Coblover63
Well-Known Member
I came off my pony jumping when I was 19 and it scared me. I then sold him at 21 to get a mortgage, get married and have a family. 21 years later, kids grown up, divorced and remarried, I came back to horses in 2005. My jumping fear festered for all that time.
18 months ago, I sold the 7yo traddie cob I had owned since he was 11 months old after the gradual realisation that he wasn't my "one". I decided to take some time out, have holidays, lie-ins, see a bit of the UK at last! Within a fortnight I was bored stiff! A fortnight after that I bought a mare from a dealer....I don't do mares...or dealers. But this dealer didn't lie and my mare has been everything she was described...and more. I worship her.
Having tried various things to overcome my now 35 year old jumping fear (despite everything I still wanted to be able to pop a small fence) in desperation I booked my 54yo cynical body in for a session of brain retraining. I was told it would take about an hour and I was in with her for 2.5. I came out feeling just as terrified at the thought of jumping as when Is gone in. Waste of time and money, I thought. However, 48 hours later, cogs began to turn in my mind...and I found myself WANTING to jump. I won't bore you with the minutiae, but suffice to say, we progressed together (mare was only 6 so green) and found....dare I say it....a love of jumping! Coloured and natural fences, water, ditches, steps, the lot!!
The reason I'm writing this is to share the fact that yesterday, we went to our first stab at SJ. We haven't done any jumping over the winter because of saddle issues, the weather and mud fever, except for a short practise last weekend. So yesterday I just booked us in for a 45cm starter round. Well, we went clear! And yhen I had to do my first ever jump off! And we went clear again.....and it turned out that we had also gone the fastest.... and we won the class!! Gobsmacked didn't cover it.... and I'm not ashamed to tell you that I promptly burst into tears...because of how far I've come. Im do proud of my plucky little fat cob.
Anyway, I just wanted to say that you really can overcome your fears, if you find the right help for you. I choose fun now, not fear.
18 months ago, I sold the 7yo traddie cob I had owned since he was 11 months old after the gradual realisation that he wasn't my "one". I decided to take some time out, have holidays, lie-ins, see a bit of the UK at last! Within a fortnight I was bored stiff! A fortnight after that I bought a mare from a dealer....I don't do mares...or dealers. But this dealer didn't lie and my mare has been everything she was described...and more. I worship her.
Having tried various things to overcome my now 35 year old jumping fear (despite everything I still wanted to be able to pop a small fence) in desperation I booked my 54yo cynical body in for a session of brain retraining. I was told it would take about an hour and I was in with her for 2.5. I came out feeling just as terrified at the thought of jumping as when Is gone in. Waste of time and money, I thought. However, 48 hours later, cogs began to turn in my mind...and I found myself WANTING to jump. I won't bore you with the minutiae, but suffice to say, we progressed together (mare was only 6 so green) and found....dare I say it....a love of jumping! Coloured and natural fences, water, ditches, steps, the lot!!
The reason I'm writing this is to share the fact that yesterday, we went to our first stab at SJ. We haven't done any jumping over the winter because of saddle issues, the weather and mud fever, except for a short practise last weekend. So yesterday I just booked us in for a 45cm starter round. Well, we went clear! And yhen I had to do my first ever jump off! And we went clear again.....and it turned out that we had also gone the fastest.... and we won the class!! Gobsmacked didn't cover it.... and I'm not ashamed to tell you that I promptly burst into tears...because of how far I've come. Im do proud of my plucky little fat cob.
Anyway, I just wanted to say that you really can overcome your fears, if you find the right help for you. I choose fun now, not fear.