thinking about stopping

X

xXSundanceBayXx

xXx.The ex Noggin123.xXx
Mar 10, 2005
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Valencia, Spain
www.xxxrobyn9158xxx.piczo.com
ok right from the beginning WARNING will be long post

2 years ago i had an accident and came off sully badly, i did not ride for 2 months and when i did i was terribly nervous. 4 months later i got back on sully and although was nervous it got better, during the 2months i didnt ride RI asked who i would like to ride i said manni BIG MISTAKE at that point as before i got on him really well was taking him out and very confident with him. I rode him anyway and my confidence was already down after sully and it was very windy and he was 1/2 rearing, bucking, squealing, jogging (worst of all i hate it), kicking out at RI (he is bad tempered but usually controllable out of his box and away from the mounting block. but he really broke that barrier of comfort i had and i lost everything. it was the feeling of being out of control that bought back memories of the month before on sully. I had to get off, i felt crushed and so angry for giving up.

From then on for the rest of the 6 months i rode noggin and cresta to help me regain confidence with both riding horses and ponies.

Now i am really confident on Jimmy who came at the end of those 6 months of well...crap basically. i love jimmy and feel totally safe on him even though he spooks and bucks occasionally and can ride him through almost anything. and i feel relatively confident on manni, i do still have a memory of that day in the back of my mind and before i ask to ride him i always fret about if its going to be too windy etc. RI can tell im thinking this and always says he will be fine and he has been a loverly ride since april when i got on him and when he bucks now i laugh because its funny. (hes not in pain and i know its wrong but he does it for fun). i did ride sully for a year after i got back on but was very wary, i did a lot of freeschooling and built up a bond between us, and he used to follow me over scary objects with no lead or headcollar. so when i rode him he knew it was me.

Then in april i came off him again he tanked in the field and i was too big for him and i felt so unbalanced and when he swerved at 90* i had no chance came off and got concussion 2 weeks later rode him again and forced myself not to let it bother me but it must have done because he wasnt sully at all.

i havent rode him since nor do i want to (hes 12.3hh and im 5ft 5 and nt exactly light but i feel horrible on him and wobbly), so now i ride manni and jimmy mostly. so thats my journey. and now

im getting bored, RI makes lessons interesting but some of the peopel in our group dont even try to get better, i cant move group because i love it and its the highest group there is for the juniors. I dont want to go into an adult lesson as i will be on toby and dolly all the time and i really do not click with them at all and will not progress if im not enjoying it. i want to ask the RI if i can start riding more difficult horses but im not sure whether shes not put me on them already for a reason or if shes just worried that i will lose confidence or shes happy keeping me on jimmy and manni because it works for her. Im not in anyway trying to slag her off because shes very good and taught me loadz which i can never forget. but im BORED of the same 2 horses every week.

so im thinking if i stopped riding for abit like 8 weeks, then just help out at the stables like normal when i go back after a break i will find different challenges and be more interested may get to move on more, would be like starting again. and to just focus on buildng a bond with the horses on the ground. however i dont know if i could manage to stop.

MOVING YARDS IS NOT AN OPTION this place is as good as i can get around here for a price thats only just affordable.

so i guess what do you think i should do???

and have you ever stopped for a while because you werent getting much out of it/were bored and what did you do?? and was it hard??? :)

once again sorry for it being so long and i know hardly anyone will want to read through if not then just look at the questions :D i put some of info about whats happend in past though incase it helps.:)
 
I haven't been riding for around a month now, before that I had weekly lessons & hacks since Feb. I became bored of riding lessons, I've been to 3 different schools since Feb! I moved to the last school as they were more local, but it is really old fashioned there. The horse have cuts on them & the owner hit one of the horse when I was riding it! I was not enjoying my lessons or learning anything new. As I could only afford 30 min lessons there. For the last couple of months I have been looking for/been to see lots of horses for share. Last week I found the perfect horse to share, was local, costs ok etc. But the owner has mucked me around & now wants a full time sharer to do everything - as the owner is having a hip op soon. I told her I could only share at weekends because of work. She said that was ok originally then changed her mind!!! But had the cheek to ask me down to the yard to muck her horse out as she couldn't do it because her hip was hurting!!! So now I just want to give up altogether!
 
I think a lot of people have this problem, me included! I felt like you recently, so changed instructors. This has been a big help and I definetely feel I have improved and get a bigger selection of horses to ride and variety in my lessons. Before that, like you, I felt like I had hit a dead end, which makes it sooo frustrating, as all you want to do is feel like you are getting some where. I don't think you should ride a horse you don't feel balanced or confident on, as in the long run you don't want to spoil the confidence you have built up. Perhaps at least try the adults lessons just to see what they are like. They may take them more seriously and you can learn something different from each horse you ride. I took a break of a year when I moved and it just makes you appreciate it all the more when you go back to it. Maybe also look for a share. Are there any liveries on the yard that need any help? Hope it improves for you x
 
no liveries on the yard that need help theres only a couple and one horse is on full livery one is manni and the other is rocky who is not riding material unless your uber good. ive done a couple of adult lessons from the same RI and i was on either sully or a pony with loadz of massive horses or Jimmy (who although i love dearly i didnt learn anything new). the only thing is approaching the YO and asking if i can go in one of his lessons but their all in the week mainly and theyre all too good for me and the YO isnt really someone i like to talk to as hes not the most umm approachable very scary i was sick and has jitters before asking to do work experience there. and when hes around i feel like im going to get told off for doing something ive been told to do. hes hardly around anyway though :) am going to speak to RI she did know i was bored as she made us do loads of canter work 4 weeks ago and then at the end said "that was a bit more exciting for you want it you looked like you enjoyed that more".
 
it sounds like your in a bit of a rut :) with your confidence problems you mentioned its best not to do anything that will make you feel out of your depth but it also sounds like you need to try something new. Is there anyway you can go away for the weekend to a trekking centre or something like that, or travel to a rescue centre which needs helpers (i know of a few) that way you are still at your yard but have a change of scenary. If you help a rescue its free you just need to pay for travel and food.
 
I have recently had this problem. I work from half 8 til 6 on a saturday and a sunday for just one lesson a week and no money is given to me. I posted on here a few days ago cos i was feeling really down that i work so hard, and i keep getting put in a lesson that i feel i shouldnt be in and this is making me bored, and less confident as i feel that my RI has no confidence that i can do things! I am thinking of just helping out there now because they dont have horses ( i am currently riding a 16.3 and i am only 5ft 1, nd he just completely takes the mick outa me) that i can ride (size or temperament) so i am going to try having private lessons somewhere else and still help out at my current RS.
Where was is you used to go? Dont know whether its near you and i know you dont want to change yards but church brampton stables is ace:) I just had to leave there cos it was too far away:rolleyes:
Sorry to hear that you feel this way:(
 
Oh right. Is there any chance you could have private lessons somewhere else fornightly or something? That is what i am going to do. I dont think you should quit cos by looking at all the pics of you riding you are doing really well:) Just speak to your RI and see if she could perhaps make your lessons more *interesting* for you as well as for everyone else
 
i will speak to her on sunday when i ride and i cannot afford private lessons anywhere else as i only have £20 pw at the mo, am looking for a job and am on NR classifieds so in the future will deffo be considering it, sol gemma has helped me a lot tonight found someone who may be needing some help so am going to call tomorrow :D thanx gemma :D thanx everyone too for all your advice :D:D
 
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