Dizzy and Daisy's diary

Dizzy Woo

Dizzy Woo

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2008
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Dorset
I have been keeping a diary this last week of my progress at overcoming my debilitating fear of riding past my field and down the lane where I had my accident last April and think I will now keep it on NR (I so want to come out of confidence club) so rather long first post......


16/01/12

First day of me with my new confidence training - big thank you to C
Learnt today how my sub conscious is probably well peed off with me for not listening to it and putting myself in danger and how I need to speak out loud to it so it stops controlling me.
With that in mind determined to ride Daisy down the lane today instead of staying in the safety of my field but they are cutting the turf and the big horrid orange machine is there. Think to myself I will just ride to the trough - a few yards - but make it to the corner of the lane before I feel my panic levels touching 5/6 so decide to turn back but make Daisy stand first before heading back to the field. Realise I am happier once I have turned her as a big part of my 'fear' is to do with her spinning - REVELATION!
Get back to the field with relief and think I will just have a pootle around now as I have done the lane today, but end up doing it 2 more times, getting further down each time, 2nd time didn’t feel good at all, 3rd time felt pretty ok.
Very happy with today, spoke to my sub conscious (Wagbo) and would have none of its negativity.

17/01/2012, 19:39
Worked today, had planned to walk Daisy further down the lane tonight after work but just not enough time. Riding tomorrow.

18/01/2012, 10:25
Raining today so no riding :-( may take Daisy for a walk down the lane after school today as it should have stopped by then. No rug = soggy ponio
Did get a little ride in this afty, rode in the field and then rode down the lane with Lydia on Caiti, daisy led, got past Bentleys poo heap and I spied a large mouldy mushroom thing and Daisy spooked at it(she would never have done this before) she only spooked and stood still but I went up to a 9 or 10, I rode her on a bit more and then got off and led her on down the lane to the road and then back home again, thought I would let her sniff the mushroom thing but she wasn’t interested - it was a good oportunity for her to munch grass next to it, so it obviously didn’t bother her at all. How can she know that I have seen it and then react in the way I am expecting her to react and why cant I expect her not to react like it used to be???
Rode in the field again -fine.
Realised when I looked back over tonights ride that I did not speak to Wagbo at all.

20/01/12

Had riding lesson today on RS horse - did ok, going to start taking Daisy from now on.
Have had an invitation to go on a hack with someone on the farm next Friday, she is very experienced with a lovely safe horse but she has suggested we meet at the exact point on the lane where I had my accident,(she doesn’t know this) this has sent me into a panic, actually the thought of hacking out has sent me into a panic even though everyone tells me her and her horse are great, it will be my first time out with her and Wagbo is already speaking loads of negatives to me.
Rode Daisy this afternoon, it was not a good afternoon weather wise - extremely windy but I was determined to ride her down the lane which I did, once, talking to Wagbo a lot, I think I stayed at about a 4 until we got to the mushroom thing then 5-6 but I talked it down (first time) and we rode almost to the end before turning back and returning to my field. I cant believe I am now so proud of such a simple task, although I was able to talk down to a 4 or 5 I know I was still extremely pleased to be back in the 'safety of my own field'
Not sure if I should be going on this hack?
The lane seems to have become my nemesis?

22/01/12
:dance: Decided this morning enough is enough, I used to ride out every day mostly on my own and I am not going to become a prisoner in my own field, plus field is becoming worn out and needs a rest from all our plodding around it.
Walked Daisy in hand right down the lane today, she didnt want to go into the bit where I came off but we did eventually get there, took her all around turf field twice and along main road twice, once she had gone past the scary bit she and me relaxed and all was well - well pleased with our progress.
Rode her in the field and just before hoping off had the urge to go a little bit down the lane, talked to Wagbo all the way and couldnt quite decide where to get off or turn back as I am now getting concerned about if I keep turning back before going anywhere I will set up Daisy to think its ok to nap back. Anyhow we didnt turn round and we didnt stop, we just kept going :dance: rode way past the scary bit and onto the turf field, past all my worries, Wagbo didn't really bother me and I am one HAPPY BUNNY
now I know I can meet my friend next friday for a hack and I can sleep tonight without worrying about it, almost looking forward to it now and still have 5 days to work on confidence before hand.
Also looking forward to taking Daisy to RS on wednesday instead of riding Bob the Cob.
 
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:dance: Well done hunni, you will be out of the confidence club in no time. Keep working at it and next week when you meet up with your friend it will all be fine, Keep talking to Wagbo! Looking forward to your updates x :dance:
 
bit pee'd off today

Well, I was full of confidence today, gonna ride Daisy right down the lane onto the turf field.
Daisy had other ideas and planted just outside our gate - she hasn't done that in months :stomp:
Cant understand what that was all about, Lydia and Caiti were not with us so maybe that although Daisy didnt seem to care less, she just stands there like butter wouldn't melt.
I chose to get off and lead her so she didn't get away with anything and she did seem quite wary when we got to the accident bit, got back to the field and rode around a bit with Lyd and Caiti before setting out down the lane again, she planted right in the gate this time, well I wasnt having any of it, with a deep low loud "come on" and a lot of leg, she was off and I turned her before she had a chance to plant and we went the other way past our field so I feel like she didnt win but I didnt get to do what I had planned to do.
Think this is going to be a slower recovery back to our old hacking days than I had hopped for...................................................................
 
Such a perfect day

Took Daisy over to RS for first time today, into indoor arena for first time, she was a wee bit apprehensive at first and RS said to get off and walk her around in hand and she soon settled.
Fantabablody brilliant lesson.
I used to do things like trot diagonals but for the past few years just hacked and Daisy had become so lop sided, I just couldnt change diagonals on her but by the end of the lesson she was becoming much more balanced - this is all stuff that is way over my head. I used to just get on and go. But how brilliant to have RI noticing all the things I do or dont do correctly and to see how Daisy moves and give me instruction on how to improve her and it worked!
She did so well and as I rode round on her I just felt this big surge of love cos she just did everything that was asked of her.
Nice sweaty Daisy at the end of the lesson. She was an absolute angel :angel: and just cant wait till next week to go again.
 
Today was the day I was due to go out for my first hack in months with friend on the farm. Had put rain sheet on Daisy last night just in case she was soggy and couldn't believe my eyes when I turned up at the field, she must have found the muddiest patch she could and then managed to rub any (and I mean any) bit of expossed fur in the mud, she was absolutely caked in the stuff, it was in her ears, her 'arm pits' and her stomach was really minging and drenched.
I rubbed her with a towel the best I could and then Julie turned up on her horse Kia who looked absolutely stunning, and there was my muddy old Daisy :wink:
Any how it really didnt matter cos we had the most wonderful hack all the way round the farm and down to the river, the sun was shinning, there was no wind, absolutely perfect.
Daisy was a star, she behaved all the way round and I bit my tongue every time I wanted to say to Julie "oh Daisy doesnt like this bit", we just went with it, I remembered my seat, relaxed, enjoyed and Wagbo only raised a little doubt when a load of deer jumped out in front of us :smile: talked Wagbo back down, Daisy just stood and stared, I was so chuffed with her cos deer usually freak her out.
So so chuffed :dance: what a great week this has been confidence wise :dance:
Love the old Daisy Dyson :wink:
 
What a wonderful morning :dance:
Took Daisy over to RS again this morning, she was an absolute star, last week she had dithered all the way down the lane but today she just plodded on behing me just like she used to.
I really feel like we are both getting somewhere at last. I am even (in a weird way) grateful to the couple of accidents I have had now because if I hadnt had them I would not be doing what I am doing now and I am so enjoying what I am doing with Daisy now and I know it is going to have such a positive effect on her.
RI lunged Daisy today to start with as I had said she didnt lunge and guess what she behaved impecably for RI, she even managed a couple of canters but she does find this difficult atm.
She is very unbalanced atm and her saddle is not fitting at all well due to the weight loss, but RI can see improvement every time we go and saddler is coming out next week so that should all get sorted.
Anyhow todays lesson was great, can just about keep to the correct diagonal and we did a few serpentines, but I was always grateful to be back on my favourite diagonal - I guess in a few more weeks this wont be the case.
Half way through the lesson another rider asked if she could come in the school to have a couple of canters on Bob the Cob, she had been out for a hack but because of the ice she had only walked out on the hack, RI thought this to be a great oportunity for me to get Daisy catering in the school (so far have only done straight lines out hacking with no control) so Bob came in and Daisy followed and we cantered around the school with Bob :dance:
At first I was pulling her up each time she went into the canter cos I thought she was too close to Bob but that was me being a bit of a Jess and with plenty of encouragement from RI we did it :dance: RI was well chuffed with me :dance: she was also well chuffed and impressed with Daisy, her 2nd time in the school and she was cantering around with a horse she had never met -she is on cool ponio
Ive got a big head now, and I am buzzing again, I just love wednesdays, having my lesson, walking home with Daisy all relaxed, having my lunch in the car surrounded by my ponios, poo picking in the sunshine with my music in my ears, almost = heaven :angel::angel::angel:
 
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Sounds absolutley beautiful :angel: So so pleased for you and Daisy, sounds like this really is the start of a new beautiful relationship :inlove: And wow cantering around a school, you are braver then me :biggrin: x x
 
Dont know if they do that as they are quite busy but I do know of 2 other schools in walking distance that do hire out, one is £16 per hour the other is £5 per hour - I think the .25 comes from the fact I get discount of something % of the usual price :smile:
 
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