At 11:50:04 on 23.01.10, Lyndsey wrote:
Hi, I have been riding for years on and off, used to love cantering and galloping but rode a racehorse when I was about 14 and got ran away with in a very wide open space near roads and cars. The horse ran back to its yard, I didnt fall off but ever since I have a fear of losing control again. Im 23, only got my first horse 3 months ago. She is great but iv only been walking and trotting her now since the bad weather and am nervous of letting her canter now in case I cant stop her. Have u any tips on how I can get my confidence back please? My mare is a super jumper and I LOVE jumping but havent done it in a long time now because of this problem. If anyone has had the same problem please tell me how you overcame it. x

At 21:37:50 on 24.01.10, Angelalain wrote:
Your best bet would be to have some lessons on her, preferably in a school. Then you will be able to progress through the walk and trot and finally get to canter when she's both warmed up and got rid of the bed springs! Why don't you look for a local riding club to join? They usually have training sessions and clinics and things from very novice right up to quite a high level. Maybe you can find yourself a riding friend in the same position if you join a riding club. Doing things with someone who understands always helps. As to an instructor, try a few, some will suit you and some will not, but somewhere will be one who understands what YOU want to do, and who will help you do it! When you've done it in a school you will feel more confident to go out, and you will be getting to know your horse better all the time.

At 12:35:01 on 02.02.10, CarolineP wrote:
It's good to have lessons if you need to improve or refine your riding skills, and as Angela says, it would allow you to get to know your horse better in a controlled environment. However, it's funny how the mind works. Having someone there on the ground can't actually stop a horse doing something the rider doesn't like, and yet most people feel safer with an instructor there. That's just because you think about it differently. Gaining inner resources so that you can change how you feel would be useful for you. The Bach Flower Remedy Star of Bethleham is indicated for you, to remove the bad effects of the shock you had, even though it was years ago, because you're still suffering the effects of that shock. Lessons with the right instructor could help you to feel more competent and give you some technical skills that maybe you don't have yet. Remember that three months is a very short time, you and your horse are still settling down together so take it at your own pace, and build on the positive experiences you've had with her so far. Hope this helps. Kind regards, Caroline
http://www.enjoyriding.com

At 18:54:07 on 08.02.10, Lyndsey wrote:
Thanks so much caroline and angela. That is all very good advice and I will definitley try it. Unfortunatly I rode my horse yesterday and she bucked me off when I finally got the courage to canter her so im not feeling too good now. But I have a friend coming out soon to help me and like you said, with her there on the ground Im sure Ill feel more confident. Thanks again, wish me luck!

At 15:45:08 on 09.02.10, CarolineP wrote:
Hi Lyndsey, sorry to hear about your fall. I got bucked off a couple of months ago, so I do understand! Have a think about setting yourself up for success by, as Monty Roberts says, making it easy for the horse to do the right thing. Take it easy. Plan where you're going to canter. Make it in a place where you can set the horse up for a low-energy canter transition (walk to canter if possible). Make sure the horse is balanced before you ask: horses buck sometimes because they have become unbalanced. Make it somewhere that doesn't encourage shooting off (eg the short end of a school, or on a circle). Just ask for a few strides of canter until you feel established with this. Practise Calming Breathing and imagine yourself full of something heavy that's trickling out through your heels. Imagine you're making a bottom print in wet sand. You can use mental rehearsal to run through your perfect walk/trot - canter - walk/trot transitions until you know exactly what you're going to do and how you're going to do it. If you remain calm, I'm sure the horse will respond to that. Keep smiling :) Caroline
http://www.enjoyriding.com

At 22:12:29 on 09.02.10, Kath wrote:
hi, i had a bad fall of a horse when i was in my teens back then i was bad into horses think the horse i was on was a bit wild at time, since then i lost all my confidence and was too scared to even go near a horse again, but last summer gone there was a horse here at my home place for a couple of weeks his owner brought him down a cob name bobby and she tryed a number of times to just sit up on him, eventually i did, i was shaken like a leaf, and i thought i was going to be sick, i knew that the horse could see and feel this and it was kinda puttin me off more, although the owner of the horse held him and lead me on him i felt safer, i shed a tear that time as all the memories came flooding bk been 11years since i was in the saddle, i since then went to two different riding schools, the one im at now is basically a trekking center full of cobs gently giants and they are quiet thought this would suit me, i had two lessons my instructor brought me out on treks to build my confidence up and i loved every min of it, but the problem i have now is he asked me had i cantered a horse before i said no i dont want to as im afraid of losing my balance and fallin off again, im basically too scared to canter on a horse in fear he wont stop for me, i really wanna do it but my fear is stopping me.. please help! this is a pic of me and cob bobby whom helped me get me over my fear of horses thanks to him im bk horse riding again!

At 22:44:41 on 09.02.10, CarolineP wrote:
Hi Kath Bobby looks lovely :) I think for your cantering venture, you need first of all to make sure that you have the riding skills to be quite comfortable with the upward and downward transition and the canter itself. I'm sure you did lots of cantering when you were in your teens but maybe haven't cantered for a long time! So, get your instructor to go through all that with you. It would make sense for you to canter in an enclosed area the first time you do it, or perhaps you could have a couple of lunge lessons. My advice to Lyndsey about Calming Breathing and grounding herself will help you too. If you do have your first canter out, rather than in a school, I'm sure your instructor can just make it a very short one - even just a few strides - to help you get used to it. The Bach Flower Remedy Star of Bethlehem would help you, plus others depending on what your emotions actually are. You've come a long way with help from Bobby and the trekking cobs - well done. Kind regards, Caroline
http://www.enjoyriding.com

At 20:40:42 on 10.02.10, Kath wrote:
thanks very much for ur advice caroline :)

At 20:57:35 on 10.02.10, kimmi9080 wrote:
I had the same problem when i was about 11 and it put me off riding. Im 22 now and returned to ridig 6 months ago. I currently have a horse on loan and take lessons every week, having someone there to guide you really helps. Knowing that the instructor is responsible for you and will keep you safe is reassuing and in a lesson will try anything whereas when i'm on my own i struggle to take the plunge

At 16:42:01 on 15.02.10, Sylvia Hibberd wrote:
Hi, i share a lovely 15hh 20 year old cob whom i look after and ride every sunday and every tuesday after school, i have been riding for 9 years and am galloping at the moment. But when i ride in the school on a tuesday night, when its dark, george bombs off and spooks at everything, i am losing confidence because i dont no how to handle this and it scares me even though i know i can trust george , what can i do?