Hols- jumping with loadsa other horses around?!?

[giftgirl]

hey there
now it is the easter holidays (for me ), my friend, who is a totally confident, do-anything kind of girl, wants me to go and do some jumping with her in a yard just across from me.
i really want to, and am going to go as i believe this will be a good experience for both me and gift, but there is just 1 problem.
there are a lot of horses at this yard, and i am a bit worried that gift will get over- excited. I know it is a bit silly, and i shouldn't be 'what-if'ing but i am a bit worried.
Do you have any tips to help me keep her calm,if a problem does arise, and to keep her calm in general.
Also, does anybody know what kind of jumping work i could do with her, as she has not done much so far.
thanks
giftgirl xx

[Deleted]

Could you take her over there, have a look around, potter in the school, then go home again as a first step. In other words introduce her to the place, its sights and sounds, without upping anyone's adrenelin more than necessary. Then, later on, the next day, whenever suits, go back, have another potter around the school but this time maybe add some poles. Not jumps, just poles to walk and trot over. See how that goes. If it's ok, then maybe try a very small jump. What you're aiming to do is build up the experience for both of you, keeping all the time within the bounds of what you are happy with.

Keep an eye on your horse's reactions to see how she's coping. I hope your friend is sensible enough not to push you into more than you are both ready for but sometimes people get carried away. I would say, at least early on, do try and resist any pressure to "go on, just try one a bit higher" if you're not sure.

If you get to the jumping bit and she does get wound up, I would not press on but would find something that you can both still achieve - maybe back to the trotting poles - do that well then call it a day. The next time you try, start again with what you can do well, build up both of your confidence, before pushing on again.

Good luck and have fun.