Video Woohoo! First jumping lesson report.. and a confidence crisis!!

[ImmyS]

Took my rising five year old for our first ever jumping lesson today. I could probably count on one hand the times I’ve jumped ‘coloured poles’ so to speak and Arlo never has, we’ve only popped a few rustic fences together so I was rather nervous.

I walked him down to a local yard as it’s only about a 20 minute walk away and the sun was shining at last hurrah!

Jumped on and started the lesson just focusing on some poles on a 20 metre circle to begin with then we just faced him with a small cross pole at trot, built up to canter then ended the session by popping him over a little oxer with a placing pole. To end we then popped him over it once without the placing pole which I think confused him for a second but he’s very honest and popped it. He was super!! He felt great today and I felt really ‘connected’ to him and it just all went right so I’m really happy with our first jumping experience in a school. I’m hoping in a couple of months I’ll be able to pop him round a little clear round!

Here’s a couple of videos at the end of the session -

Now for the confidence crisis bit and I wonder if anyone has felt the same? When I come to everyday riding, like hacking out I’m absolutely fine but as soon as we do anything new or different I have a complete meltdown and become a right wimp and I don’t know why. Even when everything goes well and I think I’ve gained confidence I turn back into a right pansy. For example had a great time at a xc clinic, gained confidence, then when I went to a sponsored ride the next week I completely chickened our going over most of the fences for absolutely no reason. Arlo was perfect! I feel like I’m holding us both back by being such a wimp and I need to put more trust in Arlo as although he is young and green he has never ever done anything to knock my confidence. I did have a nasty accident about 6 years ago where my horse fell and my leg got crushed but it was a complete freak accident, maybe it knocked my confidence more than I though? Anyway any tips for confidence boosting would be greatly appreciated! Thank you

 

[Abi90]

Erm I have this whenever I go anywhere even if I have been before! Even though I know I will be fine. Can’t offer much help as I’m still a nervous wreck up until the point I get on the horse at the destination but just wanted to let you know that you aren’t alone!

 

[Bernster]

Sounds great. Well done. As for confidence, I’ve posted a few times about my erm, journey, shall we call it (trying to use positive language!) with confidence.

Mine is mainly with jumping but I have issues with nerves doing new stuff or stuff we haven’t done for a while. I hack loads and on our own, then first time in the ‘big’ field solo hacking for a while, I got all nervous and would only walk around. Found out later that the yard hacks him round there all the time, so the next time I did it I was fine. So it’s all in my mind.

For me, some of it is just keep going, stretching myself a bit at a time then consolidating for a while. Def better the more I do and the more often I do it. Plus I got some sports coaching for confidence which has really helped and given me some extra tools in the toolkit.

You’ve mentioned your fall twice now in this context so I wonder if some assistance might be needed in helping you manage how you think about that and how you move through these feelings? Jenni Winter is the person I used, flying changes coaching.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

As I said on your other thread, the difference between lessons/clinics and events such as sponsored rides is that in lessons, you hand responsibility for your safety over to the RI, whom you trust not to ask too much of either you or the horse. When there is no RI, you have to take the responsibility for your own and Arlo's safety on yourself. In the back of your mind, you are not certain that you can guarantee that you are both safe. And tbf we never can guarantee that nothing unexpected isn't going to happen.
I suggest that you build up your 'independent' activities in small steps. Take him to shows where there will be a judge, who is asking you to do something that you are perfectly capable of (so replacing the RI in your subconscious). A sponsored ride can be quite a stretch for many horse/rider combinations.

 

[Ridererror]

I have many wobbles in confidence. I had a jumping lesson at the weekend at a good yard. Was nervous all the way there. Got on the horse, still quite nervous warming up. had THE BEST LESSON EVER! Horse was a dream, we gelled well, loved every second, never shut up about the horse or the lesson all weekend and booked lesson two and it will be on the same horse

Already nervous and its a week away! I like to think nerves mean it matters to you!