# Mental exercises for horse riding nerves



## Kikilamour (May 14, 2013)

I am so ashamed. I ride and play a bit of polo which I love :001_wub:

Had some issues in the past with fear and bolting horses etc and I got a good instructor who worked with me etc it was great. However she made me ride the same horse for three months. Problem is I had to move to another pony as they are constantly being changed over during games.

I got on the new pony and boy oh boy there was a lot of tension. I was tense myself as had just jumped out of my car after a 1.5 hr car drive from London, experiencing lack of sleep and a bit depressed lately (family bereavement issues). I clearly passed my crap onto the pony. Didn't help that I was with a different trainer who now sees me as a confident rider and player. He stated that the horse I was riding was a lot more powerful and faster than the other going "Bloody hell look at the size of his neck". Lets just say it all went downhill from there 

Going back on Monday. I will conquer this. I have also asked to be put on different ponies each time now. 

Suffice to say I feel pretty foolish that I let my nerves get the better of me. Does anyone have any tips on things they do before getting on?


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## RachJeremy (Sep 14, 2012)

Try and let yourself relax before you ride. I for one do not even allow myself to ride my boy if i'm in a foul mood, as he bounces off me and can make my mood worse by playing up! And for one if i'm feeling nervous during or before a lesson i actually tell the instructor. If they think you're capable of riding the horse and really you're not, then you're setting yourself up or a huge issue in the long run... For example, my dad a few years back had booked my in for a lesson at a riding school i used to ride in before college. He told the woman when booking the lesson that i was now a very confident and advanced rider. I don't consider myself advanced, however i can easily ride a horse in an outline and work them properly. But it could have so easily gone the other way, i could have turned up and rather than being confident in myself, i could of been nervous and due to my dad telling them that i was put on a fairly high strung and forward going horse. Luckily i rode him well... But what could have happened if i was nervous? Morale of the story it doesn't hurt to just say you don't feel as confident as you seem and you feel nervous on said horse. If anything it makes you the bigger person to admit that you don't feel like you're capable of everything they throw at you. Everyone gets nervous. But allow yourself that time to relax before getting on the horse, maybe even just make a fuss over the horse for a bit before riding. Or maybe ask if you can arrive early and tack up the horse. Get to know it before you get on.


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## Kikilamour (May 14, 2013)

Thank you. I should have just said I was not comfortable with a horse that looked like he had done too many steroids


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