I’ve been having private lessons for a while now and am learning to canter.
I was sooo scared before cantering for the 1st time, to the extent I had sleepless nights. Of course, once I did it, I realised it wasn’t as scary as I’d imagined & immediately wanted to do it again
But I still experience terrible attacks of nerves. I’m always nervous before I get on and I still have the fear of falling off in every lesson, but I’m LOVING learning to ride.
The problem is that every now and again I find myself thinking about how dangerous it is and all the things that could go wrong and then of course, I get all anxious and keyed up. I’m going through an anxious stage just now – probably because I’ve signed up for an extra group class that starts tomorrow – and I’m driving myself a bit mad with worrying about it. It means riding in the outside school, which I haven't done (cue visions of me falling off onto the big stone wall that surrounds it) I've never ridden in a group (cue visions of another horse kicking mine etc. etc.)
I know it’s pointless and probably slightly mental, and worrying isn’t going to prevent me from landing on my head! I also keep telling myself that being nervous just makes riding more difficult, but I can’t seem to stop myself fretting….Probably doesn’t help that I saw a friend at the weekend who I haven’t seen since taking up riding. Practically the 1st thing she said was “I’d just be thinking about what happened to Christopher Reeve – and he was an experienced horseman”
Anyone been through this? Any tips from you lovely people on conquering the nerves? Am I just being completely neurotic? if so, feel free to give me a virtual kick in the bum
I was sooo scared before cantering for the 1st time, to the extent I had sleepless nights. Of course, once I did it, I realised it wasn’t as scary as I’d imagined & immediately wanted to do it again
But I still experience terrible attacks of nerves. I’m always nervous before I get on and I still have the fear of falling off in every lesson, but I’m LOVING learning to ride.
The problem is that every now and again I find myself thinking about how dangerous it is and all the things that could go wrong and then of course, I get all anxious and keyed up. I’m going through an anxious stage just now – probably because I’ve signed up for an extra group class that starts tomorrow – and I’m driving myself a bit mad with worrying about it. It means riding in the outside school, which I haven't done (cue visions of me falling off onto the big stone wall that surrounds it) I've never ridden in a group (cue visions of another horse kicking mine etc. etc.)
I know it’s pointless and probably slightly mental, and worrying isn’t going to prevent me from landing on my head! I also keep telling myself that being nervous just makes riding more difficult, but I can’t seem to stop myself fretting….Probably doesn’t help that I saw a friend at the weekend who I haven’t seen since taking up riding. Practically the 1st thing she said was “I’d just be thinking about what happened to Christopher Reeve – and he was an experienced horseman”
Anyone been through this? Any tips from you lovely people on conquering the nerves? Am I just being completely neurotic? if so, feel free to give me a virtual kick in the bum