At 16:23:23 on 02.12.11, RomeomiLuv wrote:
I have a 20 year old Connemara loan pony called miller. Ive had him for a couple of months now. My problem is that i have lost all confidence riding him because he bucks. He has only had me off once, but still it scares me. I havent rode him for 10 weeks now and i want to ride him again but im worried he'll buck. He only bucks out of high spirits, hes had his back, tack, teeth, everything checked and there is nothing wrong with him. I have been riding my friends horses to re-build my confidence. I have never been a confident rider. I have tried lunging him before i ride him but he rears and takes of bucking... We have a strong bond but i could be improved.

At 21:36:00 on 03.12.11, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
10 weeks! That is a long time!!! You have to remember it is your responsibility to give him exercise, the more you put off riding the worse he will be when you get on. You will fall off it is a slightly annoying fact of riding, if you are scared of falling off him because he bucks maybe he isn't right for you? Maybe you need a confidence giving horse. Also i don't want to sound mean but if you had a strong bond you wouldn't be afraid to ride him, i know what it is like to be scared, my horse trampled me when i first bought him and i had to wait a full week to get a new hat and wait for the swelling on my face to go down enough to get a hat on! And let me tell you the first time i got back on it was terrifying but i gave myself a good talking to, i wanted to enjoy riding again so i went for a gallop (a reckless and very stupid descision since i couldn't stop gren well at the time) but it blew all my worries away, i am not saying go for a gallop tomorrow lol but i would give yourself a talking to, do you really want to ride this horse? Do you need a new horse? Will you get over it? If you are determined you will ride him again, it is all about mind set, only you can answer those questions and tell yourself what you need. You can get your confidence back if you want it badly enough, with what horse it is for you to decide, is it fair on you and miller if you keep him? You will loose more confidence and he will get worse to ride from time off unless you turn it around for both of you. Hope this didn't sound too mean or anything it wasn't meant to be i'm just trying to help i just tend to say what i think and be quite blunt but i don't mean to be lol!

At 22:05:47 on 07.12.11, zoelovesanimals wrote:
the one thing i would say is if you have lost confidence in him because he bucks, Don't lunge before you get on because if he goes around rearing and bucking then that only enforces your fear even though you are on the ground. Just take it slow. There are loads of techniques you can use to build your confidence - Breathing is Key when you start to feel nervous and stressed breathe in through your nose for 7 and out through your nose for 11. Tell yourself that you are confident and try to get rid of negative thoughts before you get on. When you are on him, talk to him giving him lots and lots of positive re-inforcement this actually makes you feel positive aswell but because you are not directing it at yourself it is easier to say. It does vary for everyone on how you get over your confidence blip but for me i do tend to take things slowly. I take each session as it comes and determine what i do by how i feel. If i am feeling a bit stressed when i am on, i only ride for a little while and i may only walk. But i have ridden. And when i am positive i ride for longer and Do more. Plus do things that you think will help you trust him because the more trust you have in him the better. If you look through forums on here their are loads of different exercises which help create trust between horse and rider! :) I hope this makes sence i am purely saying from my own experience how i deal with it :) Most importantly THINK POSITIVE!

At 16:56:36 on 08.12.11, smaarthorses wrote:
I would take things right back to basics. Build a bond with him and learn to read what his reactions mean. Why not just go for walks in hand and spend time with each other. 'Excercise' can come later, what's more important is that he trusts you and you trust him. Then you can start to ask him what he thinks of his tack...let him tell you if there is a problem with your tack. I work with a great trainer who taught me a long time ago that if you want opinions go to people, if you want right asnwers go ask the horse. If you can read your horses behaviour then you will start to see where the issue begins....from experience of working with troubled and dangerous horses I would bet the problem starts well before you even get on his back.
http://www.smaarthorses.co.uk

At 00:17:33 on 09.12.11, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
I never thought of what zoe said about the lunging, that is a good point, might mention that to a friend of mine having problems :)

At 06:45:05 on 09.12.11, Angwh19 wrote:
Hi :) Since you've stopped riding him have you still been doing other things (lots of grooming, picking out feet, walking round the yard etc.) or has he been pretty much left in his field?? Since you have him on loan you have the option to send him back but give him a chance first.... ALWAYS have a another horsey person with you when you deal with him as it could be things you do on the ground that encourage the bucking when you ride and they will be able to see what you're doing wrong and hopefully correct it so you can re-learn (it's never too late I've been riding 36 years and still learning LOL)!! I would highly recommend Monty Roberts' Join Up as a method to bond with your horse and regain your confidence... when you finally feel 'joined up' with your horse (and they follow you round the school like a soppy puppy) it's all worth it!! You need to construct a round pen (20-30 metres) so you can loose lunge him round on both reins :) http://www.montyroberts.com/ab_about_monty/ju_about/ There are lots of videos of Monty on YouTube or watch Kelly Marks (our British ambassador she's also on Horse & Country TV) Like smaarthorses said- reintroduce his tack slowly- you don't say what bit you ride him in and maybe it's too strong for him hence the bucking?? Even exuberant bucking can start from the mouth upwards!! I would also recommend lessons with a qualified instructor- they may have the confidence to lunge your pony for you (at 20 they have at least 10 years of good riding left in them- I should know my horse is 31 and still going) and if they see a serious issue they can tell you what to do next.....

At 21:59:10 on 12.12.11, RomeomiLuv wrote:
Hi guys!! thanks for all your great messages!! they really helped alot.I dont think its fair on miller to be honest, hes a great pony though but its just the riding problem. My horse before Miller, Susie, she reared up when i was riding her and fell back on top of me. I still havent got over that yet. Thats why i lost all my confidence in riding. Anyway, the bit im using on him is the same bit type of bit hes had since hes owners had him so i dont think theres any problems there. I was talking to his owner tonight and she said that hes never bucked once since shes had him. and that hes just trying me on. but i dont know. im in tow minds about sending him back. i want to keep him but, its not fair on miller. i really dont know. thanks x

At 08:28:05 on 13.12.11, Flicka wrote:
I'm not surprised you lost your confidence if a horse reared up and fell back on you!! So don't be too hard on yourself and yes you can get it back. But is this the right pony for you at this point rather than worry if you're right for him? I'm always wary when someone says he's never bucked and is just trying it on which makes out you are the problem. Sometimes it can be but a lot of times it's not! As he's 20 I really wonder if something is wrong that no-one has detected, especially as he is rearing and bucking on the lunge and he is such a nice horse otherwise. Horses with hock problems will start bucking a lot.

At 20:58:52 on 13.12.11, RomeomiLuv wrote:
yeah, well get the vet out again to see him. thanks alot!! We are going on a trekk for charity on january the 5th and im very nervous about it!! Any tips to keep myself calm so i dont wind him up too!

At 21:52:27 on 13.12.11, zoelovesanimals wrote:
Tips for helping nerves - I use Bach Rescue Remedy! You can get it in drop form, sweet form, or spray! OR Get some lavendar Body Mist/spray and spray it on you! Not only to you smell nice but it is calming! :) PLUS the breathing i suggested further up helps! :)