At 23:05:37 on 09.02.10, Kaydles88 wrote:
Hi Guys, I saw the link to this site on facebook and thought you might be able to help. I love horses and have been riding since i was 8 years old, but i stopped for about 6 years due to a loss in confidence (im now 21). I started riding again about a year ago, my instructor is brilliant and ive defo got better but im still struggling when it comes to canter as that is where i lost my confidence. I just tense up all the time. I really want to get my own but just feel like it will never get better! Anyone got any tips?

At 16:00:05 on 14.02.10, Flicka wrote:
There are lots of good tips in this group which will help you so take your time to read through them. You could find a place that has a mechanical horse for you to go on so that you can get the feel of canter again if you are scared of not being able to sit to it. You also could do with finding one a horse that is really laid back and good on the lunge so that someone can lunge you which again will help. Then you can hold onto a neckstrap to make you feel more secure and the person lunging can take control. Make sure you breathe deeply and slowly-on other posts Caroline gives great tips on this-if you do that your body will relax and you will sit more deeply into the saddle. Remember it's when you tense up and grip that things are likely to go wrong. So breathe and enjoy yourself. Good Luck and let us know how you get on!

At 20:36:50 on 14.02.10, plodalong wrote:
i dont know if this is any help, but it will let you see that you are not on your own. i too am afraid to canter. I do it but with no confidence at all, i dont find it an enjoyable experience. I have found a lovely riding instructor who says that i will gain confidence and thats when the dreaded canter will become a fun thing to do. she doesnt put any pressure on me .Next week we are going to have a lesson while on a hack and i will be riding her schoolmistress.i will let you know when i do it and how i got on with a strange horse.Try not to beat yourself up about not cantering, fun can be had in walk and trot.

At 21:50:48 on 17.02.10, Kaydles88 wrote:
Thanks for your comments that really helps. I've suggested a lunging lesson and my instructor has said we can try one in the spring, my financial situation has also improved recently so i should now be able every week without fail which will also help im sure. It's good to know that im not the only one out there who feels like this!

At 14:32:45 on 18.02.10, CarolineP wrote:
Hi there. Flicka is right - do read the tips I've given others in this group! Mental rehearsal will help you too. Just sit down quietly for 10 minutes or so and have a daydream about riding the canter exactly as you want to. If you don't know the aids for canter (I expect you do, but just in case!), ask your instructor. Then mentally practise doing them, sitting exactly as you want to, thinking and feeling exactly what you want to. The more you practise, the more and more part of you this behaviour will become. If any part of your daydream doesn't seem quite right, just edit it out and put a new, better bit in. In that way, you can ride every day instead of just once a week! Kind regards, Caroline
http://www.enjoyriding.com

At 17:58:57 on 18.02.10, Dazzle wrote:
Oh and don't forget Bach Flower Remedy can help as well. I think its Larch for confidence but, Caroline will know the which is the right one.

At 12:01:19 on 25.02.10, CarolineP wrote:
Thanks for mentioning the Bach Flower Remedies, Dazzle. As you know, they're prescribed on the patient's emotional state, which varies from person to person. Larch covers lack of self-confidence. People needing Larch feel a deep sense of inadequacy and will often avoid challenges or opportunities, standing back and letting others have a go, because they believe that they will fail. So if feelings like that apply to Kaydies88, Larch will help. Elm, the other remedy often associated with confidence, deals with feelings of being overwhelmed by responsibility. So you can see that although they sometimes have the same label applied to them, they cover very different states of mind and of course that is the case with all the Flower Remedies and the reason why they need to be prescribed individually. They can be used for any living thing, including plants! Hope this fires you with interest in these wonderful remedies. Kind regards, Caroline
http://www.enjoyriding.com