schools are so risk averse these days, there's no way they'd let you do it if they didn't think you were up to it.

Best of luck, hope you have lots of fun.
 
Personally, before you go straight for hypnotherapy id give it a few weeks to settle into it again - then if its still bad a few months down the line id maybe consider it :)
 
My other half has got a CD for Fear of Skiing by the same author and she found it to be a great help last year. She doesn't ride but like you, she returned to a sport after a long break to have kids. I think no matter how much experience you have in lets face it a sport with risks, if your head is in the wrong place, something like this can't hurt. She was always being told that she just needed lessons from a good instructor but in Vicky's case she was a skier with over 20 years experience.

Good luck with what you decide.
 
Well, I just downloaded Hacking with Confidence. I will listen tonight when I get some peace and quiet and report back here.
Thanks to all for the advice
 
Sounds like you need to ride an older calmer horse so you regain your confidence. Are there no riding schools near by that offer riding for "scared" riders? Maybe another thing is to remember to stay in the "NOW" and not think what is going to happen... Right now, you are brushing the horse... Right now you are putting your foot in the stirrup... Right now you are actually walking down the lane!!... Right now you are getting off the horse....
Nothing happened! haha!
 
I think it is too early for you to go hacking. Take things slow.
I have been in the same situation and started again with beginner lesson then moved on level little by little. Only you can tell when you are ready to go hacking but it doesnt look like you are. I think it is a question of also finding a horse you feel confident riding.
Maybe take a Kalms tablet for your nerve or try rescue remedies when you go next hacking but take your time. No rush!
 
Right, this is going to sound stupid but when you get on just quietly repeat hummmm, hummmahhhh, hummmmm, hummmhummmahhhh, it's instantly calming and also seems to calm the horse too.
 
Dream2own said:
Let me know if the download works, I'm in the same boat as you. Started after a long break and feeling nervous.
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Well, I listened to my download last night at 10.00. I have never tried this before and one thing I will say is that it was extremely relaxing her voice is very soothing. So much so I fell asleep and didn't hear the end of it. My OH said I was sleeping like a baby. Sharon does tell you that if this happens, you should listen when you are not so tired. I have just listened again and this time I heard it all and now I am feeling very positive. We have Xmas stuff to do this weekend so I won't be riding till next week but there are lots of tools and trigger words in the session which I think will help me with the shopping as I hate it. Yes, I can say that right now, I feel very calm, relaxed and confident that I will feel much better next time I get on the horse.
 
Well the shopping trip was cancelled as OH had to work. I just came back from the yard after a 30 minute hack with a friend and the owners very quiet 18 year old mare. I cannot believe the difference, I was calm throughout and nothing like 2 days ago. It is early days yet but I just kept using the trigger word drift as Sharon tells you to do and I felt much calmer.

So far, thumbs up to Sharon and her Hacking with Confidence CD.
 
I downloaded it to my computer then put it on my Galaxy S3. I'm not great with these things so I'm not sure if you can do it straight to your phone.
 
You need to look at why you were fine before and nervous now. Apart from a couple of years the only difference is children. Send them away to bording school or put them on Ebay, and everything will be OK.
 
:o
doonrocket said:
You need to look at why you were fine before and nervous now. Apart from a couple of years the only difference is children. Send them away to bording school or put them on Ebay, and everything will be OK.
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It was actually a 12 year break and like I say, I have more responsibilities now but if I had to choose, the kids would come first every time. I would never send them away, I don' agree with someone else rearing your children.

I assume that was a joke.:)
 
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