em&ed
Grand Prix Poster
Grand Prix Poster
If I had just a little humility, I'd be perfect....
Posts: 3,276
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Post by em&ed on Apr 16, 2007 17:15:03 GMT 1
well after my neddy being lame for a week and then having no bit for a week (long story) I finally got the chance to do some work saturday and sunday. Both days i intended to lunge to check he looked ok - soundness and chilled wise, then ride... and both days he looked ok, but not A1 chilled wise and I chickend out I feel like a ninny! I have a cr@p excuse for each occasion though... our indoor school is massive and split down the centre with barriers so half can be hired out and the other half can be used by liveries. Day 1 had a SJ clinic in there withe horses cantering and jumping and I worried that eddie may get excited, though he showed no signs other than being nosy. Day 2 - the staff were moving stuff round in preparation of a demo and although he settled and was listening to me, he was distracted by them and a bit jumpy. Then they all sat down to watch/wait for me to finish, so I didn't want to ride in front of them I just wonder if there is ever gonna be a 'right time'
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Post by kya on Apr 16, 2007 17:51:31 GMT 1
Don't beat yourself up... I know the feeling. This is a blip and once you get into a routine, you will find yourself tacking up and going out in circumstances you would not have dreamed of tackling in the early days. I don't even notice the weather now, but the slightest stir of a leaf and the jods went back in the drawer. Your nerves are speaking still, but frankly a school full of frolicking SJs doesn't sound great!! I hate being watched, we all do. Put on the kettle, forget about blinking horses and try again another day. There is no timetable (ask your horse!)
PS.. having begged the use of local arena, I had just arrived when a huge box pulled in and spooked Blue. The BHS type lady jumped out and said 'Gosh, I didn't scare your horse did I'....me...' No, no, we were just off, enjoy!' We had been there 45 seconds!
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giftgirl
Elementary Poster
there is no secret so close as that between a rider and his horse
Posts: 79
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Post by giftgirl on Apr 16, 2007 17:54:48 GMT 1
i wouldnt worry about it!!i hate it when people watch me ride, because if your horse does something silly, and you panic, everybody sees you lol i am sure there will be a time when the school is completly free and you will feel better about riding. it is better to not ride if you dont feel ready than to ride and have it all go wrong! giftgirl xx
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Post by Casper on Apr 16, 2007 18:38:40 GMT 1
There'll always be another day Emined. At the end of the day you listened to your gut instincts as to what would have been right for you and Eddie. And as our gut instincts have kept us alive and well as a race for hundreds and thousands of years that's not a bad thing to do! Half the school full of showjumpers would have tested most neddies, so don't feel like you chickened out at all, just think of it as being sensible x
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Post by Louise C on Apr 16, 2007 19:37:12 GMT 1
Agree with the others chuck - you're being hard on yourself - and I hate other people watching me the first few times I do anything like that!
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Post by skismurf75 on Apr 16, 2007 20:42:02 GMT 1
Hey, don't beat yourself up. I don't like being watched either - in fact someone came to watch me in the outdoor school Friday evening and, for the first time in months, Davie wouldn't stand at the mounting block. It took me half hour to get on!!!! Little sod!
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Post by wozzer on Apr 16, 2007 21:24:00 GMT 1
I like giftgirl's answer emined.
There is no timetable.
Mmmmmm, wonder if you could change that thought around and think to yourself that you were disappointed you couldn't ride? How's that for a bit of reverse psychology???
But do agree that you should "set yourself up to succeed" and only ride in circumstances that you and Eddie are comfortable with.
Let us know how you get on. Good luck, chick. xx
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em&ed
Grand Prix Poster
Grand Prix Poster
If I had just a little humility, I'd be perfect....
Posts: 3,276
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Post by em&ed on Apr 17, 2007 17:07:54 GMT 1
Thanks Girls for your kind words lol kanga... I know how you felt about the weather.... and the BHS lady story made me chuckle - that sounds like me! but what annoys me is that I have been further on than this before and have now had a setback coz when we moved yards (January) he was freaking out for a few weeks - i had almost forgotten how bad his ground handling had been - and now I'm worried that will transfer into ridden work - even though he's settled down now on the ground; in fact he's better on the ground now than he has ever been!! Which is kind of giving me faith in him - I think he trusts me more too... and giftgirl you hit the nail on the head when you said if it goes wrong everyone will see you The SJ clinic was being run by a lady that helped Tim Stockdale train the only fools on horses riders, so I certainly didn't want things to go wrong in front of her! I was even conscious that eddie's a bit tubby and I felt she'd be criticising him when i left the school coz all the SJ horses were lean and muscley... I guess I just felt too self conscious about the whole thing and I was kind of disappointed that i let them put me off... but like you said there'll be other times. I jut need a kick up the @rse!
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Post by kya on Apr 17, 2007 17:12:27 GMT 1
Boooooooooooooooot!
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em&ed
Grand Prix Poster
Grand Prix Poster
If I had just a little humility, I'd be perfect....
Posts: 3,276
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Post by em&ed on Apr 17, 2007 20:53:17 GMT 1
lol Kanga - but OMG it was worse tonight lunged him - he didn't look too settled plus one of his field mates went past making him have a bit of a strop. when he kind of settled I thought I'd get on and as I put my foot in the stirrup he started to back up but worst of it was i didn't have my jod boots on, but 'chunky' type walking boots and my foot got stuck! I told him to stand and he did thank god, and i still couldn't get foot out. I did eventually - I'm not still there - lol - so then I was reluctant to ride in case I came off - yes I know, but you have to think ahead - and my foot could have got stuck again; but i thought i'd take him to the block and sit on without stirrups. there was no way he was going to stand at the block - and we've been here before. So although i didn't want to ride I wanted to sit on him and i could feel myself starting to get annoyed - which takes a lot for me with animals, I think the boots started it off how stupid of me? but i thought if I take him back to the yard he'll never stand at the block! so i lunged him again, he was having a paddy and cantered round so was knackered - then I took him to the block and he stood like a statue, so I just leaned over his back by way of a compromise..... so i came home fed up I didn't ride and annoyed with myself for the stupid boots!
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dawnb
Olympic Poster
What a handsome boy I am, pity bout the scarecrow on top!!
Posts: 735
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Post by dawnb on Apr 18, 2007 9:42:57 GMT 1
Dont worry Emined - you will instinctively know when "your" time is right. Ive been there a thousand times - "too windy" "raining" "dont feel well" you name it I've come up with it! We all do when we're not comfortable with a situation so youre not on yer own! The worst thing in the world is to push yourself too hard too soon as you'll end up scaring yourself to death, just one step at a time lovely x
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Post by amarche on Apr 18, 2007 16:07:54 GMT 1
emined - totally agree with all above - there is no rush for anything so just go with the flow thinking about it though it sounds like you need to get your enthusiasm for riding back, that will override all the 'what-ifs', You know that itching to get in the saddle, nervous excitement feeling that you used to get when going riding as a kid. I think a little bit of that disappears when you get into the grind of everyday horse care.
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