[sher327]

Hi all! Well its time eek! We got shaw home this week and my husband has ridden him 3 more times,today for 1 1/2 and said he was great so whats my problem????

I am a novice rider admitedly. Occasionally they make me nervous for no apparent reason other than the fact that I have an anxiety disorder I've had all my life.

I haven't been back on a horse since I took the spill with the TWH when I hurt my foot a few weeks ago. Hubby says shaw is awesome,not spooky,loose reins 99% of the time and listens well and yet....

Tomorrow is my first time taking him out on a ride,I won't be alone, hubby and a friend will be with but I am suddenly terrified!! I have this sick feeling like I've never ridden in my life and I don't know how to make it go away help!

Anyone else ever had this happen after a spill and have advice for me? I cried today at the thought that in my gut I know I have a great horse and I haven't been able to ride him because I'm scared! i'm afraid he'll freak just because I'm a wreck and it'll be even harder to ride him!
At this poing I'll take any advice because I HAVE to ride tomorrow, I just have too!
Thanks!

[MiniHorseGrl]

ahh, im the same way in that, i cant ride new horses! i get all scared...do you have a horse you feel safe on? one that u can totaly relax? if so, you could try and ride that one before amybe, just for a minute, so you can be calm and more sure of yourself, then try riding the new guy, and jsut keep telling yourself its the other horse! (i do this quite often actually...hehehe)

[sher327]

Thanks but no I don't. The place we are boarding at has nice horses but I actually trust my new one more LOL Thats what doesn't make any sense to me.
Hubby assures me he would never tell me to get on a dangerous uncontrolable horse and he's even willing to ride one he doesn't know just to go with to comfort me!

Geez what a sissy I feel like LOL I thought about maybe getting in the round pen with him first just to get his attention on me and to release some of my own energy too,maybe that might help???

I wish there was a magic fix for first ride nerves!

[MiniHorseGrl]

that might work, what if your hubby stuck a lounge line on the horse, and u can ride around that way somewhere, and ur hubby is there just in case, and u knowing that might help ya calm down...?

[CANDYGIRL]

I took a fall last October, got straight up, back on, rode for another 10 minutes, but hurt so much had to get off.

I left it then for a few months(I am almost 40, and handn't took a fall since my teans )

I found the longer I left it, the more my confidence was going, this scared me, I talked it over with my hubby, he couldn't believe how I felt, he said but you'll ride anything, I told him I feel I am too old now to take falls like that.

I did a post about calling it a day

What I did, I had the opportunity to go to a trecking centre with a friend of mine, it was the best thing I ever did.

The horse I rode was safe, but very lively. It bought all my confidence back, I realised that it was all in my head, I hadn't lost it, just talked myself into that fact(realised my own mortality)

That is to share that I know how you feel

What I always told my young riders, and I did this myself, was when you mount, take a deap breath, hold it, let it out, feel that relaxed feeling and hold it. You can practice without being on a horse. I also have anxiety/panic attacks for no reason.

Get your husband to lead you, don't feel ashamed, till you feel at ease with your new horse, try and be in a manage, training pen, somewhere enclosed, I find this makes you feel safer.

Just like anything that frightens you, face it one step at a time, don't rush, try to think positive and if you don't like it that day there is always tomorrow. That is how I handle daily living, sometimes I can shop, sometimes I can't, we won't starve

Hope this helps and your not on your own with the Anxiety, but have to say that now, even after the fall, just like before I am the most relaxed on horseback than at any other time of my daily routine I forget about anxiety and enjoy myself

I am sure your husband wouldn't tell you lies about the horse, specially since he knows you get worked up over things. bow to him.

Don't make yourself ill over it - one step at a time

[Lucky Duck]

I agree with CANDYGIRL... get your husband to lead you on the horse and then lunge while you are on him too. My husband and I actually do that with any 'new' horses we get in. Since I don't know the horse, I'd much rather have it in a controlled situation for the first ride. When you are on him, just try to take a deep breath and relax your whole body... start from your toes and just let yourself loosen up.

Sometimes I get nervous before riding my NSH... it comes from some problems I had with him when he was younger. But, once I am riding I feel so much better.

Good Luck, sher327. You can do it!

[sher327]

thanks all blushing Right now my horse is in a 3 acre pasture so I thought maybe I would ride him in there first like you suggested. Today is the day applaud I will take my meds for my nerves, take a deep breath(or two)pray and smile It's been raining here like crazy so unless the ground is too wet over there at the stables its a go!

Thanks again, knowing I'm not the only one who gets nervous about riding a new horse is reassuring to me, I don't feel like such a chicken LOL

I'll be sure to post an update to my day as soon as I get home.