Did anyone else lose their confidence for no reason at all?
I was thinking about this over the weekend. According to Pink's Lady I come across as fairly confident on here (despite the fact I mention what a fraidy cat I am practically every time I post ), but Im actually not at all. I definitely fall into the 'nervous' category!
This weekend I was riding Jack in the outdoor school and PL was riding King. I felt Jack tense up a tiny bit and arch his neck up. I couldnt see anything so I walked him over to King and halted. He was a very slightly tense and staring at something behind the school. King was totally relaxed and gazing over the same way. I was all for getting off because I get so panicky when I feel them tense up, but Mel wouldnt let me . After a few seconds a herd of bullocks ran into view, they were having a mess around and sliding about and Jack had obviously heard them behind him before he saw them.
He stared at them and blew at them a couple of times, then got bored and stared around a bit, but he was completely relaxed. I, on the other hand, felt like I was having a minor heart attack.
If I think about it logically, even if Jack had leapt forward and bucked, spun round and started playing up, the chances of me falling off him are pretty slim *touch wood*. He's spooked a couple of times with me so far and each time he's just had a little jump sideways which Ive laughed off.
Thinking about this I have realised I am working in reverse to most people.
I shall explain this .
If you put me on a naughty horse I would deal with it. When they actually shy or play up with me I always sit it fine (because Im not actually as rubbish a rider as I tell myself), and I am excellent in a crisis situation - once Hector spooked and ran across a road with me, then cantered almost on the spot all the way home nearly wrenching my arms out. When that happened (according to my mum, who was watching), I dropped into a perfect riding position and never moved a millemetre in the saddle. I sat like a beanbag on him all the way home and was too busy pulling him back and being angry to be scared!
However once I got home I felt faint thinking about what could have happened. If you put me on a super safe plod I wont trust them and will be really tense. If you put me on a horse that I know will be naughty I sit relaxed because I know I have to calm it down.
Is that weird?
Plenty of people have their confidence ruined by a naughty / spooky / silly horse. I was wondering if it's only me that has had their confidence ruined by a safe horse?
Because if you have a horse who only plays up once in a blue moon then that spook / buck / whatever suddnely becomes a MUCH bigger deal. Like falling off - the less you do it the more scary it is. You start to think you will fall off and shatter into a million pieces - never mind the fact that each time you have fallen off in the past you have survived fine, shatter free.
Im also better if Im not the most nervous person there. If I am, I have nothing else to think about, but if I know someone else is having a worse time than me I turn a bit mother hennish because I know I have to look after them - I relax much more!
I have never been a hugely outgoing rider but I was relatively confident when I was younger (and more likely to fall off!), and used to hack out my loan pony whenever I got the chance (and he was quite spooky). So why am I dreading taking out Jack, a horse which the police would quite happily kill for?
I had a huge crisis of confidence when I was horse searching because I convinced myself I would buy something and ruin it by being too nervous. My mum gave me a talking to though and made me carry on looking.
I would quite happily do walk - canter - walk - canter - trot - shoulder in - canter - simple changes - shortened trot - extended trot on Hector in either of our schools.Then if I saw someone turn a horse out in the field nearby I would get off. I mean, what did I think he was going to do that would unseat me??
Crazy ramblings today I know, but I was wondering if Im the only person who's scared of confidence givers!
xxx
I was thinking about this over the weekend. According to Pink's Lady I come across as fairly confident on here (despite the fact I mention what a fraidy cat I am practically every time I post ), but Im actually not at all. I definitely fall into the 'nervous' category!
This weekend I was riding Jack in the outdoor school and PL was riding King. I felt Jack tense up a tiny bit and arch his neck up. I couldnt see anything so I walked him over to King and halted. He was a very slightly tense and staring at something behind the school. King was totally relaxed and gazing over the same way. I was all for getting off because I get so panicky when I feel them tense up, but Mel wouldnt let me . After a few seconds a herd of bullocks ran into view, they were having a mess around and sliding about and Jack had obviously heard them behind him before he saw them.
He stared at them and blew at them a couple of times, then got bored and stared around a bit, but he was completely relaxed. I, on the other hand, felt like I was having a minor heart attack.
If I think about it logically, even if Jack had leapt forward and bucked, spun round and started playing up, the chances of me falling off him are pretty slim *touch wood*. He's spooked a couple of times with me so far and each time he's just had a little jump sideways which Ive laughed off.
Thinking about this I have realised I am working in reverse to most people.
I shall explain this .
If you put me on a naughty horse I would deal with it. When they actually shy or play up with me I always sit it fine (because Im not actually as rubbish a rider as I tell myself), and I am excellent in a crisis situation - once Hector spooked and ran across a road with me, then cantered almost on the spot all the way home nearly wrenching my arms out. When that happened (according to my mum, who was watching), I dropped into a perfect riding position and never moved a millemetre in the saddle. I sat like a beanbag on him all the way home and was too busy pulling him back and being angry to be scared!
However once I got home I felt faint thinking about what could have happened. If you put me on a super safe plod I wont trust them and will be really tense. If you put me on a horse that I know will be naughty I sit relaxed because I know I have to calm it down.
Is that weird?
Plenty of people have their confidence ruined by a naughty / spooky / silly horse. I was wondering if it's only me that has had their confidence ruined by a safe horse?
Because if you have a horse who only plays up once in a blue moon then that spook / buck / whatever suddnely becomes a MUCH bigger deal. Like falling off - the less you do it the more scary it is. You start to think you will fall off and shatter into a million pieces - never mind the fact that each time you have fallen off in the past you have survived fine, shatter free.
Im also better if Im not the most nervous person there. If I am, I have nothing else to think about, but if I know someone else is having a worse time than me I turn a bit mother hennish because I know I have to look after them - I relax much more!
I have never been a hugely outgoing rider but I was relatively confident when I was younger (and more likely to fall off!), and used to hack out my loan pony whenever I got the chance (and he was quite spooky). So why am I dreading taking out Jack, a horse which the police would quite happily kill for?
I had a huge crisis of confidence when I was horse searching because I convinced myself I would buy something and ruin it by being too nervous. My mum gave me a talking to though and made me carry on looking.
I would quite happily do walk - canter - walk - canter - trot - shoulder in - canter - simple changes - shortened trot - extended trot on Hector in either of our schools.Then if I saw someone turn a horse out in the field nearby I would get off. I mean, what did I think he was going to do that would unseat me??
Crazy ramblings today I know, but I was wondering if Im the only person who's scared of confidence givers!
xxx
Last edited: