Post by ladybird30 on Feb 21, 2015 20:59:28 GMT 1
Hi everyone,
I have been reading back through some of the threads on here and there's some really good advice for people who have taken a bit of a confidence knock in one way or the other so I was hoping you could offer me some helpful words of wisdom.
I have recently had a baby and after the birth, I have suffered terribly with a huge loss of confidence and general anxiety with riding and being around horses. I understand its quite normal to have a sudden realisation of your own mortality once children come along, but I just cannot shake it!
Unfortunately, things weren't helped by the fact I owned a highly strung and explosive horse until last year whose manners lacked (he knew I was worried about leading him whilst pregnant and took full advantage of that! I also didn't ride whilst pregnant) I eventually called it a day with that one after an eventful experience in the school in which I was thrown off and landed quite badly. I really tried everything to make it work but it wasn't meant to be.
I have now ended up with a rather large (over 17hh) warmblood who (despite his huge size) is calm, educated and gentle natured although he does have a rather nervous outlook on life - he's hard to load (which I didn't realise upon purchasing - he walked straight on the first couple of times) and he suffers with nervous diarrhoea when he thinks we are off out and about anywhere. I am sure both of these things can be worked on with a bit of time and patience but probably won't be helped by the fact I am nervous too at the moment.
My trouble is, I cannot get rid of my nerves! He hasn't put a foot wrong really and I know the only problem lies within my head, I feel it's only a matter of time before he realises (if he hasn't done already) that I am currently nervous and begins to take advantage of that. Some people said I was mad to buy such a large horse, but his size doesn't bother me. If you sat me on a shetland I would still feel exactly the same. It would be very easy to give up riding but I do (usually) really enjoy it. It gives me some time for myself, I love working towards a goal, competing and improving all the time. I am just so desperate to get some confidence and start to enjoy it all again.
I just wish I could put my finger on exactly what is making me so scared because I am not quite sure what exactly my problem is.
Sorry for the long post but I would love to hear from others in the same boat as me or from people who have been through this type of thing to help me see a light at the end of the tunnel. I don't usually post on forums but I don't really have anyone around me currently who understands where I am coming from.
I have been reading back through some of the threads on here and there's some really good advice for people who have taken a bit of a confidence knock in one way or the other so I was hoping you could offer me some helpful words of wisdom.
I have recently had a baby and after the birth, I have suffered terribly with a huge loss of confidence and general anxiety with riding and being around horses. I understand its quite normal to have a sudden realisation of your own mortality once children come along, but I just cannot shake it!
Unfortunately, things weren't helped by the fact I owned a highly strung and explosive horse until last year whose manners lacked (he knew I was worried about leading him whilst pregnant and took full advantage of that! I also didn't ride whilst pregnant) I eventually called it a day with that one after an eventful experience in the school in which I was thrown off and landed quite badly. I really tried everything to make it work but it wasn't meant to be.
I have now ended up with a rather large (over 17hh) warmblood who (despite his huge size) is calm, educated and gentle natured although he does have a rather nervous outlook on life - he's hard to load (which I didn't realise upon purchasing - he walked straight on the first couple of times) and he suffers with nervous diarrhoea when he thinks we are off out and about anywhere. I am sure both of these things can be worked on with a bit of time and patience but probably won't be helped by the fact I am nervous too at the moment.
My trouble is, I cannot get rid of my nerves! He hasn't put a foot wrong really and I know the only problem lies within my head, I feel it's only a matter of time before he realises (if he hasn't done already) that I am currently nervous and begins to take advantage of that. Some people said I was mad to buy such a large horse, but his size doesn't bother me. If you sat me on a shetland I would still feel exactly the same. It would be very easy to give up riding but I do (usually) really enjoy it. It gives me some time for myself, I love working towards a goal, competing and improving all the time. I am just so desperate to get some confidence and start to enjoy it all again.
I just wish I could put my finger on exactly what is making me so scared because I am not quite sure what exactly my problem is.
Sorry for the long post but I would love to hear from others in the same boat as me or from people who have been through this type of thing to help me see a light at the end of the tunnel. I don't usually post on forums but I don't really have anyone around me currently who understands where I am coming from.