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Post by dreamchaser on Mar 28, 2007 0:06:01 GMT 1
How do I combat Show nerves and excitedness. I dont sleep the night before. I am frequently visiting the loo in the morning and often feel extremely sick...  I get up to my horse. He knows something is going off and picks up on my nerves completely. Last Summer we spent our time just loading and walking around Shows in hand. Then we mount later on and just walk around again. I did this 4 times. Then I went to practise a jump and he is ok for a while. But he gets extremly silly if another horse is jumping. He then decides to spin and runs at the jump at full gallop chasing after the other horse...  I have been having lessons and hopefully have learnt how to stop a neck setting cob.....  But how do I know he is not going to be silly this Summer. Especially after having a few leading issues at an ex yard over the Winter.  |
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Post by swallowsmum on Mar 28, 2007 11:55:16 GMT 1
i know exactly how you feel. ive been trying to do some local jumping.
we've been having lessons with a fantastic instuctor who is BSJA accrediated and has managed to help us so much ina really short peroid of time. when im jumping in my lessons i somehow manage to believe in my own ability. but at shows i just resort to the nervous wreck that i was before. we go in the ring and im so scared that it transmits to my horse who goes as fast as she can around the course, because she thinks i want to get out asap!!
i think that horses just pick up so much on our emotions that its a receipe for distaster!! we take them to a new and exciting place and we're stressed ..............so they feel that they have to be too!!!
do you have a friend that does nt get stressed that perhaps could work your horse in for you, so that he could be relaxed, perhaps take him away from the busy collecting ring area and work him in in a quiet area first before going with all the other horses?? i guess mabe the fact that he gets abit giddy maybe makes you worse and thus starts off a vicious circle ? its tricky is nt it?
i went to one of montys demos last year and he said something that i will always remember "repetition is either your best friend or your worst enemy" its very true. just go to as many shows as you can, maybe without competing, but make it your goal to stay calm and keep your horse relaxed. take a calm positive person with you! walk around so much that he eventually gets bored with the whole situation! bach resuce remedy is very good too!
good luck..............and remember that we do it for fun! if its not fun for you, then don't worry, theres nothing to say that you have to go to shows if you don't want to. maybe try something else were you can both enjoy each others company.
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gemma
Novice Poster
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Post by gemma on Mar 28, 2007 13:59:24 GMT 1
Some good advice here. I did quite a lot of hanging out at shows without taking part.
And I have to be honest, the nerves are probably one of the main reasons I don't go to many shows!!!! Give me an endurance ride any day.
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Post by swallowsmum on Mar 28, 2007 14:05:49 GMT 1
endurance for me too. and the plus side is that even if they are going to be giddy, after the first 5 or so miles they soon settle down!!
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Post by dreamchaser on Mar 29, 2007 23:08:53 GMT 1
The thing is I love my jumping....Only small ones, but I dreamed of going to Shows and entering clear rounds...I dont want to win...I have a cob that is not exactly a Sj'er...  Another thing is I dont have any friends that ride...I am in my 30's and my only riding friend gave up riding due to confidence issues. I could do with a RI that will teach, school and come to Shows with me....  |
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Post by KoLaTo on Mar 30, 2007 9:42:07 GMT 1
Instead of going to a show with the focus on jumping, perhaps go to a combined show that has showing as well. Then you could enter perhaps a nice easy class like Tack & Turnout or Best Condition to settle your nerves and once you have calmed down, have a potter round a clear round class if you feel like it?
I am the same nervous excited nelly the night before a show as i was 20 yrs ago ! If i don't feel sick and need the toilet 20 times then i am obviously not going to perform very well - LOL But i did find that showing came easy to me and once i'd done a couple of classes, i could relax and have a go at jumping !
I love my jumping as well but after having a couple of rather nasty accidents many yrs ago, i still haven't completely overcome my fear of being ditched into the jump rather than going over it, i now have a wonderful pony who loves her jumping but i have still managed to transfer my nervous nelly head to her on occasion which dosen't bode well and she consequently stops to ask me what the hell i am doing up there !
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I get up to my horse. He knows something is going off and picks up on my nerves completely. Last Summer we spent our time just loading and walking around Shows in hand. Then we mount later on and just walk around again. I did this 4 times. Then I went to practise a jump and he is ok for a while. But he gets extremly silly if another horse is jumping. He then decides to spin and runs at the jump at full gallop chasing after the other horse... 
I have been having lessons and hopefully have learnt how to stop a neck setting cob..... 
But how do I know he is not going to be silly this Summer. Especially after having a few leading issues at an ex yard over the Winter. 
Another thing is I dont have any friends that ride...I am in my 30's and my only riding friend gave up riding due to confidence issues. I could do with a RI that will teach, school and come to Shows with me.... 
