Right, confidence has totally gone now!

Cazza525

Cazza525

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Right, I just have to admit it, my confidence has totally gone now...... After having horses since i was 5. Have not ridden that much in the last 10 years but have always kept my hand in so to speak. Had a couple of years straight break and now i find i'm making excuses not to ride. I have to admit it to myself first i spose.
Not to worry, I adore my ponies and am quite happy lungeing, long reining them and generally making a fuss. I could never give it up altogether. Maybe i should fill my land with gorgeous little ones and keep myself sane!
Sorry you must all think i'm a complete t** but i feel happier admitting it. (reminds me of the alcoholic thing lol)
 
((hugs))
I'm struggling with my confidence atm too as a result of getting thrown off in the road and breaking my ankle. Everyone on here (and in RL) has been really supportive and have all said to just take small steps until you're ready. What about just mounting and dismounting once you have lunged/long lined and take it from there?
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Well, if you don't really want to ride I don't see a problem with you working with your ponies from the ground and fussing over them. If, however, you would like to get back on board, perhaps you could look into therapies like TFT (Thought Field Therapy; did wonders for me when I was scared of jumping) or hypnosis
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sorry i should explain that i don't actually ride the ponies, i'm far too tall, i have a young girl who comes out once in a while to keep them ticking over. I have actually got my mums mare over to get her ridden again and am forced to admit i'm not enjoying it one bit. in fact i can't wait until she goes home and i can go back to just having ponies.!
 
I hadn't ridden for ages before I got Belle and had really lost my confidence and I found I was finding excuses not to ride. Eventually, I had to get on as she's old and was getting stiff, and once I started again I now find I miss not riding and I really enjoy it now, a year on. I have started jumping and even competed in the yard show, and we've done a cross country training session, which neither of us have ever done before and my confidence has grown in leaps and bounds. Admitting it is the first step and if you really don't want to ride then nothing means you have to, having a horse is about so much more than just riding. Maybe if you do find you miss it you could hop on every now and then and just walk around a bit?
 
thats a shame that you've lost your confidence, are your ponies able to drive? maybe this could be another way of keeping your little ones fit and active and for you to also enjoy if you dont want to do the riding thing...
 
Do absolutely anything you're comfortable with. There's no rule that says you have to ride so if you're happy not riding that's fine. I'd love to try driving and think I might have lessons sometime (with a driving horse not mine
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). I'm hooked on scurry driving after HOYS a few years ago too.
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Your ponies will probably enjoy driving too. Exercise is exercise whether you're on board or not really. Just enhoy whatever you decide to do with them
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I agree with previous poster, small steps and often is the order of the day! I lost my confidence show jumping (and to some extent still haven't regained it) and went for hypnosis whcih was cognitive therapy based which helped considerably at the time, but with the time that elapsed and a subsequent fall that saw me stretchered off in an ambulance I still feel pretty nervous.
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I started doing grids at home in the menage during a quiet (non nosey livery part of the day), and found it helped considerably. With previous hroses I'd been jumping BSJA Discovery level SJ with the ambition and drive to go to Newcomers and Intro level XC but after my falls on my present horse I started off doing grids at 2ft 3.
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Now I can do a 3ft 3" grid fairly happily and a 2ft 9" grid without thinking twice
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and last weekend I went on to do a one day event with a showjumping of 2ft 6" and we actually won our class AND went clear SJ!! It may have looked an untidy round and I may have done most of it from a trot with a scream or two but I DID IT!!!!
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I built up my grid work confidence with two sessions a week over a seven week period and I am so glad I have. Now I am entered for another ODE on 20th Sept and really looking forward to tackling the SJ hopefully this time in a canter!
 
i've just reread my post and i haven't pointed out that i'm 35 actually. Got 2 kids aged 13 and 2. Confidence has deftinately nosedived since i was at college doing a part time stage 3 course last year. I actually passed my stage 3 care but pulled out of the riding section after i had a fairly spectacular fall when in a lesson jumping. I spose it has probably stemmed from that.
The thing is i Know my ability is up to plodding my mums mare round the lanes to keep the weight off her, but my head's saying.....NO,NO,NO!
 
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