thank you so much for your advise. I've only just come across this website and it's nice to be able to turn to people who have been there, done that so to speak...

I really appreciate the reply.. and you said pretty much what i knew i needed to hear. Lessons!

I am really going to pull my finger out, as there are some beautiful rides out around me and I'm desperate to be able to be able to do them for the summer!

Thanks again!

 Welcome! I had missed that you just joined today.

Hop on over to the General (or even the Brag About It) folder and start a thread about who you are. We love meeting new people. You don't need to give all the details (exact hieght and weight, mailing address, lol), but who you are, what/where you ride, names and descriptions of your horses and other beings in your care (dogs, kids, husbads, etc.). And there is also a whole folder for/about trail riders.

BTW, while it would be good to be comfortable with it, there no reason you have to canter out on the trail. You just need some good, reliable brakes! LOL

After nearly 20 years of not riding my wife talked me back into it. Not that that took to much. But now I am a much larger man and I just don't feel comfortable in my saddle at all. Gunner is a 16.3h gelded TB 10 years old well trained by our fairer and friend, he once sold a few years ago for $15k so I dont think the issue is with him. I am using a western cutter saddle 17", western snaffle bit with chin strap. Last trip out really hurt as we were at a canter and he decieded to drop his head and over the handle bars I went. Still recovering from that. I was ready to sell but the wife bought me some lessons from a well known local instructor. I just am not sure if that will help. I use to love racing around with frinds and going as fast as I could, now I don't want to go much faster than a nice walk. Please help.

Hello Valerie,

I to have got back into horses, I use to go to barns as well in my younger days. I would go on trail rides, back then it was $3.00 an hour and everyone had big barns w/ trail rides it was wonderful!  I've been riding now for 3 1/2 years off and on. My first was a mare and an ok girl. However she new I was a greenhorn. Horses are very intelligent and can read us well they know what we are up to or what our next move will be, they know body language..

What I have learned over these few years, if we are tense and nervous our horse knows this as well. I dont know how long you have had your horses but I can let you know how I built my confidence. I took my time getting to know my partner, by brushing talking to them, ground work, play. I use cones and hide yummies under them or I use the big ball and we play soccer on the ground, this helps to build  trust as well as confidence also keeps the cobb webs out & good for there brain. For me it's the quality of time spent.  The ground work you should gain foremost is respect from your horse. It sounds like he dosen't give you this by (running of w/you) This is one way to surely get yourself hurt. We don't bounce like we use to LOL. Do you know the one rein stop? If you don't know this I know you can find it on line.  Clint Anderson, Parreli, Dennis Reese, Buck Brenahan, Julie Goodnight, these are some that I have learned alot from re: ground work, riding, etc...  I hope this will help you some, and please be safe!

Terry  Dixfield, Maine

Hello, I know what Iam about to say may be eaiser said than done but ignore them. Your there for you and your horse, Ground work is a time for you and him/her to build a bond togeather and explain things that he/she does not understand.Had an old trainner tell me once that  "falling off your feet is much less painful than falling out of the saddle". So keep up the ground work and you'll have a much better horse for it, after all thats what the horse and you want in the long run.

Hi, this is my first time being in a forum but I find it a way to get advice and maybe some encouragement. First of all, I have loved horses and collected them since being a little girl. Now, the feeling is still strong but I would like to ride more than I do now. Three years ago, I fell and broke my right collarbone. I had to lay low for awhile and did not ride again until June, 2010. Before the accident, I was riding English and my posting/balance was improving. My Western riding was good. Now, when I rode in June of 2010, instead of riding English, my instructor said I should ride Western to improve my balance; it was like starting from scratch. It felt good to be back on a horse and I had a good ride; slow and steady, which was good, I guess. I understand that I was off for awhile and not to push it but I want to ride like I used to. It will take time but the opportunities don't come around for me to ride that often since her lesson horses are used for others. There is another stable in town I could ride one of their horses but I don't feel confident riding a strange horse and I wonder if I should at least try. I also would like to buy my own horse but I should probably get more confidence and balance before I take that step. Does anybody have any advice for me?

Thank you. 

 

Hello, Just read your post and wanted to say that courage and confidence are one in the same the only difference is that couage happens much faster than confidence, it just takes time. But it sounds like your on the right track. As for buying a horse that will build confidence as well and trust between you and the horse. Also just a note about the horse, realize that you do need to ride him/her before buying and I would look for an experenced horse. There is no need to be training a young horse and yourself at the same time. But by all means if you can afford it and have the time there are pleanty of old horses out there that  need homes. As for the other stable in town I would ask about riding some of there horse just make sure that there easy going. Rember that there is plenty of time so don't rush it and play it safe.  

 It sounds like you have the horse fever once its in the blood its always there.

   The western saddle was for balance, the trainer was just starting you off slow to help build that confidence ,its all about time. It sounds like your on the right track thow. I hope it all works out for you good luck 

Jim

p.s Great job for gettig back up on a horse after that fall.

I totally relate to confidence issues as I'm all too well aware of how past experiences (bad falls) have played a part in chipping away at my confidence.  After a lot of soul searching and frustration with myself I researched "riding confidence" and came across lots of helpful articles inlcuding this one http://www.hoofon.co.uk/feeling-the-fear-410397/ which summed up the situation perfectly for me.  Riding and being around horses has as much to do with a person's mental ability and postive thinking that perhaps their technical ability.  What amazed me, when I started to research this was how much information and support there is out there because handling fear, anxiety (whatever you want to call it) isn't unusual even among the top riders!  They train their minds just as much as their bodies and their horses.  Mental fitness is everything and Jane Savoie's "Winning Feeling" (highly recommended) talks about this one area of our riding and horsemanship that we often overlook when it comes to training and that is our mind and mental attitude.  It's all fasinating and I've learned lots about myself!

Hi - I can relate to all of the responses and in particular the affect a yard and people can have on your confidence.  It takes a lot of energy and focus to block out negative energy and why should we have to?  Why not surround yourself with positive, supportive and encouraging people?  They do exist.

I'm not the bravest rider in the world.  I've been riding most of my life but since having children I don't have the nerve and carefree attitude I once had.  This makes me frustrated with myself because I know I can do it.  A year ago I bought a lovely irish gelding and I know the people at the yard would gossip about any little incident I would encounter with him (such as my horse spooking at a car, being a little too fat, being a bit unbalanced because he's still young, my riding ability, the fact that I didn't want to wear spurs, the odd buck).  I wasn't the only one though and I witnessed nasty assessments of other riders and their horses.

I moved to another yard and and am now surrounded by supportive people who are there to help.  Environment is really important to me because I know it has a real affect on me and it's not something I need to take on board when I trying to work with my horse and progress his training.  My old yard didn't get Ground Work either and it is a great place to start if there are issues and even if you don't it's still hugely beneficial.  People at the old yard used to say "You should be this - you should be doing that".  You need to do what's comfortable and not feel pressurised from judemental peers.  There's no rule that says you have to ride your horse 6 days a week, trotting, cantering and jumping.  If, after a fall all you want to do is walk round the block then that's exactly what you should do. 

On my journey of regaining confidence and positive mental attitude there were a few things that really helped me.  Firstly articles such as this one on confidence http://www.hoofon.co.uk/feeling-the-fear-410397/. It made me realise that so many riders suffer with confidence and how important conviction and attitude is. I found a really good trainer who also trains the rider's mental state and focus and enabled me to be more "in the moment".  As she says - when you're not in the moment, that's when things are likely to happen or go wrong.

I moved yards to be around supportive people. I also attend a confidence clinic which was really beneficial and I got to work with practitioners who could help me with my specific issues. I also subscribed to Jane Savoie's confidence sessions (DVD pack) which has proved really beneficial and she provides a range of tools and techniques to help riders.  And there are lots of sports psychology books out there that look at NLP, visualisation, EFT, thought stopping, relaxation techniques - these all can help.

I've also changed my view on what I consider a brave rider to be.  A brave rider isn't necessarily someone who has a carefree approach to riding but rather somewho has a fear or anxiety who keeps coming back the next day to tackle their issues.