The ups and downs of confidence issues!

[oldie48]

I'm now into 5th month with new horse, as my user name suggests, I'm no longer young and unlike many of my contemporaries I've traded up to a bigger and more powerful horse rather than the other way. Fortunately, new boy is a real poppet despite being forward and sensitive and he really hasn't put a foot wrong, however, i still find myself battling with nerves from time to time and doubting my ability to ride him.This week has been a bit up and down, I'm fine in an indoor arena, outdoor arena with good fencing and hacking but in a very open outdoor arena, the nerves kick in and go straight through to horse and he gets tight and tense and frankly I'm still strugglinging to ride his lovely canter without keeping the handbrake on! I'm not sure what I think he's going to do but I feel really nervous. Well, I had a long arena novice test ride booked for yesterday with an excellent listed judge and trainer. My preparation didn't go as well as I had hoped and I almost cancelled but I put my "brave pants" on and went. The actual test wasn't wonderful but I would have put a couple of points on his record if it had been a competition. I had several horses careering up and down in the paddocks adjacent to the arena, but horse just got on with his job. What a star! Judge gave me some nice comments and brilliant help in improving my scores and for the first time I was able to let him canter freely forward without feeling sick with apprehension. So I went from feeling completely useless to feeling pretty OK. Point of posting? Well I'm not saying I've completely overcome my nerves, I'm sure we'll still have ups and downs but if anyone reading this is having a bit of a confidence crisis it can help to face your fear and just get on with it.

 

[j1ffy]

Well done for overcoming some demons!! I think there is a lot to be said for pushing your comfort zone in a safe environment, and your horse sounds lovely

 

[Dreckly]

Well done you!!

Your post is me to an absolute 'T'. Everything you have written I feel too. Again, horse an absolute poppet all in my head. Like you I just keep trying to plug away at the confidence, keeping getting on and riding, and may be, just may be, one day, I won't have to go through the will I ride, won't I ride conversation in my head every time.

 

[oldie48]

Hi that's why I posted. I'm quite a confident person in every area of my life except riding and i think it's having to give away some control and trust my horse which I find difficult especially in the early days of having a new one. I'm sure I'm not the only one like this and just wanted to share my experience in case it helped someone else. I've got this new horse because I want to be competing rather than schooling and hacking, horse can do it, I just need to lose the demons! I adore the horse, he's wonderful and I feel so lucky to have found him, if he was a bit of a loony i'd be completely lost!

Well done you!!

Your post is me to an absolute 'T'. Everything you have written I feel too. Again, horse an absolute poppet all in my head. Like you I just keep trying to plug away at the confidence, keeping getting on and riding, and may be, just may be, one day, I won't have to go through the will I ride, won't I ride conversation in my head every time.

 

[Joandripple]

Hi oldie48, I completely know where your coming from. I am pushing 50 and have a quirky 14 years young 16'2 WB, he looks "the part" but he can be very insecure and spooky (took me a good month to work this,out!). and even schooling him is a challenge. He likes to spook to evade work, but when I've got my brave pants on he is a dream (which is roughly 60% of the time!). He try's my patience every time I ride him. But we muddle through. There is light at the end of the tunnel and you can enjoy riding your horse I can assure you. The anxious times are fewer and far between for me know (it's took a good four years!). But this year My dream was to qualify for Petplan Area Festival and we have! Two years ago I had never pulled a trailer and now I go out by myself (although my boy can be trying when it comes to coming home sometimes!) all the time to clinics and shows and do enjoy all if it! And I would add I do DIY too, which also is a first! So go and enjoy your Ponio!

 

[oldie48]

Well done on qualifying for petplan, how exciting! I hope you do well. I'd love to do that but first I've got to get out and compete. i've done a lot of unaffiliated in the past but not BD. I'm really lucky to have found my new horse as he is very capable and has done some BD with previous owner he does light up a bit in a competition environment but isn't silly in any way, just keen to do the job!

Hi oldie48, I completely know where your coming from. I am pushing 50 and have a quirky 14 years young 16'2 WB, he looks "the part" but he can be very insecure and spooky (took me a good month to work this,out!). and even schooling him is a challenge. He likes to spook to evade work, but when I've got my brave pants on he is a dream (which is roughly 60% of the time!). He try's my patience every time I ride him. But we muddle through. There is light at the end of the tunnel and you can enjoy riding your horse I can assure you. The anxious times are fewer and far between for me know (it's took a good four years!). But this year My dream was to qualify for Petplan Area Festival and we have! Two years ago I had never pulled a trailer and now I go out by myself (although my boy can be trying when it comes to coming home sometimes!) all the time to clinics and shows and do enjoy all if it! And I would add I do DIY too, which also is a first! So go and enjoy your Ponio!

 

[dianchi]

Sounds like your going the right way, just keep at it.

If it helps after 14 years I have finally found the brave pants to go XC, we play horseball and do all sorts of other mad galloping things, jumped to grade B, although now just jump upto 1m.

Yet a solid log in a field was scary the **** out of me
Did my first XC comp last weekend and have two more booked in before a "proper" ODE in nov!

We all have a wobble at something, just gotta give it a go!

 

[oldie48]

I'm in awe! my last XC, which was many years ago, resulted in a trip to hospital at which point I decided that my jumping days were over. new boy evented to novice level and has a flawless XC record but his SJ record was a bit careless, so his eventing days (and his stallion days) came to an end as a 6 year old. Frankly I doubt I'd hold one side of him XC but i may get brave enough to pop a log! If I school in an arena and there are jumps around, he definitely seems interested. Good luck with your ODE and would be great to see some pics.QUOTE=dianchi;12621035]Sounds like your going the right way, just keep at it.

If it helps after 14 years I have finally found the brave pants to go XC, we play horseball and do all sorts of other mad galloping things, jumped to grade B, although now just jump upto 1m.

Yet a solid log in a field was scary the **** out of me
Did my first XC comp last weekend and have two more booked in before a "proper" ODE in nov!

We all have a wobble at something, just gotta give it a go![/QUOTE]