[JumpsxGlory]

As most of you know I had a riding accident that put me in a back brace for about a month and a half and next Tuesday I'll most likely get permission to no longer wear it and will be able to ride soon after....

Well, everytime I think about jumping now I get this fear that something is going to happen and I don't want that to affect me. Jumping is all I do and will most likely be all I ever do other than Dressage.

I have never really had a fear of anything horse or riding related and I don't know how to deal with it or make it better.

I know I'm not going to rush into it all. I'm just going to do some flat work and work on ground poles and some cavalittes (sp?) at some point but I don't know when I should actually start jumping again and how to prepare myself mentally.

Any tips would be great!!

Thanks in advance!

[Simon Says]

the best thing to do is start really slow..... ground poles until you are comfortable, and move up from there. i know when i was galloping, i got flung off like a wet rag and i was so scared to get back on this 3 year old that i had only ridden twice and she was 16.3 and strong, but i climbed back up and stared over at a walk and then a trot a few days later, next thing you know i was up in the irons a week later and still alitte nervous, but it slowly went away w/ time!!! you will be ok, just take you time and do it as you are comfortable, don't rush ito anythign, i am glad you are feeling better!!!

[JumpsxGlory]

Thanks.

I'll only be able to ride like once a week and that is without an instructor cause lessons aren't given in the winter and it's coming soon. I told my parents that when I can ride again I'm going to go up to the barn and ride Olly and they said "There is no way you're going to be riding without someone there who knows what their doing."

I'm totally comfortable with riding with no instructor. I've been riding for almost 2 years and know what I'm doing and I know Olly. Aslong as one of my parents is there I'm fine but they don't seem to see that. They think that I'm going to make a mistake or the horse is going to freak but neither of those are going to happen. Olly doesn't spook and if he does it's not bad. He's just on the watch. And I know I'm capable of it. I'll just be doing simple walk/trot first then move up to full workouts with transitions and all.

[Simon Says]

i think you will be ok, you lost a little faith and that is normal after an accident, as long as you have a "safe" horse, getting back into the saddle will easier than you think, like i said, take your time w/ you comfort level, i have faith in you, you will do great!!!

[Emzalss@2580]

Ok, so i fell off jumping too but it wasn't any where near as serious as yours although it did traumatize me for about 6 months afterwards, not only for jumping but with everything. So i has lunge lessons for about 5 months riding the same pony which i trusted and i learnt how to ride without bieng tense again and i did little poles on the ground, then jumps still on the lunge and then finally got off and rode in lessons again. It was a long and hard process but not i'm so glad i put through it so go slow and stick with it, the out come will be worth the wait.

[cassidy]

i think the best advice poss ible is to take things really slow until you think you are ready to move on to the next level good luck

[Sev]

Let me just say that I commend you for getting back on and not even being too scared about it. Some people just have a slight fall, no injuries, not even a scrape, and they don't get back on for years. Literally. You've had a serious injury, and you've made so much progress already, that getting back on the horse is actually the final step of your healing process. A lot of it is mental, worrying about the what if's, and, for the most part, you're beyond that by now. So, I'm sure you'll do just fine and will be galloping again soon enough.

[Asfaloth]

If I can you can


In 1998 my appy fliped over on me. He didn't land on me but I hit a trailer hitch on the way down. It was a few weeks before I could stand and do barn work much less ride and by then I was having panic attacks just being near the horse! I fianlly got the nerve to get on but was scared to death. Wouldn't you know 5 months later as I was mounting he spooked and tossed me again, knocking me out. After that i could not even think about riding him without having an anxiety attack. So I gave him to my best friend a few months before I moved from CT to PA.
Two years later my friend also moved to PA bringing the App. About a year after that I sat on him like a little kid on a pony ride. My friend held onto him and I just sat there shaking.
6 months after that I got the nerve to start trail riding him again.
This past spring my friend gave him back to me. She said she always planned on having me get back on him annd getting him back.
I still get a bit nervous if I let myself think about it much but My confidence is almost back to where it was 10 years ago

[JumpsxGlory]

Thanks simonsays. You made me smile!

[i_luv_wildfire]

Like every1 else has said, just take it slow. Trot over some ground poles, some little cavalettis, and just gradually increase the height of the jumps. If you ever are getting ready to go over a jump and suddenly aren't comfortable with the height, take it down a few inches (or however much until you think you can handle it). I'm sure you're going to do fine. Remember to have confidence. Thinking about what *might* happen won't do you any good because you'll just worry yourself to death.
Good luck and keep us posted with how you're doing!