Got back on - almost feeling confident

amandal

amandal

Active Member
Feb 12, 2004
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Just wanted to express my delight with myself :p . Rode Ziz on Sunday morning for about 10 minutes - basically pushed into it by another livery, very grateful for this. I'm very nervous mounting - we had a bolting whilst mounting incident a few months ago, just before I moved to Somerset in fact, and I've been very apprehensive.

Anyhoo, got on after some lunging and walked and trotted about, feeling like a very nervous novice and conscious of not being the most balanced rider, so pleased to have got back on but disgusted with myself and my riding.

Tuesday night, booked the school again, dosed up with Rescue Remedy when I started feeling sick at work in the afternoon. Got to the yard, brought her in, ignored my demons, groomed and tacked up. Took her to the school and after only 10 minutes of her moving away while mounting (a very short time for us at the moment) mounted. Schooled her lightly for 20 minutes, feeling much more comfortable - actually managed to ask her to move on confidently when she was stopping and listening to the noises in the barn. Also managed to control her pace with my seat and remembered to breathe ;).

She kept wanting to canter in the corners but we kept to walk and trot - neither of us are fit enough yet:eek: . Best of all was a lovely cool down on a very loose rein - no nerves from me, no jumps to the side from her and then the first successful halt transition in months - first time of asking and finishing totally square. Dismounted with no incidences either - she tends to jump to one side.

She was really pleased to see her tack came out and gave me a very affectionate cuddle after her dinner - think she enjoyed it as much as I did.

Got the school tonight and am already excited- not nervous but excited . Almost planning a quiet hack at the weekend - now that would be an achievement for me. :eek:
 
Well done!

That's the best way to do it, little and often. You don't have to go in the school for an hour - if you just ride for 10 mins every other day you'll feel much better in no time. And if you ride for a short time and get off on a good note before she does anything silly, that's what you remember the next time, and end up (like you have) actually looking forward to it!

I've done that on hacks - mine was bucking on the road a couple of years ago on our Christmas Day hack (large group, usually just hack with OH) so last year we set off with them, but peeled off halfway round and came back on our own. That meant I returned to the yard smiling and had enjoyed myself and boosted my confidence, and Thomas was praised for being good - everyone finished on a good note, and I was happy to go out again the next weekend.

You know you're in like-minded company on here,we nervous nellies know what you're going through!

Keep up the good work :D
 
amandal said:
. Almost planning a quiet hack at the weekend - now that would be an achievement for me. :eek:
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Amandal, you'll be galloping around before you know it!!! A fair few of us on this board have been where you are now- remember me last year riding on the lunge and thinking of selling Archer? You've seen my posts recently, dunno what shifted but I'm taking riding a lot less seriously at the moment even laughed at Wizard the other day as we cantered sideways llama-fashion back to the yard even though I'd asked for slow trot.
And incidentally, quiet hacking is FAB. People who insist that every hack is a xc challenge p*ss me off no end. Gimme a mosey in the sunshine any day.
Good luck girlie
Hackedoff x
ps my neck still hurts!
 
You know what's great - 10 mins before I leave work and I'm not feeling sick with nerves :D

Hope your neck gets better !!!!
 
Had the crappest day at work and was so stressed when I got to the yard didn't think it was a good idea to ride. Ziz really picks up on my moods and her being jumpy - still settling in - and me being stressed wasn't a good combination. So brought her in, washed mud off, tried to groom some off - god she's a mudbucket, fed her and put her to bed. Then decided I would have calmed down and should have ridden so kicked myself all the way home.:rolleyes: Got home, sharing a house at the moment, couldn't face my very chatty flatmate, went upstairs and lay on the bed - stayed there all night with wonderful OH delivering food and wine.

Riding tonight instead, by the time I've mucked out I've calmed down so even if today's as hellish as yesterday I'm getting on.
 
Friday was fine - just some gentle walk and trot - managed to mount by myself within 15 minutes - that's really good for us !!

Saturday - planned to go on a quiet walk out of the yard :eek: in the afternoon. Unfortunately the car died at Sainsburys so I spent Saturday afternoon in the car park waiting for the AA. After they'd turned up (2½ hours) OH went to pick up the courtesy car and I got a taxi to the yard to bring her in. Too late to ride out now (6pm - getting dark) so just brought her in (school was locked and YO was not in).

Sunday - booked yard for 1 hour in the morning, got lift to yard and groomed and tacked her up. Feeling sick but excited, mounted, again by myself, within 10 minutes- a new record. Rode her for 3/4 hour, mostly walk and trot. We were trotting round on the left rein when we went past where the radio is in the barn - it beeped, sounded like some alarm or something, Ziz spooked. She drops her shoulder and spins round, normally guaranteed to get me off BUT I STAYED ON THIS TIME:D . Cue shouts of whoa and she stopped halfway across the school. Got my right stirrup back:eek: and carried on working. Very brave for me, after she'd settled we went straight back to what we were doing and started some canter work - she was very eager, asking to canter at each corner, so I did some large circles and we did lots of trot/canter transitions on each rein in the circle. Then cooled her down and after 15 minutes managed to get a decent halt transition. I don't know what I'm doing differently but I'm currently getting a lovely passage when I think I'm asking for halt.

Dismounted with no leaping to the side from Ziz, groomed her and turned her out.

She's settling into the herd well - no trouble from the boss mare, even when I go into the field and Ziz is brought out first - normally a cue for charging.

I've sort of arranged to go on a little walk out of the yard tonight with another livery (young girl on very lovely pony) and her mother :eek: , have the Rescue Remedy on hand.

Legs are very achey now but I was very pleased.
 
She does seem to be pleased, slightly worried though as this popping into canter at every available opportunity is also what she does when her back or hamstrings are hurting (no signs of either though) but her hocks were swollen with arthritis this morning. Although I'm hoping that's just cos she was in overnight (yard rules), hopefully 24/7 turnout will start shortly.
 
Confidence is a very delicate thing, very difficult to keep in balance once it's lost and recovered.

You are taking the right steps, building it on every day and listening to your moods. Gradually, as you build on those positive experiences, you'll feel that all falls into place.

Throughout the years I've met several riders who lost their confidence, some afer horrific accidents, but eventually, got back on the saddle.

Most important, in my opinion, to do it in your own terms, what you feel is right.
 
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