feel like were going backwards

[gixer]

lately I feel like every time I ride Rio were getting worse instead of better

I think I know the cause and its us not doing enough through one thing and another (yard move, needing new saddle, family tradegy)

Just getting down on it and losing motivation, we were going to do a dressage test on jan 10th but I've not bothered entering now as were no way near ready

anyone else known a horse turn into a donkey through lack of work?

[mags]

Not to worry Gixer, think any horse person or what ever goes backwards through lack of practice. All will pop back together when you have more time

[horsey123]

i found that best thing to do in that frame of mind was to just turn jimmy out for 4 weeks and take him for walks in hand log line him but dont ride him and TBH it was the best thing i ever did it made are bond so much stronger and made me look follward to ridding him again

why not just take a few mths out of schooling and just hack for a few mths so that you ca both chill out and then pick the schoolig up agin when you feel better

xx

[jakeandbarneysmum]

It's still very early days for you - don't put yourself under too much pressure - see this still as the relationship building phase, and slow everything down. At the end of the day, what does it matter so long as you're both safe and happy??

[june]

I'd either give him a few weeks off altogether until you've sorted yourself out or keep the schooling sessions very short and very focused. I've found that if I work on one thing in a schooling session I get much further than if I work on several things at once. For example, I can work on softness or transitions but not both together. To put both together I have to work on softness until the horse has got it and transitions until the horse has got it and then put both together. Doing it that way means we make progress and it is obvious to me that we've made progress.

The length of the sessions I do varies depending on what we've achieved. If we achieve what I set out to achieve in 5 mins then I get off. If we don't achieve what I set out to achieve then I make sure we do something easier so we finish on a good note. Then I go away and work out how to break the session down into smaller pieces for the next day so we can achieve what I want.

Take the pressure off yourself and simplify things if you can.

[sarahbing]

Hi Gixer, it's definitely not just you! It is the time of year. Unless you are lucky enough to have a floodlit indoor school it is so hard to work consistently at this time. Don't feel bad, we are all going through it. Just do what you can, set small achieveable goals and stick to them. It will get easier as we are past the shortest day. With regard to going out competing, don't do it if it makes you stressed but remember most people are having the same issues. We are out at the end of Jan and going regardless, even though his test feels like he has three legs! It will make me get out and school him when I'd really rather stay in!
Roll on spring x

[cbc]

Dont push yourself at this point, keep your chin up, work on getting to know your ned and look forward to spring

[wabuska]

You've had the mare a very short space of time Gixer, ease up on yourself. I had two weeks off due to shoes and weather and it was a nice break quite honestly. Dressage in January? I wouldn't worry about that. Winter is really tough and I know you're buoying up Daisy too right now. Now... breathe....

Er.. if you only knew how seriously hopeless some of the rest of us are... ehem.

[HeatherL*]

Great advice from June I think regarding schooling. I find though if I get a bit stuck with Bella schooling wise and things don't seem to be going as well as they could then it may be that I've made things too difficult for her or over complicated things or that I've schooled for more than a couple of days in a row and it's just too much for her. I often find that a couple of days off and then a week of nice fun hacks and no work in the school whatsoever takes the pressure off her and me, we just enjoy each others company for a while and have a bit of a ramble around the countryside.

Like Kanga said, give yourself a break and take the pressure off. If you don't make the dressage test who cares, there will be plenty more. Enjoy your lovely horsey and don't worry about it, everything will come good in the end and spring is a coming

[daisysp8]

You`re expecting too much, too soon, with way too much emotions flying about hun.

You need to learn her, she needs to learn you. You need to wait until things have calmed down emotionally (which is going to take time).

You`ve seen the difference in how she reacts to you on a good day when you`ve ridden her with a free mind and soul, you acheive lots. But on the days when you`ve ridden her whilst feeling upset, mardie or with a heavy heart, she picks up on it immediately and things go wrong.

She is uber sensitive to you right now, and to Dans feelings too. It wouldn`t be a bad thing not to ride, and just to spend the time walking in hand, grooming and building up the trust and the verbal communication with her because she does listen to you ... !!

Hell, if you don`t end up doing a show til the middle of August who does it matter to ? ? You have the foundations of a brilliant relationship with Ree .. She loves you to peices and is so eager to please, when she knows the times right, not just to be a distraction for the present feelings and sadness .... !!

Luvs ya hun

[gixer]

lol at her being eager to please, mardy thing bit my bum 3 times this morning while we were doing our rug changing! but I wasn't awake, or in a good mood and yes she is a mirror of my emotional state!

however I do feel she needs to be active in some form or another so we will be out in the school every evening doing something, weather its lead work, lunge work (yes I am the spawn of satan I will lunge just not with any gadgets), ridden work or free work.
I may even get a book on clicker training, she's soooo food focused I'm sure she'd pick that one up easy peasy and would be another excersize for us.

For me having a horse I can't compete on is not going to happen long term, its a major part of why I love having horses taking them off and showing them off to people, winning is always a nice bonus too lol

she is having a full sports massage and once over this week mainly to see if there is a serious problem with her shoulders or if I'm being a worry wort and letting her get away with things for no reason.

Thanks all, she has had 2 weeks off work really, I've ridden twice total of 40 minutes and didn't break out of walk in that time as it was obvious we were having straight line issues so worked until we could do the centre line straight 3 times then stopped the session.

[daisysp8]

Lmao ... she was kissing your bum really lol Just with a little over exubberance lol !!

I know you want to compete, and i know the reasons why, and i`m 99% sure she is the one to do it one. But isn`t it better to set yourself a target of May (ish) ? ? ...... The nicer weather will be here, lighter evenings, it`ll give time for things at home to settle (thats gonna be the hard bit), and for the wedding to be done (you will be stressed before it lol), it gives you 4 months to prepare for it, with alot less pressure on BOTH of you And once you`ve managed the May show you then have a whole summer to go at it hammer and tong and i`ll be there to cheer ya on at every single one of em lol !!

Its also been xmas and there`s been so much other stuff going on for you at the minute its hardly suprising you`ve not done alot with her. Stop beating yourself up and putting pressure on yourself to do things immediately, as if thinking if you don`t do more equals some major failure on your part ... It doesn`t hun, you`re only human, and you`re doing an absolutely fantastic job with her It`s been a long time since i`ve seen a horse and rider so intune with each other ... and you two so definitely are !!

[cookie]

Gixer, I do think that this time of year lots of us have problems being as consistant as we want to be with schooling and when its so-o cold and wet it I can find it quite demoralising.

You've had some good suggestions and you;ve obviously got some ideas too.

Any xmas pressies left to choose? I just spent some xmas gift money on an extra lesson as we were in such a rut and our schooling felt like it was going backwards. I told the instructor, who we have both had before, what a rut I felt we were in and it was well worth the money. Myself and the pony had the most fun session we had had in ages.

don't get despondant, we've had the shortest day, spring is just round the corner