I rode!!

[riz]

Hi Guys

Great new confidence section - I love it!

I have suffered with nerves since retiring Riz last year - I suddenly had offers of lovely horses to ride but I seriously lacked the confidence to ride something different to the horse I have been riding for the last 15 years & knew inside out. Now Riz was no angel to ride & we had a few hairy moments over the years, but I always knew what was coming & I always knew that I would deal with it when it happened. I did really well & rode my best mates horse alot last summer (& last winter when Riz was going through treatment) & really built up my confidence, but then I had the ride from hell when someone else was schooling in the menage & their horse spooked into us - the horse i was on quite understandably took off with me (several times) & I just burst into tears - I couldn't deal with it - all my fears had just come true - OK I didn't come off but it was that total lack of control that I just couldn't deal with. That was last september & I've only sat on him twice since then, & got out of walk once. It's really sad because I have ridden all my life & have always enjoyed it, but suddenly the thought of getting on a horse seemed like the worst idea in the world!

So reading all the confiidence threads I found myself thinking-damn I need to get a hold of this & get back on a horse!! My mates horse has been lame so that was a rather large set back & to be honest he is so different to Riz (Riz is a nice chunky irish horse - Diz is a fantastically bred Dutch Sports horse who is amazingly forward going!!) that I don't think he is the best horse to boost my confidence!

So enter stage left a fabulous new horse at my yard - he is a clydesdale x ID & is as honest & kind as they come - he's steady but no plod & is brilliantly schooled & his lovely owner is letting me ride him!! I rode for the first time on Monday & didn't sleep a wink on sunday night! I was so nervous, but when it came to getting on him I didn't feel too bad! We just walked and trotted the first time but tonight I felt super brave & had a canter. It was AMAZING!! I was totally in control which was such a great feeling- i always felt with Diz that I wasn't quite going to stop.....! I think you could see the grin on my face from the next county & I just feel so chuffed with myself!! To alot of people it is just a canter but to me it means everything & I really feel like I'm getting somewhere. Today has been a huge step!!

Sorry this is such a ramble but I just wanted to share it with some people that will understand where I am coming from & will understand why I am excited!! ;D

Love Riz xx

[wozzer]

Of course we understand on here hun ;D

Absolutely thrilled for you ;D ;D ;D ;D

What you need to do next, is do it again, come back on here and share that huge smile with us all! xx

[kya]

God, I am glowing with admiration. What a fantastic story. You are getting somewhere, that's why it feels like you are! Well done. We'll look forward to hearing of your progress on your lovely loanee!

[riz]

Thanks Wozzer & Kanga - that means a huge amount to me! ;D

Most of my friends are confident riders & don't seem to get where I'm coming from & why this is such a big thing so I really appreciate this section of the DG!! I know i won't be sniggered about - you know? Diz's owner is well chuffed for me though - she won't have to keep drying his neck every time I blub whilst riding him!! ;D

I'm riding again this weekend so I'll let you know how I get on!! ;D ;D ;D

Thanks again

Riz xx

[angblue]

Yaaaay! Well done you ;D
Fantastic & cantering after not riding for so long you have some courage there!
Truly admire you for that, cantering can be a real thought for me most of the time.
It's a real buzz to actually look forward to riding instead of dreading it, have fun at the weekend & let us know how you get on ;D

[riz]

Wow Angblue thats the first time in a long long time someone has told me i've had courage on a horse!! Thank you thank you!

It is a strange thing to look forward to riding (I haven't for so long) - I won't be coming up with my normal excuses (I have a long list of them!!)

[angblue]

Your'e very welcome
As for excuses I too am an expert.....
Too windy
Too wet
Too hot (not fair on horse!)
I'm too tired
Not enough time
And my personal fave.....he's in a bad mood because he looked at me funny LOL!

At least I'm not quite so bad now but still won't ride in a howling gale ;D

[riz]

;D Some of my personal favourite excuses there!! Love the one with the funny looks from horsey!! (never thought of that one....!)
I managed to string out a sprained ankle (from falling off a 1foot wall not a horse ) for about 2 months so that I didn't have to ride - once that cleared up I had a strange back pain for awhile that would just come on suddenly..... (normally around the time I was told to get my hat on cos I was riding !)

Totally with you on the Howling gale - in fact a small breeze is enough to put me off!! Hopefully I will get over that in time!!

[em&ed]

well done Riz - it's really hard to break the cycle - ie the longer you leave it for, the harder it is to ride.... sounds like you've found a great confidence giver though - well done... keep us updated on progress....

angblue - i just love your excuses, they seem to be from MY book of excuses too, and I deffo know what you mean about 'he looked at me funny' lol

[iceberg]

I thought I was the Queen of making excuses, so its nice to have some rivals
'I'll just have another fag' whole pack later Im still not ready
'ooh who wants another coffee - Ill make it (for the whole yard!!)
'need a wee' oh damn need another' ;D ;D
'left my hat at home'
'I think he is is a bad mood today'
'electric fence is flapping a bit in the school, I'll just redo the whole six acres '
'have to go home, locked cat in house'

and so on.

Well done Riz, its so hard to ride a 'strange ' horse when you have been so comfortable riding a well known one. I know exactly what you mean, you seem to know them inside out and it takes so long to get that relationship with a new partner - the slightest thing can set you back.

But remember that even with Riz, there was a time when you didnt know him and were starting on that learning curve, so try to think back and remember how you felt and dealt with the unexpected or difficult situations and I hope this will help you.

I had to have a little laugh when you said about the owner not having to dry tears from her horses neck, I very nearly threw up over my friends horses' neck, she said ' If you do I'll NEVER forgive you'

Please let us know how you get on, we are all in this boat together and I love to read of people overcoming their fears/problems - as do we all. I can assure you there will be no sniggering on here.
Hope to hear more from you soon.xx

[em&ed]

lol - "I need a wee" ... then of course you'll need a drink.... then a wee.... then a drink..

[Casper]

All of the above excuses are used by me on far too many occasions... But TRYING hard to overcome them. Rode out today on what for me is a pretty breezy day and Bobby was fine. All thanks to the lovely Louise C and her help with Bobby and I this Thursday and Friday! I have got a fabulous horse and I need to just start getting on with things!

My little girl Clover is still lame this morning :-( So sorry if my threads are always relating to Bobby, Clover is equally special and important, it is just that she is currently off work bless her.

Riz your posts on here are sooooo inspirational, they really are. Hope you have a great riding weekend x

[riz]

Thanks guys!

You've hit the nail on the head there Emined - the longer I was leaving it between rides was getting ridiculous. I had far too much time to build things up to stupid proportions in my head & would convince myself that riding was a really bad idea. I'm going try really hard to not do that again - I'm so lucky that his owner is happy for me to ride when i like - & at the moment I want to ride alot!! ;D

Good point made Iceberg when you said "But remember that even with Riz, there was a time when you didnt know him and were starting on that learning curve, so try to think back and remember how you felt and dealt with the unexpected or difficult situations and I hope this will help you." That really did help - thanks!!

You REALLY made me chuckle when you said about nearly chucking up over your friends horse!! The things we put ourselves through eh?

& yes you do seem to have some rivals in the excuses department!!
"Riz is in the field next to the school - i can't ride it will make him jealous....."

Casper I posted on your other thread but have another big well done!! I hope Clover is better soon Thank you for your kind words x

I'm riding Barnaby (the superstar!) in the morning so i'll let you all know how I get on!!

Thank you once again for the support you guys on this section provide for people who struggle with confidence - it is so great to be able to talk to like minded people!!

[I rode]

It's even harder to get back into the swing of things when people can't wait for things to go wrong for you!!!! I've had no end of problems with my mare (verticle rearing, bucking, napping etc) since I've had her and have constantly been told she's not the horse for me, she was sent off to a producer last yr and been ridden by a local dressage lady for the last 6 months (my mares a show horse) and on the 12th March I was SACKED from work and it gave me the motivation to make the most of my time off...I decided I was fed up of seeing other people riding her and so in the last month I've got back on and to my own surprise I've proved everybody wrong, including my Mum and have got on with it, we've been to 2 shows, our 1st was a Royal International Qual where she was 4th in a very strong class, 1st and 2nd being prolific winners at county level and HOYS, I was the only under 25 and the only amateur. The following week we won at a small show at Keysoe. I look forward to riding now instead of sitting at work dreading it and crying before I got on...Liberty May

It is an amazing feeling when you let your confidence issues go and can tell yourself..."I'm meant to do this, stop being stupid!!!"

[nic1]

Well done you Riz, it can be so difficult when you dearly love riding but just daren't get on a horse.
I used to be shaking and crying. almost being sick at the thought of getting on Jim. I have taken the pressure off myself and retired him, We are bestest friends on the ground he will always be my "Big Man". People cannot understand why i love him so much and to be honest i don't know but i do.
Now i have Tawny and although we have had our ups and downs in the last year, and yes last week i have had my " little man " for exactly one year. I knew i would be fine on him.
Like you, i wouldn't canter an especially on a strange horse, but before anyone could even say "how about a little canter" we were off. You know when you feel alright about it.I still have issues, i am scared stiff of hacking out and now i have the ideal excuse, no one to hack with!! but we are getting there.
As for excuses, i have used all of the above and probably more, but the one where the horse is looking at me a biyt funny, or he is very fidgety, he will play up, it might rain, too windy, too late, too cold, too tired too everything!!!
Well done again, have a good next ride.

Nic
x