At 13:01:15 on 28.07.10, RaeBerrie wrote:
it is so discouraging when instructors say nasty things like that because after all they are the ones we generally look up when it comes to riding and when they say stupid little things like that, it can really cut us deep. after i had a bad fall (show jumping, broken back) i went and concentrated on sporting and games for ages after i got back on, i found it really beneificial as it got me riding and using ALOT of balance and definatly got my confidence up, as all i did was have fun! i mean sure i was hanging off the side of the horse half the time but that also helped with demolishing my fear of falling, but also helped with co-ordination.

At 13:24:47 on 28.07.10, Flicka wrote:
Wow, that takes a lot to get over a fall like that! By sporting and games do you mean gymkhana/pony club games but for adults?

At 13:10:51 on 25.11.10, Sylvia Hibberd wrote:
hiya, i have a lovely completely honest share who is an ex affiliated sj. he adores jumping and i love it too but i have some problems with confidence. he sometimes tries to refuse and i am always worried that if i make him jump it when he is trying to refuse it might go wrong and i may end up on the floor. i have only been sharing him for about 3 weeks so its probably that i dont trust in him completely, is there anything i can do to improve my confidence meanwhile gaining trust with my share?

At 22:44:28 on 29.11.10, dixierider wrote:
Ms. Sylvia, From experience I can say that overcoming confidence issues can be one of the hardest things to deal with. Having said that,I am assuming (and you know what happens when you assume) there is no reason physically wrong with your horse. There are several things I tried when I was just getting back into jumping after I broke my back. And keep in mind- what works for me, might not work for you. First thing SCIENCE. When we are scared or nervous, our bodies produce a chemical called adrenaline. It is what make out heart beat faster, our vision to tunnel, our muscles to tighten and a host of other things. It also causes us to smell different. Horses are prey animals that live in herds. Survival of one equals survival of all. When they smell fear (i.e. adrenaline) they are looking for the predator. It makes them hyper aware of everything. Calming your self is key to instilling confidence in your horse. One of the things I did was switch to a western saddle for a while. I don't know if you have access to one where you are at. But the high cantle deeper seat and taller pommel adds a sense of security. Don't be afraid of hitting the horn either. If you have a proper hunt seat it won't interfere. You can safely jump three feet with no problem. The second thing I did was a BUNCH of pole work. I used my cavaletti poles on their highest posts (about 18 inches). I spread them out and even did combinations! It really helped me out. Just stick with it and take it one moment at a time.

At 10:22:59 on 30.11.10, Sylvia Hibberd wrote:
dixie, thankyou so much for your advice, he does not have any physical issues, hes an ex affiliated showjumper , he is 12, fit and loves jumping. i am going to try pole work before i jump. the other day i jumped the highest ive ever jumped him and he cleared it all. i dont have access to western tack. but thanks alot xx

At 19:48:54 on 14.12.10, Sylvia Hibberd wrote:
i would also like to ask, i have seen some people doing canter poles but was too worried about my bertie tripping over to experiment, i cant for the life of me figure out how this works but i think it would help improve my jumping. how are these set out?

At 09:46:19 on 15.03.11, hoofprinted77 wrote:
Good job on changing instructors i was going through the same thing. however my instructor was abit nicer hah :) Best thing you can do is dont put it off. even though its so easy to just go, yeh ill do it next time go and have a jump! :) its the best advice i can give you cause it works. You have a jump and you go away feeling so happy and proud of youself :) goodluck

At 21:28:59 on 25.06.11, HannahN wrote:
Hey... Dont know if anyone can help but i just have to say that i have been having trouble myself with jumping as anyone else its nothing to do with my horse he's brillent you know but its just me, i have had a few ponies in the past and i have jumped them then i had to move on to horses and its difficult for that kind of change for anyone and i thought i could do the whole jumping thing again just like before but i cant its hard and my horse is still a youngster just turned 5, but i think i have lost a whole load of confidence in the past years just the thought of the high fences and the controlling of turning into the next fence i mean i can do it but its the taking off and landing that i get edgy at. I was even at the highland show and i watched as the top show jumpers were warming up their horses over the fences and doing a whole course like it was nothing and i was just like wow! I could be doing this ? I know this may be sounding a little cheesy but thats how i feel i had done bsja aswell in the past with my ponies, and i know theres plenty of other types of things i can do with him but jumping was the thing i wanted to do the most you know ...

At 21:08:24 on 26.06.11, Angelalain wrote:
If he's only just turned five he's way off doing much in the way of BS yet (unless he's really top class!!) You are out of practice and he needs to learn, so start at the bottom together! You've done it in the past, so start at the beginning, you can do trail blazers as low as sixty cm.It might look small, but the whole point is to build your confidence, and his as well. By the end of the summer you'll be doing the 80 and 90cm, and then you can look towards the BS again.